The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1891-04-30
CHURCH LOCALS
AND RELIGIOUS NOTES OF GENER.
AL INTEREST.

The religious lite is TO be g
growth. The apostle speaks of Ger.
tain christians as 'babes in Christ
Jesus" We are to grow in grace
and in the knowledge ofGod." This
is the law of spiritual life.
THE babe does not spring at one
bound to manhood. 1t is growth.
1t is gradual development. Exer-
else produces strength. Acquain-
lance with the law of life, comes
with the growth, and so the helpless
babe, reaches full manhood, and is
qualified for his place. This is tn
law of spiritual life.
The apostle pleads for the "ful-
ness of the stature of perfect man
in Christ Jesus" This means in
crease, regular, stated gradual
growth. He does not mean perfect
in an absolute sense. 1t calls only
for an honest, healthful, increase.
No man can ever reach place in
religious experience, in which
growth will cease to be the law oil
life.
A special reference to old age as
an illustration, is given in the
Psalms; ''They shall still bring
forth fruit, in old age ; they shall be
fat and fourishirg; they that be
planted in the house of the Lord,
shall flourish in the courts of our
God" Growth is to 60 on to old
age. An increase. of years should
bring an increase of grace. The
activities of life have no place fol-
such aged ones. The Father has
"They shall still bring forth fruit
"a Eoary head is a crown OF glory
if found in the way of righteous
ness"
i We can but suppose for the rea
son giyen-the principle laid down
Old age does not always bring supe
rior earthly wisdom. But in expe
rience and knowledge of the way
of God, if the law of application an,
growth, has been observed. 1t i
: this blessed spirit and grace of GU
} holy religion, that gives US such low
and reverence for the old saints o
the Lord. In the gray hairs, IN thu
lines and burrows of time in tn,
bent form and trembling steps, VI,
find the beauty of God, the mature
beauty of God. Who, but our Faith.
err, can see the whole harvest, Of the
spiritual man, in old age, of the one
who has followed this law of growth
in grace?
AND the thought is, that there
are no conditions or circumstances,
in life, to interfere with it. Growth
is to 60 on, in the midst of our bust
est hours. For if we are really in
grace, ii we are really in Christ Je-
sus, the man is His, in all things, in
all of work; in all of leisure in all
of society; in all of travel. His
work is Tor Christ. In Christ Jesus
and Christ Jesus in him, all will be for
God. And so it comes that there
are no conditions, or circumstances,
but that may be made to minister to
this law of growth. Even affliction,
temptation and trial, are to be our
servants, working out for u.s." the
problem of growth.
The thought,so largely prevailing
in ordinary christian experience,
that God is not interested in my
daily tolls; in my trials and Attic
tons, and that He does not there
fore expect me to pray much or
think much; or love much, is great
wrong and painful to a loving Faith
er. For the moment, in the spirit
Of them, we cease things, we cease
to grow, and ceasing to grow: we
begin to lose our hold upon Him.
There is no such things as standing
still. We go forward or we 60 back
ward. We may not always be con-