The Newtown bee., 1895-08-16
THE OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD WORD.


 the Son of God, unto perfect man, unto the | measure of the stature of Christi THE OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD WORD. The word, perfect, has at times un- necessarily disturbed the peace of the church. The difficulty has largely arisen from a lack of understanding of the twofold meaning or use of the word. It primarily means ''to carry to the end" In this sense it may be applied to that which is finished or full grown. The second and more common meaning of the word is best expressed by the two words, "not defective' or as Webster tersely puts it Having all that is re- quisite to it's nature or kind"
 We would not call man who is want ing in moral honesty, perfect man; neither would we call Christian whose walk is crooked, whose methods at times are questionable, a perfect Christian. On the other hand, the man who with pure heart and singleness of eye serves God, whose walk before men is consist ent with his high calling, is according to the standard of Scriptures, perfect Christian.
 In the text, Paul uses the word per- feet in it's primary sense. His "perfect man," is the developed man. This, be- comes evident, when we observe that the word "stature," which is found in the concluding part of the verse, is in the margin of our Bibles rendered "age." } This fullness of development is some thing that we cannot believe ourselves into in a moment, or shout and sing our selves into in an hour. It is reached only by slow, continued, and systema- tic growth through years of faithful and fruitful experience in the service of God. It takes time, the same as it takes years for tho boy to reach his full stature. Even then he is not man. Several years more of experience must be added to his life before he acquires that fullness ot 5 knowledge and perfection of judgement which are requisite to mako him man
 Let none of us, however, deceive our. selves into believing that fullness of time alone, somehow and in some way vii make us the perfect men and women we ought to be, for perfection in the end is not attained by imperfect processes o1 growth. No one
 CAN ATTAIN TO PERFECT MANHOOD IN
 CHRIST
 by unworthy living. Imagine for mo ment that two boys are standing before you. We will suppose the one here tc your right has a perfect form, sound body. When grown, if proper attention is given to his growth so as to keep il healthy, he will have perfect body The boy here to your left has slight deformity in his back. It is hardly no ticeable now, but ask your doctor about it, and he will tell you if the evil is not corrected, the boy will be hump backed man. Each year of growth will only make more prominent the deformity Int moral is plain; if we desire to at tain to perfect Christian manhood, we must somehow have all the crooks taken out of our characters to begin with. We must start straight and keep straight. To use another figure of speech: build ing, if perfect when complete, must be built according to the plan of architect from foundation to dome.
 In the perfect building, of which we have just spoken, there will be unity of plan and purpose. Every part will be made to bear proper relation and due proportion to every other part. It is | fhnc xs,ith is in harmony with itself and in accord with the purpose of it's author. We come ''unto perfect man, unto the meas ure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" in the ''unity of the faith.''
 Paul here uses the term faith, very much as we use the word plan, making it to embrace the whole system of prac- tical Christianity. He puts more than ordinary emphasis upon it's unity. In the preceding verses, he says "There is one tody, and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your call- ing; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all." It is.well here to note that such is the va riety in the plan, that the early church was in danger of losing sight of it's unity. This is why the great Apostle urges with such force and tenderness the need of keeping ''the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,' for unity of spirit Is the surest way of attaining, to unity of thought and belief.
 Our danger lies in a somewhat d ffarent direction than that of the early church l We accept the doctrine of the oneness of God, and yet just as fully believe in a l Trinity of Persons.
 OUR DANGER
 is in failing to perceive the unity that exists between the doctrines that per tain more directly to inner life, for these are as surely embraced in the faith as the others. That we ought to know and understand them is plainly evident. That we ought to know them in their re- lation to one another and in their rela- tiop to the religious life as whole is equally evident, otherwise we shall dis tort the truth and produce an unnatural | religious growth. The doctrines to | which refer are regeneration, justifica- tion and the other kindred doctrines. Of late the Catechism question and ans- wers in connection with our Sunday school lessons have been upon these doc- trines. A verbal answer to these ques. tions can be given by any child whose | m nf hot