The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-21

| the apostles. tJatthew xviii, Isl Under
| the guidance Of the Holy Spirit Duke xxiv,
| - John XVI, ~. Jesus intended that these
| twelve men should set forth the principles
| by which the church should be governed.
these principles are in The New Tesla
| heht. winch remains the LAW for after gene
| rations. Eev. xxi, IS. 49,
ENJClNED SILENCE-NOw comes a new
! wonder Jesus forbids his Apostles 10 tell
/ tie world that he was the Christ \
| strange Introduction. When men took him
! Tor an old prophet risen from th.. dead
| "heh he had diligently sought to make peO-
PIE understand him. when correct knowl-
edge OF him was the one cssentia! 10 the
| success or ms cause. why not allow. even
! tnJoln' these men to proclaim the truth
/ Al they believed, why be silent? Because
| ne desired mat men should judge of him by
! MS work and words. lie even required the
BAPTIST to put his estimate on that basis
| Luke vii. q. which was the nlos;enduri.g
! 'John XIV. ID. Besides. these men were not
J ready to proclaim tne nature and Office OF
| Christ There was another truth Verse eD
over which they should stumble tversa -
hut which they should receive. and there
was another blessing tAc;s If, p larger than
simoH's which must be bestowed: then they
might and they would speak with holiness
what row must be kept. tActs ii. So
FoRE1OLD SUFFERING Then began
Jesus to tell what must befall hi.nself-t1
go 10 Jerusalem suffer many things. be
Killed. be raised again. Here was preiic-
tioh' future events were seen and described
showing him to Ice more than human. He
began this at this time; II was a favora BILE
time 10 Introduce the subject and he fire.
quently referred to IL afterward Matthew
xvii. =. %; XXX. l1-i9D. until il all came true,
showing that II vas a matter of Importance
one that the Apostles ought to have in
mind Strange subject, indeed. coming Just
afler his expressed purpose 10 build q
church. Dead men do not build societies
Was this utterance calculated 10 negative
the former? Yes: but the emphatic word
In Christ's sentence was must. There was a
necessity for his suffering and death. 1t
was part OF the plan o: his life. II had been
fOretoid centuries previously. isaiah lii. 50J
Ills death. followed by z resurrection. was
10 provide a means and the method of ac-
comprising his designs John xii. 81. He
brews ii. .. lc.) What would seem to be a
defeat was :he way 10 victory. Jesus did
not explain the necessity. The Apostles were
not able TO understand BUT they did un-
derstaNd ;.tteyward.
DOUBLE REBU KE-This last intelligence
let in light. but II was bewiideTng. No
wonder that Peter, blessed Simon should
think such destiny inconsistent with the
nature. Office and mission of Jesus BE il
far from thee" lac cried. The King of the
Jews. so long desired. the Son of God, put 10
death! PreposterOus. The strength OF ones
merce with which a seemingly opposing
doctrine is condemned. The trouble with
Peter was that he had obtained only part
OF the truth. And so he in turn was re-
buked. Jesus informed him that on this
subject he was speaking from purely human
or earthly standpoint. not from a divine
conception and illumina ton. as he had done
before. Now we See that Simon Bar iona
the foremost speaker Of the twelve. even
he who had been divineIy blessed, was I'M
fitted to preach Christ, ard IL he. certainly
the others. Hence. that enjoined silence
was in wisdom. There must be further
schooling. The lesson will be learned some
day, and mighty men of faith will preach
and suffer and die for the truth when they
see IL.
SUMMARY-The lesson treats three great
themes. II tells who Jesus was-the Mes
siah, the Son Of God, the one promised to
Israel. and the rightfui lord OF the earth.
II tells his great purpose-to build a society
beginning with the company gathered about
him. growing by the power which he sup
plies. regulated by truths delivered to his
first messengers, mighty and successful. 1t
tells his method-by suffering and death and
resurrection. making atonement, satisfying
and adjusting broken laws aad relations
Wondrrous themes, stated in few words
But alas Men are forever leaving cut
something; graspinS part and obscuring the
remainder. so perverting all. they grope on,
revising their mistakes, slowly coming into
the truth. What the world needs is the
whole Gospel. the whole story Of Jesus-his
nature. his office, his work. his death, his
rising again.