The Newtown bee., 1898-01-07

spiritual education is more and better
than all else that this world can give
US. We must bear this in mind
or we shall fail to understand the
divine significance of this earthly pro-
baton. Whatever else we may do or
fail to do we must learn to love God
supremely that He may work all things
with US for good. And so it is that the
most disappointing and unhappy ex-
periences of this life may be the surest
proofs of the Fathers love to as. AS
the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews
says:
"My son, regard not lightly the Christening OF
the Lord,
Nor faint when thou art reproved of him;
For whom the Lord Ioveth he chasteneth,
And scourgeth every son whom he re-
ceiveth."
More than that even: sit is for chast-
ening that ye endure; God dealeth with
you as with sons; for what son is there
whom his father chasteneth not? But if
We are without Christening, where of all
have been made partakers, then are ye
bastards, and not sons"
Moreover, st Paul reminds us that we
are in the world which is full of evil,
and that we must in the nature of the
case be partakers of the sufferings of
Christ. We are simply part of the
whole. We are members of His body
and therefore members one of another in
Him. We must suffer with the rest.
OUR PROGRESS AND PERFECTION.
depend upon the rest Of the world, in
deed the whole creation Is involved in
the same process of moral and spiritual
evolution. Sin has fastened it's blight
and curse upon everything with which
we have to do in this world; our sue
cess or failure, our happiness or misery
is bound up with the fortunes OF the rest
of men: "For,'' as the apostle says
1--WE know that the whole creation groan.
eth and travaileth in pain together until
now. And not only so, but ourselves
also, which have the firstfruits of the
Spirit, even we ourselves groan within
ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to
wit, the redemption Of our BODY" And
still he could say in the triumph of bis
faith in Christ: 'For 1 reckon that the
sufferings of this present time are not tC
be compared with the glory which shall
be revealed to us-ward. For the earnest
expectation of the creation waiteth fol
the revealing of the sons of God. Fol
the Creation was subjected to vanity, moi
Of its own will, but by reason of hin
who subjected it, in hope that the crea
ton itself also shall be delivered from
the bondage of corruption into the liber
ty of the glory of the children OF Cod
There is no royal road to heaven. W.
must all walk in the same highway O.
holiness with Christ our Lord, bearing
the cross that we may win the crown O.
eternal life. We cannot pick our wa,
through this world, seeking it's pleasures
stunning its duties, doing only tn
things that are agreeable, avoiding tn
dangers, hardships and sufferings which
belong to our lot in the divine plan o
our lives, and still expect that the glor!
of God shall be revealed in us. If we ar
to be like Him who is our Leader and on
divine Example we must walk with Hin
following in His footsteps, whereve
duty or love may lead US. We shall b
"heirs of God, and joint-heirs witt
Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him
that we may be also g1orified with Him.
Sand we know that to them that Low
God all things work together for good
even to them that are called according /,
his purpose"
We are all in the school Of the divin,
life. But it is not enough TO goto school
our education depends upon how VI
learn our lessons. Orr spiritual health
progress and happiness are all involves
in the daily experiences of this life. w,
know the divine plan; we have been born