The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-11

For l am now ready to be offered, and the
time. of my departure is at hand: l have
course, i have kept the faith. Henceforth
there is laid UP for me a crown OF righte-
Judge, shall give me at that day; and not
TO me only, but unto all them also that
love His appearing.-II Tim. iv, 6-s.
Two men once stood on the top OF the
Alps. One of them looked toward Rome,
and. raising his hat, exclaimed, "Glories of
the past, 1 salute you!" TIE other lifted
his hat. and, looking toward Germany, ex-
claimed, "Glories Of the future. 1 salute
you!'
Paul was both of these men in one. He
stood on the Alpine top of an experience
from which he could look back upon the
glories of the past and forward into the
glories Of the future and salute both.
1.-The Review. To him the past was
a battle well fought. 81 have fought a
good fight" While il was, Of course, a
fight for right against wrong, for truth
against error, for the pure against the i'm
pure. for God against Satan. yet the word
good" means more. It refers also to the
manner in which he fought. IN this moral
athletic contest he had not only conquered.
but he had kept the rules OF the contest
and conquered In the right way. He was
not like some men who have succeeded in
growing rich or in attaining distinction. but
have to regret the methods used in doing
it. We may fight for the right in the
wrong way. He had fought for Christ in a
Christly way.
2. But Pauls life was more than a battle.
He was not content simply to stand still
and strike. He must advance. "I have fin
ished my course" Nero seemed to cut it
short. but he did not. The fall Of his ak on
the apostles neck was simply the signal
of the judge that the race was over. And
God will enable all who commit their ways
to Him to finish their course.
3. Though fighting and running. Paul did
not lose his hold upon the charge God had
committed to his keeping. at have kept
the faith" In some OF the ancient races
the runner was required to hold a torch
while he ran, and the winner was he who
reached the goal first without putting out
his torch. THE faith" his fidelity and his
belief was the torch that never went out,
however the winds Of opposition blew
against him. And thus every Christian is
a soldier to fight, a racer to advance and a
steward to keep.
1.-The Preview-Paul's preview Of eter-
nifty was just what we would expect OF a
man whose review Of life was so bright
Death is but the closing scene In a life
long sacrifice. II am now already being
offered is the best translation. He knew
what it was to die daily. He had presented
his body a living sacrifice to God, and now
to offer it a dead sacrifice was a small mat
ter.
THE OPEN DOOR.
And death was an open door into larger
possibilities. The word translated de
parture' means a loosing, and was used
with reference to loosing the cables and
lifting the anchor when a vessel was about
to sail out of harbor into the open sea.
Paul's body kept him earthbound. Hope
was the anchor of the soul both sure and
steadfast" that prevented him from drift
ing with the currents about him. Death
is now about to loose cable and lift anchor
and let him sail out into the deep, broad
waters of eternity, where he will need no
anchor. Hope will soon be %fruition. In the
body he is comprised with infirmities i"
The thorn in the flesh buffets him. Wear :
ness keeps him from working as much a
he would. Now he is to be freed from the
body and its narrow limitations. He docs
not think of being confined in the cold. mar
row tomb. There is an ocean vastness of
liberty before him, and his perfectly spirit
ual nature when death has loosed 1t from
its mornings will be the sails which, filled
with heavens breezes, will make the voy-
age easy.
Paul has no notion of lying in the grave.
His headless body might be buried out of
sight, but that was not Paul. Absent from
the body. present with the Lord" He can
wait with pleasure the resurrection of his
body, because it will then be made a splr-
itual body-a body still, but spiritual. The
carnal will be absent and the spirit will
nave full control of the physical being. The
new body. like the resurrection body OF our
Lord, will be under the power of tho spirit.
Jesus, after His resurrection, did not have
TO walk or ride to a place. He simply
willed to be there and He was there. No
door had to be opened to admit His body.
He willed to disappear from the table at
Emmaus and He was gone. He willed to
appear with the disciples and He was
there. His body could go wherever His
spirit went. And does this not at least init
mate to us that our resurrection bodies will
be under such complete control Of the
spirit as to never hinder their progress.
What large possibilities death thus opens
to the Christian.
And as Paul looks through the open door
of death he sees not harps and happiness,
but righteousness. "Henceforth there Is
laid up for me a crown Of righteousness"
Here the battle between the good and bad
in me has constantly ragged. when /
would do good evil is present with me-
But there the good will have prevailed, and
1 will he king in the realm Of righteous
ness Here I have been unjustlv treafeH
Nero is about to kill me without a SEM
blance of justice. But there an adjustment
will take place. Nero. the unjust, gives me
a crown of martyrdom. The Lord, the
righteous Judge" will give me "a crown
of righteousness" And wearing that crown
is heaven. Its happiness is the result of Its
holiness.