The Newtown bee., 1898-12-16

| rhis. We are doing the works OF the
fl sh, or we are bringing forth the fruit
Of the Spirit. Which? Here are two
opposing forces in our nature: the lust
Of the flesh ard the lust of the Spirit.
Lust is used here in the sense of desire.
The natural desires Of the appetites and
affections are good so long as they are
unperverted and controlled by right rea-
son and the higher motives of the Spirit.
The body has its natural desires, the soul
has It's own natural desires, and the
Spirit has its natural desires. But the
Spiritual nature is the highest part OF
our being-the real, immortal, divine
manhood in US, and it was meant that
we should be controlled by the Spirit In
us, inspired by the Holy Ghost. The
soul stands for all these intermediate
powers of the heart, mind and will which
may be welded TO the flesh on the one
hand, or to the Spirit on tha other. The
soul may be the servant Of the body, or
it may be the servant of the Spirit.
1T CANNOT SERVE TWO MASTERS,
It must be dominated by one or the other.
If the powers of the flesh control the
conduct of life, the life is carnal. Ii the
powers OF the Spirit control the life and
character, the man is spiritual. The soul
ia always in strait betwixt two. 1t lie
either in bondage to the lusts of the flesh,
or it is ia the freedom OF the Iusts
Of the Spirit. And 80 st Paul Gays:
Walk by the Spirit, ard we shall rot
fulfil the lust Of the fl 'sb. For the 1ss'.
lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit
against the fl ssh; for these are contrary
the one co the other; that ye may not do
the things that ye would. But if ye are
led by the Spiri', ye are not under the
law"
The great, spiritual battlefield of life
! is in the soul. Shall we be controlled by
the lust of the flesh, or will we control
ourselves by the lust of the Spirit? Ev-
erything that belongs to life is involved
10 this Struggle for the supremacy of the
soul. The conduct of life dignifies US, or
| it degradGs as. We are being developed,
or we are being deformed. We are being
perfected, or we are being perverted.
We are saved and accepted, or we are
condemned ard oct. AS st Paul declares
in this same connection: For he that
aOweth unto his own flesh shall of the
fl 'sh reap corruption but he that soweth
unto the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap
rternal life"
II man has no life other than that OF
MA body which is as temporary and per.
hing as the grass Of the field, what has
ne then to hope for? Ii man makes his
life to consist in the qualification of the
mere animal desires of the flesh, what
sources OF life, or powers of happiness
can he expect TO have hereafter? How
can a man who lives only as to the body
expect to find any place ia the spiritua
aud eternal kingdom of heaven?
CAN IT BE POSSIBLE
that any man who prefers the works Of
the flesh to the fruit of the Spirit, in this
life, could be happy in Paradise? Wha
sort of a heaven could it be in which
thieves, liars, murderers, libertines anc
drunkards would be at peace!
st Paul is very particular to say that
II forewarn you, even as did forewarl
you, that they which practice sucf
things shall not inherit the kingdom o
God" But why? Because the kingdom
of heaven is truth, righteousness, purity
peace and holy love. There can be moth
ipg evil in the spiritual realms of eterns
principles. Heaven is place and stat
of life in which the fruit of the Spirit
the only product OF character and con
duct, There can be no works Of the fies
in the eternal kingdom of divine trut
and love. 1t is simply imI o3sible. Th
man who In his heart prefers any evil t
obey the lust of the fish as against th
holy desire of the Spirit simply 'sha
not" because he cannot, enter into tn
eternal kingdom Of the divine life. FL
where there is darkness there is no ligh
and where light is there can be no darl
ness. It makes no difference what woI
of the flesh in particular it may be;
one, or many, or all; if a man lives
rs the flesh to do the work of the flesh,
does not and cannot at the same tin
: walk by the Spirit.
Ii a man is dIunkard, he is not TIT
sober man. For drunkenness" is Of
of the works Of the flesh and s'tempe
y anceo Ia one of the fruits of the Spir
What then is the difference? Let US co
slider now what is involved in this sing
question Of drunkenness" or s'teI
perapce" as affecting the spiritual W,
fare or eternal destiny of mankind.
the first place we need to emphasize {
10 essential, moral contrast between the ty
conditions and qualities or charactt
st Paul suggests more than the simI
fact that the works Of the flesh are {
posed to the fruit of the Spirit. Wekne
- very well THAT ''fornication, uncles
ness, drunkenness, revellingt
and such like, are sins that degrade I
life of men and destroy their reputati
and character. We know also u
sslove, Joy, peace, temperance" and
ALI. THE FRUITS OF TIE SPIRIT ARE v
TUES WHICH ENNoBLE
aud perfect the life Of mankind, q
therefore there Is no law against 50
manifestations OF life and character.
But we need TO realize that this ess,
tial difference is something more thar
a mere difference OF opinion, more thar