The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1902-07-04

lar and ground Of the truth. Paul Is
very wont to go all around his subject
and view it from different standpOints.
He may mix his metaphors but he has
a clear idea of what be wants to say.
THE CHRISTIAN PEOPLE ARE HOUSE.
hold,
family, with wide ramiications,
blood relations, all of them, although
scattered widely. They are also a
called (out) ecclesia, separated COM
munity, in whose life God lives. AS
the temple was filled with the glory
of God, so this spiritual house is alive
in all it's parts through the indwelling
God. The Christian people are very
much alive because the living God
lives in them. If they stand still and
move not, they have yet life-like ap-
pearance. If they are statuesque, they
are yet instinct with life. They are
like the caryatides of architecture
those female figures used instead of
columns for support in buildings
manned, as you know, from the priest
esses of Cary9, who served in the
temple of Diana), upholding the en-
tablature and roof, the pillar and stay
of the temple; or like some Atlas,
bearing on his shoulders the world
lifting it Godward.
The pillar holds up the editice and
keeps it in sight. So the Christian
people hold up the structure of Truth
and keep it in sight. They show men
truth and keep it shown. Were they
to cease truth would perish out of the
earth; the fabric of Christianity would
crumble like the old temples, and if
found at all would have to be found
under ground.
This is not simply beautifulfgure.
1t is an important truth. The truth
that the Christian people of the world
uphold is the truth as it is in Jesus,
the body of truths that center about
the Christ. Try to think away the
Christian people; leave there only
those who do not care for God; abolish
the things that grow up about be-
levers, the institutions of religion and
education, the ethical standards, the
types of living drawn from Christ, and
while you may have some truth left, it
has feeble supports. You are looking
into vast building where roof is sup
ported by trusses; there are no pillars.
This may be safe enough, within linn
its, but there is point beyond which
it is not safe to 60. If you add to the
building you add to the risk of col
lapse.
Now the truth which covers and
shelters our lives is mighty. If it is
to spread it's shield over the world of
men it must be supported by men, not
only to give the world to gaze upon its
uplifted beauty and study it's shapes,
but also to prevent it's falling down
and crushing the unthinking multi
tudes. The Christian people are need
ed, not only to make truth attractive,
but to save men from being ground to
powder beneath it. In the economy
of Gods world-building, the Christian
people stand for pillars and stays of
the truth.
The church of the living God is
composed of people who have Gods
life pulsing in their veins, who are the
worlds light and the worlds salt.
Saving functions are theirs. Gods
work on earth is committed to them.
Without them darkness and decay and
death are sure to invade and conquer
the life of man on earth. The house
of God is the enumerated household of
relatives and friends of God, looking
to Him for guidance, capable of bring
ing men unto God to enter His service.
Without the Christian people the
world would be ignorant of how God
wants to enlarge His household and
take into His home life the wandering
sons of men. The Christian people
scattered all over the earth are Gods
witnesses to His desire to make all
men faithful servants in His house.
They are Gods multiplied calling
voice; His reduplicated person, living
and speaking the truth as-it is in
Jesus-"Lest we forget, nns2r;
get" They are the only
of the home Y
ter some day. This is
they are. Now what q
The Christian peopl,