The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-11-12

Christ was preparing His disciples for
His death, which was now approaching,
and also for the necessity of this course,
and He wished to impress upon hem the
truth that hardship and self-denial were
to be the lot of His followers. In that
text the cost is stated.
We all want life. We all want a
higher, nobler, truer life here. and we
want eternal life afterward Not all
| things are made right in this life even
for Gods. people, but the time for thetr
correction Is extended into the future
life. To us the text means self-sacrifce
and self-denlal; giving UP something for
q person or d ~cause;" "depriv1ng yourself
of what r~lghtfully belongs TO you" It
is the losing Of our very existence, the
complete surrender of our whole body,
soul and spirit, temper, disposition, in
telligence and will into His hands, In
whom, by natural and spiritual birth, we
"live and move n have. our being"
Such is the process OF losing self even
to life, and finding Christ, the life
eternal.
Finding life through death Is in accord
ance with universal law. Every pleasing
impression of nature made upon you
arises from change or transformation. II
You ride In car or boat it costs energy.
The breeze that blows and cools your
face loses energy. The light and heat
Of the u comes at the expense OF the
great Mminary. In the higher realm of
life we find that life roots are every
where ramifying In death. Living and
dying are co~-ordinates. We are living
and dying equally in health. In MENTAL
growth we find q similar proeess. !vfIn
the chiid's mind self Is enthtonei.t 1t
considers THAT everything Is madecfor 1t!
6elf. But as 1t gTows in knowledge this
idea Is given up for something Better.
We had to give up many pleasant IDEAS
for others not so pleasant at first, to
establish our rtigClt to be onl Hnls earth
and enjoy the benefits of existence. 1t
rs only those who are willing TO lose
present ideas wink grow intellectually.
The lower must be sacrificed for the
higher. All nature is he'd together by
this principle. Again this principle is
illustrated in human experience so as to
become an inspiration to all life-seekers.
The sacrifices made in a nations life
are line inspiration and means. to higher
attainments an through this worlds his
tory. THE altar Of sacrifice Is the
tombstone of character"
But This principle of s~elf-sacrifce has
been perverted. first in the propitiatory
theory THAT pain will atone fer sin.
Chrictianity does not permit of self-in-
flictei pain to bring us into favor with
Gol. That Is Ia reflection upon the per-
fection of CClTlst's atonemeht. So also
the stoical theory chat there is some
thing radically wrong in pleasure Is a
new edition of Satan's whisper in Eden,
Hath Cos indeed said that we shall not
eat of the trees OF the garden"
Another erroneous theory is based upon
the idea rJ1at the body is the center of
evil mil should therefore be mortified,
BECAUSE st. PAM wrote, II keep my body
under n bring 1t into subsection" But
he also speaks of the body as the
temple of The Holy Ghost as being
preserved faultless," and ais a Giving
sacrifice" as well as calling on us to
''glorify God in cur bodies" Sinful in
du.gence must be crucifed, but every
thing in our bodies rs necessary to SYM
metry of being.
How st1all we lose Mfe that we may
save it? Christ answers. lose II "for |
My sake" We are to change the pivot |
of all our actions from self to C%y1rist.
The world and custom say make every
thing s~erf-centric. Christ rays center all
on me. Sacrifice for self CIR selfish pu--
ocpes is no ';osing' that wiz result in
finding" f3H
1t is hard Ito part with life's destructive
sweetness until we taste the sweetness
OF tI"e heavenly manna wtherewith God
feeds the souls of those who love Him.
But we find Gods promises are fulhllei:
service grows s'Hee.er;. death
becomes the gateway to heaven and the
a place Of sweet repo5e With Jesus.
beyond which we find life everlasting
unrough Him VINO has loved us and re-
deemed us by His own blood.