The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-12-28
PEOPLES PULPIT.
Gods Work
and Ours.

25j. Hence every spirit begotten PER
son has a warfare between his new
mind. with its holy aspirations and de-
sires and its opponent flesh with its
animal propensities, some good and
some bad Hence the Apostle exhorts
all these New Creatures TO war
good warfare" against their own flesh
and to briug it into subsection to the
New Mind aud to the Divine Law
He urges that we Bring every thought
into captivity to the obedience of
Christ" Gil Corinthians x. 81. This, of
course, would mean absolute perfec-
ton, so far as the New Creature would
be concerned and a complete deafness
every thought captivated to the Lord
the individual would never in any
sense commit sin other than the sin
of ignorance or imperfection.
God works in the minds of his peo-
pie not along the lines of enslGUenlent
of the mind after the manner of Satan
and those who are subject to his de-
lusions-by hypnotism. etc. Gods OPP
Grafton is the very reverse of this. He
enLi0htenS the mind to do his work. He
displays to our minds gradually light
and Truth, purity and goodness in their
true coIors. in contrast with sin. ig-
norance and defilement. And in the
same words he sets before us the great
prize of glory. honor and Immortality
and joint heirship with our Redeemer
in his Kingdom The power of these
hopes working in consecrated mind is
wonderful. 1t can make the naturally
weak strong. the naturally timid bold
as lion.
This operation upon the mind is a
gradual one from the time of our be-
getting of the holy Spirit until our
change-not all at once. but gradually,
little by little. the Lord displays to us
one feature after another of his won
derfuI Plan of salvation. Step by step
he shows to the appreciative and obedi-
ent heart the riches of his grace, his
loving kindness. his tender mercy, the
boundlessness of his love and the ulti-
mate outworking of his Divine powers
for the blessing of all of his creatures
who will accept his favors on his own
terms All the while he leaves rs free
agents to will in harmony with his
proposition or to reject it. He will
coerce no one Our Lord Jesus ex-
pressed the Fathers sentiment in this
matter, saying. THE Father seeketh
such to worship him as worship him in
spirit and in truth" (John iv, 23D.
How God Works In Us to Do.
Endeavor to do right naturally fol-
lows right willing But this does not
signify that God completes work
upon our wills first and then begins a
fresh work upon us. stimulating us to
do right to the best of our ability. On
the contrary. as through his providence
and Word God exercised an influence
upon our wills through the knowledge
of his Truth. little by little each new
point of Truth was expected to be ac-
knowledged by efforts on our part to
do Gods will to the extent that the
new will was able to control the i'm
perfect body. We may safely con-
clude that each step in right-t0illtng |
must be followed by step in right
doing before another item of grace and |
Truth would be granted as basis for
additional willing and then additional |
doing. Thus. as we walk by first put
ting one foot forward and then the i
other repeatedly. so the New Creature |
walks or progresses by first willing |
and next doing the Lords good pleas
ure to the extent of his ability.
AS surely as the right-willing is the
result of Divine operation in the re- |
tealing of Truth. so also is the right |
doing. OF the Divine influence in our |
hearts working in US both TO l1iH and |
to do Gods good pleasure. st. Peter |
gives us a word right to the point.
saying, whereby are given unto us
exceeding great and precious promises;
that by these We might be partakers of |
the Divine nature" I'll Peter /, A..
Work Out Your Own Salvation.
We have heard many improper pray
ers presented at the Throne of Grace |
by well-intentioned but misinformed |
children Of Cod Many Christians re |
quest God to do for them that which |
he tells them they must do for them
selves. The one who asks amiss some
times leaves the Throne of Grace con-
fdent that God will do for him what |
God has never promised to do for any
body, but has told US each must do |
for himself. Many pray, Abandon us
not in temptation. but deliver us from
the Evil One" and then walk straight
into temptation, wholly neglecting the
directions of Gods Word. Indeed,
many so neglect the study OF that
Word that they are not aware what
are its teachings. its counsels,-respect-
ing Satan and the temptations from |
the world, the flesh and the devil. TO
which all must be more or less ex-
posed for their testing and character
development
Some pray to God to save them by |
his Divine power and expect him TO
work miraculously III them. while they |
are giving the best Of their TING and
talent and influence to business or to
pleasure or to qualification. Such |
need to learn the meaning of our text,
Work out your own salvation with |
fear and trembling" They need to
learn the meaning of the Apostles
words. Keep yourselves in the love of
God" God absolutely refuses to deal
with us as machines. More than this,
he refuses to coerce. to push, 10 pull.
to drive. those whom he is now call
ing to sonship and joint-heirship with
Christ in his Kingdom.
During the Millennium the world
will receive all sorts of pulling, push
ing. driving. stripes for their correc-
ton in righteousness make them
all eventually see. to ultimately force
all to take heir stand for right or for
wrong. intelligently. But now it is
different God is calling 'draw wing
and accepting through faith in Christ
as members" of the Body of Christ.
only such as have a willing mind-only
such as can be moved to energy and
devotion by the enlightenment of their
minds through the Truth. None others
are wanted for this elect class.
Those who rightly understand our
text could never have so misunderstood
the Saviors words TO the dying thief.
'GThou shalt be with me in Paradise.
as to suppose that he meant that the
penitent thief would be member OF /
the "elect'' Church. his joint-heir In the
Kingdom. Indeed not. That thief had
not worked out any salvation. He |
will indeed be in Paradise eventually.
Paradise will be restored and the whole
d., nf Ednri