Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-12-09
THE MoRLD ola con.

All through the scriptures great
stress is laid upon keeping Gods word.
IF a Liam love me, he will keep my
word" and again, He that loves me
not, keeps not my sayings" Disciple
ship in Christ. therefore, seems TO de
pend on how clearly aud closely we
shall adhere to his teaching.
The question. then, is: Do | continue
in Gods word? How 4n l tell unless
know what his word is? The man
who never reads his Bible and never
attends at the preaching of the word
must be ignorant of what is necessary
for a Christians salvation. Many
man without being a follower of Christ
keeps his sayings, just as a man Nay
keep the law of the land without being
a citizen. What, then, do we mean
by the word? 1t is the outward ex
preston of the inward thought. 1t is
a mode of communication between
mind and mind. AS l can feel ling
body and make myself felt by it
through the sense of touch, SO, too,
soul can feel soul by means of the
spoken word.
AuIlSt MUIh. ID tlC OuA bLA
expression of his living thought. He
would reach and influence our souls
with it, He would have his thoughts
to be our thoughts, his words 10 be
our words and thus draw us to fellow
ship by dispeIIing the darkness of the
understanding and disarming our re-
bellious wills. Faith comes by hear
ing and the love of Christ restraints
u.s." BY that hearing of the word we
are warmed into that activity which
induces us ito take the sword of the
spirit, which is the word of God, living
and effectual, and more piercing than
a two edge sword" by it we battle
Vcr way through the darkness of igao-
rance 10 the light of inspiration, where
we discover what we ought to know
and at the same time recognize what
we ought TO do. Thus the written or
spoken word arouses in us a conscious
ness Of duty which under the impelling
grace of God we are led to accomp-
nsh.
Many, however, hear the word of
God and yet absolutely fail to bring
forth fruit in due season" No impress
sion is made on their souls, no change
for the better is noticed in their con-
duct and mode of life; there is no
avoidance of the wrongdoing the word
condemns; no practice of what the
word recommends. The reason why the
word fails is because 1t is not allowed
to sink deep down into the soul. Hence,
there is no meditation, no reflection
no recalling it to mind from time to
time. The words of the great Law :
giver, "and these words which l COM
mond thee this day shall be in thy
heart; thou shalt ,ell them to thy chill
dren, and thou shalt mediate upon
them sitting in thy house and walking
on thy journey sleeping and rising"
are forgotten But the opposite is the
rule. The word is soon forgotten. 1t
is never spoken of in the household,
at work in the shop, or travelling about.
Neither does it arouse in us any feeling
of real pleasure, for our minds are con-
sun3e1 with idle or vain thoughts, or
our temporal matters preoccupy us.
Such, indeed, the Apostle James COM
pares to a man who looks at his coun-
tenance in a mirror. HE heheld him
self and went his way, and presently
forgot what manner of man he was"
For what is Gods word but the hold
ing the mirror up to nature that we
may see ourselves as we are; that we
may truly measure our worth by his
standard? In the mirror of his sayings
we behold the manner of man we are
We see our inward feelings and we
detect the cause of our sinfulness. We
are permitted to make no mistake; the
reflection is too true If we allow the
word to escape our minds it is as if
we turned our backs on the mirror,
ard in the turmoil, the care and the
pleasures of life presently forgot the
reflection. And with what result? No
Z moral Improvement, no change In man
ners; the same defilement remains.
Under such conditions IL l am an i'm
pure man | remain so; If | am a drum
kard, l remain one; if l am a bias
phemer / continue my blasphemy.
Why? Because the word of God, living
and powerful as it is, "and reaching
into the division of the soul and the
marrow, dLN QlsCeFDeT OF the
thoughts AMI intents of the heart"
cannot force a free being to any par
ticular action.
We should not forget, then, the word
of God, which will never pass away,
even though the heaven and earth
cease to be. We should prepare the
soil of our souls and make it fertile to
give root to the seed, which is the word
of God. Our constant prayer should
be that of the royal prophet. THY
words have hidden in my heart that
may not sic against thee" and carry
ing out this prayer in odr everyday life
we may expect finally reward from
him who said, Blessed is the man who
bears the word of God and keeps it,
DEFINES TRUE CHURCH.
BY ReY. n. Z. Favceft.
If the gates of hell lave not prevail
ed against the church Christ founded it
must be here and be to-day rs always
the pillar and ground OF the truth"
Where is it, We answer, THAT is the
church to-day which can trace historl-
cal and constitutional continuity from
the church Christ founded and over
which the apostles presided.
It is not enough that we call an or
ranization a church 1t is not the
ChuroN christ founded unless - "a n