The Newtown bee., 1904-12-16


 the gospel to every creature" God did not place man in this world to live, even religious life, for himself. He does not say to those whom he saves: "Now you are saved, study how to be good, and how to be happy and get to heaven, but God says this to every man: "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.'
 GOD WANTS SAVED MEN TO LIVE FOR
 THIS WORLD
 just as Christ lived for it, and died for it. He wants us to live fast lives for dying souls because of the shortneSs of our working day. He wants us to of His great and glorious purposes: that we may share in the final triumph of His cause. Christ did not say to Saul of Tarsus there on that Damascus road, as he lifted up his blinded eyes, and cried: "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Saul, if you will be my disciple, I will make you a happy man. l will show you how to be very good man. 1 will spare you severe trials. You shall join my church, and be an honored member of the same. l VIII lIlGhC you NCly oCUlNO LII PidJSA and in song, and you shall die upon soft bed, surrounded by weeping friends, and finally join the ransomed throng in heaven. But in viewing Paul $ life, we might suppose an an swer something like this: Saul, if you will be my disciple l will send you to the Gentiles; you will be persecuted and stoned at LyStria, and dragged out of the city and be left for dead. At Philippi you. will be whipped until your back will be raw and bleeding; then you will be cast into the inner dungeon of the prison, and your feet made fast in the stocks But at about midnight I will come to that prison, and will shake it's foundations until the bolts will fly back, and the doors will open, and your chains will fall off, and the stocks will spring apart, and you shall stand upon your feet. Then you will preach salvation to the jailor, and he, with all his house will be saved.
 Then you must go back to Jerusalem, where you will be apprehended and bound; but you will have the glorious privilege of being witness for me be- fore Felix, and before Agrippa. Then you must go to Rome and preach my gospel there, and establish my church in that great city. After awhile you will be imprisoned in the cold, damp dungeon; finally Nero will order you to the headman's block, and the head mans axe will be all red with your bloOd and l will give you the martyrs crown. What say you to this?" Hear his answer: "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. None of these things move me, neither count 1 my life dear unto myself, so that l may finish my course with joy, and the ministry which have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God" Oh, brethren, were this Pauline spirit to fill the hearts of Christ's believers, the church would soon overcome every foe, break through every opposition, and the glorious Christ would soon have dominion, even from sea to Sea, and from the river, unto the end of the earth.
 HE LOOKS AGAIN, AND SEES the remnant of his infant church faithful to the last. They stand in the midst of the infuriated mob, and the blood-thirsty populace who were there to witness, as they supposed, the last stroke given to Christianity. We cannot well contemplate to what LOW pOlnG or 1gnOmlny CQrlSUlanlUy was reduced, when, in triumph, the Jews saw Him, who professed to be their King, fixed to the cross between two thieves. That little company of faithful ones-that nucleus of the Militant church of God in the world, might we'll have been suffuSed with confusion, and grief, and shame, at the outrage perpetrated upon their king and Lord. His humiliation was as great as God could intlct, or the Son of God endure.
 Gardener Spring says: "He was left alone. The Furies were let loose upon Him. There was hissing, and execra- tion, and blasphemy. God hid His face and spoke in tones of wrath" Oh, beloved, hoy changed was the con- ditiOn of the Man of Sorrows, the man whom Pilate delivered up to be cruci- fled, from Him who twas the bright ness of his Fathers glory and the ex- press image of his person." Now, He has not even the crown of thOrnS to protect(?) His head, not even the old purple robe to conceal His shame: and there, in the midst of that extreme wickedncss, in the midst of those aw- full biasphemies, and those diabollcal excavations, and those fendish jibes and jeers and gestures, that little con- secrated company stood firm and faith full until He yielded up the ghost. As Christ looked down from the cross and saw that little company of faithful