The bee. (Earlington, Ky.) 1889-19??, 1902-07-31
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvOR.
Topic For the Week beginning Au,

Topic.-The call to separation.-II Cor.
vi, 14-1S; John H. 15-17.
1t has always been the desire and in
tention of God that His chosen people
in this life should lie separated from
the people Of the world While in the
world, yet it was never His intention
that they should be of the world. This
fact is fully testified TO In the history
of the chosen people of God. God de-
veloped the Jews into q distinct and
separate people. He led them from the
land of Egypt to the land of Canaan,
which was to be their distinct and sep
arate possession. He there surrounded
them with peculiar customs and laws,
that they should be distinct and sep
arate from the people round about
them. The laws and the customs of the
Jews made them as separate and dis
tinct from the surrounding nations as
it was possible for a nation to be.
Even in the matter Of dress God dis
tinguished His people from the nations.
1t is His intention that this separation,
in different way, should exist today.
The church of Christ is distinct and
separate institution from the world.
The disciples of Christ are also to be
separate and distinct in their lives.
This is set forth in the New Testament.
Paul says in the first reference: "Be
ye not unequally yoked together with
unbelieyers, for what fellowship hath
righteousness with unrighteousness,
and what communion hath light with
darkness, and what concord hath
Christ with Belial, or what part hath
he that beieveth with an infidel?
and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and
touch not the unclean thing, and 1 will
receive you and will be Father unto
you, and ye shall be my sons and
daughters, saith the Lord Almighty"
In the second reference John says:
"Love not the world, neither the things
that are in the world. If any man love
the world, the love of the Father is not
in him.
The necessity of emphasizing this
truth of the, Scriptures is very great
today 1t is evident TO all that there
is not the distinction between the
church and the world and between the
people of God and the people of the
world that there should be. There
have been days in the past when this
separation was marked and distinct
In the early Christian centuries this
was the case. By the difference in their
lives it was possible for the Roman
masters to distinguish their Christian
and un-Christian slaves, and not only
in these circles, but in every grade OF
church life, there was a distinct sepa-
ration from the world In the early
part of the history of our own country
there was this marked separation be-
tween the people of the kingdom of
God and the people Of the kingdom Of
this world. The Puritan fathers were
particular to emphasize the duty of
separation from the world. Today
however, there has been a great change
In this respect The church is in the
world and the world is in the church
to an extent that perhaps has never
been equaled or surpassed in the past.
The duty, therefore, to emphasize this
truth of the Scriptures and this desire
of God is evident, and we may we'll
remember today Gods call to His peo-
pie to be separate and distinct from
the world, a chosen people unto Him.
self and His peculiar possession.
The distinction between the people
Of God and the people Of the world is
not today to be manifested by any pc
culiar custom or the observance OF diff
ferent national laws, but purely in the
manner Of living. 1t is by the lives Of
Gods people that they should be recog-
nized as His people and as the follow
ers Of Jesus Christ. A clerical dress
does not make q Christian minister,
nor does a Christian Endeavorer badge
upon the lapel of young mans coat
make Christian Endeavorer. Chris
tianity is life. 1t is the life of God
in the heart and the lives of men, and
1t is possible for the people of God to
follow so closely in the footsteps Of
their divine model, the Lord Jesus
Christ, as to be noticeably distinct and
separate from those who are not be-
levers in God or worshlpers of Him.