Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1904-03-16

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Christ :: aud Christ is Gods - Cor.
S'2l, :. c. and %
- SsnSzx1Ss~S He salvation OF the
-SSTSSs y/g5- sinner is a marvel
FARN&$2..c Gus and mighty
j.: !: !: /: /:
kH@% work of G. o d
EH. = through Chris I
iESN ~ Jesus. but the con-
iS nj dition and the privi-
HE<< legeS OF the re-
4SssssE- deemed sinner in
sE$45f Christ Jesus are
even more marvel
/ous ne "unsea reliable riches OF Christ
belong TO His followers. and are
freely and fully placed at their dis
posal. Paul says: "Au things are
yours And then he goes on to emu
merate what those 'all things" include.
Paul was theirs TO teach them the full
liberty in Christ Jesus. Apollos was
thelrs TO stir and animate them with his
eioquence. Peter was theirs TO nerve
and hre them with his courage. In fact
every authorwas theirsto mpart to them
some treasure of the Divine Kingdom.
Inc world was theirs to win and possess
Tor Christ. This lite was theirs in all of
present aud things to come were all 10
be counted theirs because this present
state and the glory OF the next were ali
planned Of God for the good of His saints,
and the salvation of the world. And
even death itself. which seems to- come
like tyrant-death is theirs in Christ,
their minister TO lead to higher life.
Great possessions, surely. Carnegie.
Rockefeller. the Vanderbilts the Roths-
childs, and others of the worlds rich can
count their possessions in the hundreds
OF millions of shining yellow gold dol
lars. and the burdens of the rich in car
ing for and keeping and handling these
vast riches are heavy upon them. but
the possessions of the Christian are in
finitely greater. for "all things" are his.
If il is true. as il certainly Is. let us
prayerfully and earnestly seek to learn
In what way il is true. and what it should
mean to the Christian because it is true.
EiRST Of all we wan; to remind you
Il tina the Christian cannot boast
that it is b. his own thrift and en-
er2y and as.uteness that he becomes
possessed of all things" Carnegie
can point you back to a time in his
career when he did not have a dollar
which he could call his own. and then
he can lead you step by step from
spool bog in the factory through the
successive stages of engineer in the
factory. messenger boy. telegraph op-
orator. railroad man. stakeholder in
the first sleeping car company. iron
master and then retired capitalist with
a gigantic steel corporation as a mon
ument to his great energies and abli-
ties. He can remind you of all this.
and proudly say: See the vast prop
critics. and wealth which | have by my
own energies. and thrift, and keen
financial and business foresight. ac-
quired." But the Christian cannot
make any such claim as he points to
the declaration of Scripture that "alI
things are his. His great possessions
are inherited. He has a rich Father.
who bequeaths through the only begot-
ten Son to His adopted sons His pos
sessions. A rich Heavenly Father.
Yea. rich, for all things belong to Him.
The Dsalmist sings:
1.-The earth is the Lords. and the full
ness thereof:
The world. they that dwell therein"
And Paul quotes that passage in this
very letter TO the Corinthians from
which our text is taken. a rich Heav-
enly Father. who has created all
things. and who, despite the seeming
contradiction of the claim in the world
to-day. possesses all things. And be-
cause the Heavenly Father possesses
oil
right TO claim heirship. and share in
those riches. The daughter Of Andrew
Carnegie, although she cannot claim,
that a single dollar of her fathers vast
wealth was acquired by any effort or
help OF her own. has a right to claim a
share in those riches. because she is
his daughter. She has a right to an
Inheritance as his child and the courts
OF the world would sustain her claim
And il is so with the Christian. "AIl
things" are his because they belong 10
the Father.
A MOTHER thing TO remember in
~ connection with this inheritance is
that God does not carelessly turn over
TO HE children the free and unre-
strained possession OF "aIl things ii
Tie gives TO His children of things
temporal and things spiritual as fully
and freely as is for their good and
as will supply their need But He
never divides the patrimony and lets
the wiIlful, and pleasure seeking son
40 OF into the far country to spend II
in riotous living. The son of many
a rich father is cursed instead Of
blessed BY the wealth which is placed
in his hands. But the "all things" of