The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-27

preach; not 50 easy to live. But when one
little later, 4 know both how to be abased
and how to abound. That is difncuit
double knowledge. There are some men VINO
know how TO be abaseds and walk in humil-
ity; there are some men who know how 70
abound and walk in wealth and largeness
of life; but to know, how to go from the the
mountain top back iEto the valley again,
and still go singing all the time, alike In fog
ana sunshine, alike in darkness S. ana hg I'm,
VINO Knows Ihis secret. save MN VINO mas
the mind which was in him who emptied
Himself and was made in the form OF a ser
yar.t, and where in human history will you
find the man who shows more of this mind
of Christ Jesus than this apostle Paul?
And yet he does not count himself to have
1t, he only counts himself eagerly to de-
sire it. ora esa
But what things were gain to me. those I count
ed loss for Christ. .9eh "a
Yea doubtless, and count all things but loss
Tor the excellency of the knowledge OF Christ
Jesus my Lord: for whom have suffered the loss
OF all thing and do count them but dung, that
And be found in him. not having mine own
righteousness, which is OF the law. but that which
is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness
which is of God by faith
That ! may know him. and the power. of his
resurrection h;u and the fellowship Of his suerings
Delng made cQnformable unto his death
do you observe the strange reversal
which most of US would make of the eli
max! FIRST the power Of His resurrection;
HCAl, Lie l61lOWSnlp In HIS SulleTlIlSS last
of all. conformity to. His death-this the
highest, this the most desired.
If by any means might attain unto the resur-
recton of the dead.
Not though had already attained, either
were ALREADY perfect: but, follow after If that
| may apprehend that for which also appre
Brethren / count not myself to have appre-
hended: but this one thing 1 do. forgetting those
things which are behind and reaching forth unto
press toward the mark for the prize of the
high calling of God in Christ Jesus
IDEA OF FOLLOWING CHRIST
Gas Matthew sat at the receipt of customs
and Christ came and, touched him on the
shoulder and said, Follow me-, and he left
his table and followed, so Paul conceives
himself as sitting in the market place, and
the Christ coming and touching him and
saying, Follow Me- and he rising up to fol-
low Him, and always, following fleeing
Christ; always drawing nearer, yet always
seeing Christ still beyond; always hearing
the voice crying still to him, Onward! on
ward! forward! forwardi' rejoicing even in
the dangers and the failures and the dis
appointments, because out Of them grows
wish that Paul had told us how we might
enlarge this life of ours. In our poverty,
in our imperfect Christian experiences, tell
US, . Paul. tell US something else than the
condition of faith in Christ. These words,
Have faith in Christ have almost lost
their meaning they are altogether too con-
ventional; we do not understand you through
these; give US some plain, practical, sim
pie direction how we may cultivate in our
selves this life that willfrejoice in disap
and in conflict, that shall follow on and
never attain and yet always rejoice to fol-
low on! And he does. ~ ~.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things
are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever
things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good
here he INV frIIa and fhara ha
praise, tAInk on these things.
Those things, which ye have both learned, and
God of peace shall be with you.
And then a sentence, which any minister
might pray God the grace to utter, and any
minister might hesitate to utter. no mat
ter what grace God had given him: The
things which We learned and received and
heard and saw in me, these things do, and
the God of peace shall be with YOU Look
out, he says, upon this world. You may look
on its bad SIDE its cruel side it's shameful
side. but there are other, things to see.
There are purs things and honorable things
there are glorious things and heroic things;
there are noble sides TO human nature and
splendid sides,ito hunlans life. Look on
those things, and then. thinking, feeding.
looking, seeing. do those things, and then
the peace Of God shall dwell with you.
Paul is acquitted. The right to preach
the gospel is triumphant And he goes his
way and travels as far aMest as Spain,
preaching; and comes back again; and three
VI IOuI OT llNc years ldl6F Is TedTT6SleQ anu
brought again to ROME. The era of cruel
persecution has set finSmand the charge
against Nero of setting fire to Rome. Nero
has determined TO escape by putting it upon
the Christians. Paul is brought to trial, and
there is nothing found in him guilty save
only this, that he is Christian. And now
he has no hoDe-or shall l rather say, no
fear OF acquittal now he sees that prese ntly
he shall depart and be with Christ, which
is far better; and he sums: up the. whole
biography of his life, all his past looking
and the whole prophecy of his life, all its
forelooking. in, one LUMINOUS sentence in his
second letter TO Timothy: I have fought
a good fight, have finished the course
have kept the faith; henceforth there is
laid W for me 2 crown of. righteousness,
which God the righteous Savior will give TO
me, and not to me only, but to all them
that love His appearing The whole of
Paul's theology is summed up in that last
parting word to his friends in Jesus Christ.
Life is a great battle-4fght it bravely; life
a course-run it eagerly life faith-keeping
hold it firmly; but do. not. think to win the
righteousness by your. battle, by your race
or by your fafth-keeping; God will give it
to you; it is his free gift, if you simply love
Him and wish to see Him.