Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1899-02-08

John Nv, documentary Prepared
by the Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.
copyright. 1895. by d. Nj. Stearns.l
II. "But Jesus answered them, My
Father worketh hitherto and I work."
Because He had healed the impotent man
at Bethesda on the Sabbath day they per-
secuted Him and sought to kill Him. DR..
Weston says that their Sabbath day was to
them their national banner, and it was
not we'll for any one who would dare break
their laws concerning it. Gods Sabbaths
and feasts which He instituted had be-
come the Jews Sabbaths and feasts, and
instead Of observing His laws concerning
them they had multiplied traditions of
their own, thus making the command
ment of God of none effect by their tradi
tion (Math. XIV, 8, 81.
1S. Therefore the Jews sought the
more to kill Him, because He not only had
broken the Sabbath, but said also that
God was His Father, making Himself
equal with God" On another occasion
they were going to stone Him because, as
they said, He, being man, made Himself
God John X, 33). What spectacle Is this,
the Creator hated by the creature, stic-
klers for the Sabbath day seeking to kill
the Lord of the Sabbath Yet such ia re-
ligion that is not of God.
10. "Then answered Jesus and said un
to them, Verify, verify, say unto you,
The Son can do nothing of Himself but
what He seeth the Father do, for what
things soever He doeth these also doeth
the Son likewise" Their unbelief and
opposition did not and could not alter the
facts in the case, so without argument He
quietly went ON with His teaching. When
one is right, the only thing to do is to
keep right on saying and doing right,
sure that they who war against us shall
be as nothing and as n thing of naught
lisa. XII, l2).
90. "For the Father loveth the Som and
showeth Him all things that Himself
doeth, and He will show Him greater
works than these that ye may marvel" In
chapter Iii, SO, 1.-THE Father loveth tho
Son and hath given all things into His
hand" In chapter x, 30, II and My
Father are one." In chapter xiv, 9, 10,
HE that hath seen Me hath seen the Fa-
Their; am in the Father and the Father
in Me-" In chap ;er XIV, 8, we read, "As
the Father hath loved Me SO have loved
you," and in xvii, 90, that the Father
lONeS Us ttS l1o iONCS tnO pOl. VO WOh0CA
at the manifestation of God in Christ, but
what shall we say when we read that it is
His pleasure that Christ should be mani
fest in usY (Gal. ii, 20; II Cor. iv, Ill.,
81. For as the Father raiseth up the
dead and quickeneth them, even SO the
Son quickeneth whom He will" In the
following verses this is explained as re-
ferring not only to those who are dead in
ci Twin in, y,lo fhonrsQ1
(Eph. ii, /; Tim. v, 81, but also to those
whose bodies are dead IN the grave. In
verses 20, 80, we read that all that are in
the graves shall hear His voice and shall
come forth either unto life or damnation.
g. "For the Father judgeth no man,
but hath committed all Judgment unto
the Son." He hath appointed day in
the which He will judge the world in
righteousness by that man whom He hath
ordained, whereof He hath given assurance
unto all men in that He hath raised Him
from the dead (Acts xvii, 3D. One day
is with the Lord as a thousand years, and
q thousand years as one day Oh Pet. iii,
81. At the beginning of the day shall be
the Judgment of the righteous, and also Of
the living nations, and at the end Of the
day that of the unrighteous.
49, THAT all men should honor the Son,
even as they honor tho Father. He that
honoreth not the Son honoreth not the
Father which hath sent Him." He will
be honored by all kings and all nations,
and to Him every knee shall bow FPS.
lxxii, IL; Phil. ii, 8, 10Y. A day is COM
ing In which every high thing shall be
brought down, and the Lord alone exalt-
ed lisa. ii, H. ~. He is the only Saviour
of sinners (Acts Nv, 12), the only Judge as
we saw in the last verse, and He will be
the only Ruler, for He must reign till He
hath put all things under His feet (I Cor
| XIV, 25).
| "a. verify, verify, say unto you, He
that heareth My word and belieyeth on
Him that sent Me hath everlasting life
and shall not come into condemnation,
! but is passed from death unto life." Here
| Is the way of life, described in chapter J.,
10, as receiving Him, in chapter ill, 16, as
believing ON Him, and here as hearing
His word and believing on Him. This
verse was blessed to my soul In the sum-
mer of 1878 with blessing that has last
| ed ever since and will to all eternity. 1t
was somewhat like this: Do you hear the
word of God and believe that Jesus died
for you and rose again, and do you receive
Him as your Saviour? do. Then you
have everlasting life No, cannot feel
that l have. What does God say? He
says that have Is His word sufficient
would like to feel it. Will you take
Him at His word or make Him a liari
(John v, 10 will believe God.
20. verify, verify, say unto you, The
hour is coming, and now is, when tho dead
shall hear the voice of the Son of God,
and they that hear shall live" This hour
has already lasted over 1880 years and is
still on. The dead in trespasses and sins
are hearing the word of God, and reoeiv-
ing it and life in 1t, or rather In Him
who is the Word and the Life. Faith
cometh by hearing the word of God.
had been hearing 1t from my childhood, and
before 1865 had been received into church
membership and was regular in my at
tendance upon ordinances and outwardly
consistent, but until the time and the ex-
perience mentioned in the last verso did
not know that had passed from death to
life.
80. For as the Father hath life in Him
self so hath He given to the Son to have
life In Himself" He Is the Life He
that hath the Son of God hath life, and
he that hath not the Son Of God hath not
life (John xiv, 8; John v, 49, We can
neither earn nor in any way. deserve this
life, for 1t is the gift of God Rom. vi, 23),
But whatsoever will may receive the Bread
of Life, the Water of Life the Life itself,
and even Christ Himself, and In Him lind