Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-16
Conducted by Grace Livingston Hil-Lutz.

conducted by Grace Livingston HillLutz.
For Sunday, February IT. 1907.
Topic: IAN Easy Life vs. Hard One 2 limo
thy, ii 1-13.
Thou, therefore, my son, be strong In
the grace that is in Christ Jesus
2-And the things that thou hast heard
of Me among many witnesses, the same
commit thou to faithful men, who shall be
able to teach others also.
3-Thou, therefore, endure hardness, as
good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4-No man that warreth entangleth him
self with the affairs of this life; that he
may please him who hath chosen him to be
soldier.
Sand II a man also strive for masteries.
yet he is not crowned, except he strive law
fully.
6-The husbandman that laboreth must
be first partaker Of the fruits
7-Consider what / say; and the Lord give
thee understanding in all things.
s-Remember that Jesus Christ of the
seed Of David was raised from the dead,
according to my gospel
9-Wherein 1 suffer trouble as an evil
doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God
Is not bound.
10-Therefore, endure all things for the
elects sake; that they may also obtain the
salvation which Is in Christ Jesus with
eternal glory.
lit is a faithful saying: for II we be
dead with Him We shall also live with Him.
III we suffer, We shall also reign with
13-lf We believe not yet he abideth faith
full: He cannot deny Himself.
The Lesson.
Tertullian in his Address to the Mar
tyrs" draws a parallel between the sever
ity of a soldiers life and that Of the
Christian as follows:
no co
prison is distasteful. We were called to
active service under the living God from
the very moment Of our response to the
the war surrounded by luxuries, nor goes
into action from a comfortable bed room,
but from the makeshift and narrow tent,
where every kind of hardship and sever
1ty and unpleasantness is to be found.
Even in peace soldiers learn betimes to
suffer warfare by toll and discomforts, by
marching In arms, by running over the
drill ground. working at trench making.
runs again. In the sweat Of the brow all
things are done. lest body and mind
should shrink at changes from shade to
sunshine and from sunshine to frost. from
stiffness to shouting, from quiet to the
din Of war. In like manner do ye. o
blessed ones, account whatever il hard in
your lot as discipline Of the powers of
your IninQ ana DOQy. Ye. are about to
enter for the good fight, in which the liv-
ing God gives the prizes, and the Holy
Spirit prepares the combatants. and the
crown Is the eternal prize Of an angels
nature. citizenship in heaven. glory for
ever and ever. Therefore, your trainer.
Jesus Christ, who has anointed you with
the Spirit and led you forth to this
arena, has seen good to separate you from
state Of freedom for rougher treatment,
that power may be made strong In you.
For the athletes also are set apart for
stricter discipline, that they may have
time to build up their strength. They are
kept from luxury, from daintier meats.
from too pleasant drink; they are driven.
tormented. distressed. The harder their
labors In training. the greater their hopes
of victory. And they do 1t, says the
apostle. that they may obtain corrupt
ible crown. We, with an eternal crown
to obtain, look upon the prison as our
training ground. that We may be led to
the arena Of the judgment seat well dis
ciplined by every kind Of discomfort: be-
cause virtue Is built up by hardness, but
by softness is overthrown."
Rev. Alfr,d Plummer, d. D., in COM
menting upon this chapter. says:
Military service Is either perpetual
warfare or perpetual preparation for. it.
And just such Is the Christian life: 1t is
either a conflict. or q PREPARATION for one.
The soldier, 30 long - he remains in the