The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-05-17
Great Audi

missions. as her prophets urged, BIG 4
might have lived unto this day as Jeho-
ynh's servant in the redemption Of the
world; but the same nti-missionary
spirit which has. through all the ages.
been such blight on Christianity,
thwarted her from devOting herself to
that great work.
Partnkers of His Mexsinnlc Mission.
The epiphanies OF our Lord as given
in the Gospels have twofold pur-
posc-to convince His disciples that He
Is risen from the dead and still lives,
and to commission them with Him in
that risen life. His body OF flesh and
bones figures In these events only for
the purpose Of Identifying Himself as
| the Jesus they had known before. II
| can no longer serve that useful par
pose now,t and hence does not encum-
| Der His fellowship with His people.
What became of the body OF Jesus wo.
| do not know, nor could We identify
1t II 1t should be found. Having never
seen Him In 1t, It could serve no use
full purpose to us. But that the COM
missionoing Of the disciples is the im-
portant purpose In these epiphanics is
shown by the fact that each evange-
list has selected one for the browning
OF FIis Gospel. Matthew goes straight
from the empty tomb and the vision
/ Of tho angels to the commission on tho
mountain in Galilee, only stopping by
the way to remind them OF the en-
4 gagement. Marks conclusion has been
lost, but was probably tho same as
| Matthews. Luke. after showing that
| the suffering and resurrection Of the
! Messiah was foreshndowcd In the Old
i Testament. goes right on to the COM
mission in Jerusalcm; and 1t only re-
mains to tell Of the ascension. John.
4 after preparing the way by the APP
1 pearance to Mary, gives the commits
d sion in the upper room. repeated on
/ tho next Sunday for the benefit OF
/ Thomas: and concludes his Gospel with
i tho statement that 1t was written that
men might believe Jesus was the Mos
] sah and have life In His name. So
z each Gospel narrative leads the reader
on to some scene in which tho risen
j Lord commissions His disciples with
4 Him In His Messinnic mission, and
when that Is told 1t stops, having &C
complished It's authors purpose In
4 writing. What means this but that the
y Earthly ministry OF our Lord had for Its
i end tho commissioning Of disciples
J with Himself In His risen Messiah
ship?
Pnrtnkcrs OF His Nlcssinnic Spirit.
Tho prophets represented the Messia-
mic ago as one of catholic spiritual &C
|
his spirit on all flesh. and every class
j OF men should have tho prophetic
!, gifts. Tho Spirit was for Ill tho world
! in.lts 4heighth and depth, as we'll as IT.
. length and breadth, for all men. and al
I sorts OF men In all their peculiaritiet
!, and racial social and personal dif'
: ferences. It was not irospectcr Of
:. persons, because it had complete re.
!, spect for every man in all his chnrac'
/, teristic peculiaritios. A spiritual re-
: liglon can DO catholic religion, FOL
. 1t Is independent of, and superior to
. the limitations and conditions OF time
= and place. and versatile enough to be
:. come all things to all men II by al
means 1t may save some. It can mani
}. fest itself in varied concrete forms, a.
! the cXigencies Of the occasion may re
q quire, and has done SO in MI Its pas
! history, and Is destined to be ever
moro nlultiform III its manifestation
9 IN the future. New types Of Christian
Q ity nre even now being produced b.
. tho Spirit as 1t works In tho changing
I conditions of this varied and eve
varying world. What types OF tn
3 Messinnic religion will issue from til
East when Its people have felt tn
power of the Spirit Of Jesus? From
China, Japan, india and the Islands o
& the sea will come new samples Of TIL
Spirits work which will greatly on
( rich the life of the West: when thos
kwhom now we bid to know the Lor
shall echo back across the sea to on
i children, know the Lord" until al
shall know Him from tho least eve
to the greatest. For 1T Is not homo
y gendity OF constituency, but rnthe
hoterogeneity. which gives richness t
life; one body with many differen
members having different Offices an
4 gifts, many and varied from the on
Spirit. How beautifully Jesus Illus
tmted this feature Of the Messlanl
i spirit entering into the most perfef
sympathy with the most different an
ircongruous characters be prov
Pharisee, or pleading leper or blush
ing, sinful woman.
K In tho Messanic Kingdom God pour
4 out sof His Spirit on, all flesh, an
every condition OF men becomes y
prophet; and whatsoever slla1 ca4i
M the name Of It's Messiah shall be save
So now, when lie has commissions