The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-01-10

Christ; the Fundamental in Chris
tianity," the Rev. Ira Wemmell Hen
derson, pastor, took as his text John
8:5: Verify, verify, | say unto thee,
except a man be born of water and
OF the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom OF God" He said
II is my desire, as the Spirit may
give me wisdom. to unfold to you
what, to my mind, is the fundamental
in Christianity. From the words OF
our Master / conceive the truth to
be that, save as we apprehend the
spiritual verities revealed In Jesus
Christ: save as re see the world,
man, our God, with the spiritual Wis
ion. we cannot become partakers of
the glories of the kingdom of our
Father Only as we open our hearts
and minds to the indwelling Spirit OF
Almighty God do we enter into the
promised land OF the new dispensa-
tlon, to possess II, to enjoy It. Filled
with the Spirit we live, but II the
Spirit of God abide not In a man he
is none OF His.
In that beautiful figure of the vine
Christ cuts clear for US the nature OF
the spiritual life. Il is our oneness
within the Author of the universe and
of us. II is the merging of our lives
into the life Of God The perfect
spiritual life expresses itself in union
within the Maker. Entirely within
the living Christ moves the lawless
human Fashion a man according to
the stature of Jesus Christ and you
have a spiritual man. The spiritual
life is that life within Christ which
will make you always ask. What
would Jesus do?" The ethical judg-
ment always referring for its sanction
TO the spiritual.
Spirituality and godllness are syn
onymous. Apart from the glorlfied
Nazsrene there is, Christianity speak
ing no spiritual existence. Spiritual
ity is no mere statement of philoso-
ply; It is a fact. vital and vivi-
flying reality is the life within the
Son of Man The Christ life is not
merely a state of mind, but a mode
of action. The living of the man
within Jesus and for the Father, and
the Holy Spirit dwelling in him, that
is the life spiritual. AS the late DR..
Maltbie d. Babcock well said "Spir-
ituality is seeing God in common
things and showing God in common
things"
Now this spiritual life is not ESQ
teric in its nature. 1t is not life
for the few. 1t Is life for us all.
The economy of the good news of the
Master is worldwide in its application
and inclusiveness. To all men the
opportunity to dwell within Christ is
offered. To all the higher life has its
appeal. From Nicodemus of the San
hedrim, to Onesimus the slave. From
the mighty in intellect, to the inlet
tered and unlearned. To the banker,
to the beggar, without money and
without price, are given all the wealth
at Gods command II they will.
The highest Christian life is in
Beparabe from the highest spiritual
ity. We cannot understand the soul
of the message that the Master brings
TO US until we enter into His point OF
view. The mightiest Christians OF
all the ages were men OF the deepest
Banctification. And sanctificatlon is
the souls progress toward the per-
fectness of God Witness Peter as he
stands before the wondering, poly
glottous multitudes, on the day when
the Spirit filled the church. Witness
Saul Of Tarsus, as, ringing down the
grooves OF change" he sends the
watchword, For to me TO live is
Christ" The secret of the success
OF Wesley. of Sturgeon, is spiritual
force. The most helpful power in the
world to-day Is the strength OF soul
of consecrated men and women. Men
may come and men may 60, but the
Influence Of the soul which is grow
ing into Godlikeness is the influence
which bends hardest upward and
heavenward. To be truly Christlike,
we must be truly spiritual.
The greatest value Of the spiritual
life is that, through it, we are en-
abled, more and more, TO understand
Jesus Christ Himself The Christ
cannot be comprehended save through
the spiritual depths OF His nature
AS true 1t is to-day as IL was when
Nicodemus went through the sable
night to learn wisdom at the feet of
Jesus That which is born of the
flesh is flesh. That which is born OF
the Spirit is Spirit" Save as we en-
ter into the Spirit we cannot enter
into the things of the Spirit. We can
not grasp heavenly things until we
let Heaven into our hearts. Only as
we discern the soul forces which un-
derlie the activities OF the Saviour
can we understand Christianity and
Christ. ONLY as we are filled with
the Spirit caH we understand the
Lamb OF God
The fullness OF the promises OF the
Prince Of Peace can come to those
only who are strongest in soul SER
vice. Christ has left US certain prom
ises. He has conferred upon US cer-
tain privileges. But those promises
and those privileges are realized, in
their fullest measure. by those only
who live the fullest life. Christ says
TO us with reference to prayer: III
ye abide In Me and My words abide in
you, ye shall ask what ye will and
It shall be done unto you" A prom
ise and a privilege. Eut to whom2
To us all indeed, But fully to those
of us only who live fully within
Christ.
The promises OF Christ are con-
stant. Prayer is the same blessed
privilege to-day that 1t was on that
fateful night In Gethsemane. TO you
and to me Christ grants the same &C
cess to the Father that He had Him
self. But we need the deepest spir-
itual insight 10 learn the secret OF
success in prayer. Read that petit
tion OF our lord in the seventeenth
chapter OF the fourth Gospel and see
II 1t Is not the spiritual fervor OF l,
which enthralls you. The secret oi
the success Of Christ in His earthly
career Is the secret OF the prayer In
the grove by the Kidron. Christ has
revealed the secret to US. II is for
us to decide whether OF no. using the
spiritual energy that we have, We