The Newtown bee., 1899-08-11

n igh who is mightier than the tumultu-
Gus waters, yea than the raging waves OF
the sea, did not desert his servants,
aud the truth had effect and the church
was planted. And to this church he
writes from Rome where, in disregard of
all civil rights he is a prisoner: "Our
ia in heaven" By birth he
was citizen not only Of the Jewish
nation, but also of the great Roman en-
pire, and under the 2 Eis of Roman law
he often found refuge from the furious
intolerance of his countrymen and had
hearing before praetors, proconsuls, gov
errors, kings, and finally the emperor.
Strange as it may seem, the heavenly
citizenship to which he had been prom
ised was the cause of the antipathy, in
justice and violence that were visited
upon him. Prior to his endowment there
with he had no trouble with his civil re-
lations. He was not only not prosecuted
but was at liberty to prosecute the ter
rene subjects of the Celestial Ruler. But
when he himself became an adherent of
the faith he once destroyed, 1t was not
difficult to foresee that he must also ex-
pose himself to the unpopularity that
commonly attended such a course and
that probably in an uncommon degree.
The prospect however did not deter him
from entering it nor did copious exper-
fence turn him aside from it. He was
chosen in the furnace of attliction,
but the furnace he also chose II together
with it he might be honored with citi-
zenship in heaven.
l. CITIZENSHIP IS FOR THE MOST PART
A MATTER OF BIRTH.
The bulk of a country's citizens are born
there. IL any are born elsewhere they
are either children of the citizens Of that
country or they undergo fgurative
birth by naturalization. And the citi-
zens of heavea are either born there or
If born elsewhere are of heavenly stock.
Our Saviour assured Nicodemus that it
is possible for a man to become citizen
of heaven in this way and in no other.
st John says: "As many as received
him"-the word that in the beginning
was with God and was God that was also
in the world and by whom the world
was made-''to them he gave the right
to become children of God, even to them
that believe on his name; which were
born not of blood (alone)nor of the will
of the flesh (alone), nor (only) of
the will of man, but of God" He, we
are told, was the true light which light
eth every man coming into the world.
sand in him was life and the life was
the light of men,"
2. This citizenship is the birthright Of
man. Our Saviour took little children
up In bis arms and blessed them and said
"Suffer little children to come unto me
and forbid them not for of such ia the
kingdom of heaven" "Take heed that
ye despise not one Of these little ones.
For verify say unto you that their an.
gels do always behold the face Of my IA
Their" Except ye be CONCERTED and
become as little children ye shall In nc
case enter into the kingdom Of heaven y
Do we not therefore rightly infer that
all infants are members Of the kingdom
Of heaven, that is, of the kingdom whose
sovereign resides and reigns in heaven
and has right at least to rule the earth
and that their citizenship is where then
ruler is? And as none can have place II
the kingdom of heaven, without being
born from above Of water and Of the
Spirit, do we not rightly infer that natur
al birth is invariably attended with spir
itual birth and with citizenship in HEAVIER
"a citizenship that ia secure, immutable
and inalienable unless 1t be parted with
by fire and deliberate choice. 'sIf WI
abide in the light which lightsth every
man that cometh into the world ant
walk in it, we have uninterrupted fellow
| ship with the divine Father and tn
blood OF Jesus Christ his Son cleansetI
us from all ain. And II any sin, we havl
an Advocate with the Father, Jesu
Christ the righteous and he is the propi
j tiation for our sins, and not for our
only but also for the whole world
"AlI unrighteousness 10 sin, and ther.
Is 8 sin not unto DEATH" Not every sil
works q forfeiture Of sOnship, fellowahil
and citizenship. Ard there 10 no sin 81
| great, but repentance, medIasorial ad
vocacy ana
DIVINE MERCY WILL heal RI.
No soul of man faiIs Of citizenship h
heayen IA consequences 81 Adams Sin