Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-02-09
I'VE Him supreme.
Raiment of Fine NeedleMOrk

| Look again at the queen and her glo-
rious apparel. Notice the pure linen, clean
and white. representative of her purity
and righteousness. Remember that she
was once of the world; her members
children OF wrath, even as others" Re
member that by faith she accepted the
merit of her Redeemer's sacrifice and
thus she was reckonedly covered with His
robe of righteousness, which the world
saw not, but which the Heavenly Father
regarded. Remember that it was because
| of that robe covering her natural blem-
{ ishes that she was permitted to consc-
crate herself and to become the espoused
virgin of her Amounted Redeemer and
prospectively His joint heir in the king.
/ dom. How wonderful these steps of grace!
| Looking but a little way into the future,
| we behold her clothed, not with an i'm
! puted robe of righteousness, but with her
| own robe Of Righteousness. The imputed
! one was hers to wear up to the time OF
her change from earthly to spiritual ma
ture in the first resurrection. Then and
there, perfected on the spirit plane, she
/ becomes righteous, without spot, without
blemish, suitable companion and Joint
heir for the great King of Glory.
But look more closely. Note that the
robe of fine linen is beautifully embroid-
ered-'fine needle work" This, too, must
have its significance. The embroidered
figures represent the graces Of the spirit
meekness, gentleness, patience, long suf-
lering, brotherly kindness, love. All, yes
the queen inded is all-glorious within and
without. The power of God will accom-
! plish this. She is his workmanship
: though not without her own willingness
and cooperation. The Lords operation
upon her will be through His Word and
/ by His Spirit; and in proportion as she
! yields herself thereto she is now changed
from glory TO glory. and, by the final
change, Will be perfected glorified.
We noted a difference between the i'm
, puted robe which the betrothed wears
now and the one which she will possess
when changed-that the present one is
! Christ's imputed robe covering her blem-
ishes, and that the glorious one of the
future will be her own righteousness, the
: Righteousness of the saints So let us
notice also that there is an embroidery
connected with them both. The robe that
is now imputed to us has stamped upon it
the gracious designs or patterns which
our Lord would inculcate and which He
| assures us will be advantageous to us,
| pleasing to Him and necessary to our
future glory. Our appreciation of our
high calling. our faith in it, and our love
4 for the heavenly Bridegroom and desire
to be pleasing to Him are the incentives
T,
| every moment possible, i'm the working
out of the glorious embroidery designs
stamped upon our robe Each stitch
! must be carefully instakingly.
: Each feature of the outline must be care
| fully studied. The robe itself must be
kept clean, spotless. Who is sufficient for
these things? Surely only those truly
betrothed to the heavenly King and who
love HIM with all their hearts and who
| -
! promised Second Coming to receive the
Bride unto himself and to establish His
kingdom for the blessing and uplifting of
| the world!
st. Paul tells Of this embroidery work
and the adding of stitch to stitch in its
development, saying, "Tribulation work
eth patience; and patience, experience;
and experience, hope; and hope maketh
not ashamed; because the love of God is
i shed abroad in our hearts by the holy
spirit, which is given to us."-Rom. 5:3-5.
st. Peter says, Add to your faith, virtue;
and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowl-
edge, temperance; and to temperance, pa
| thence; and to patience, goodness; and to
! goodness, brotherly kindness; and to
! brotherly kindness, love. For II these
things be in you and abound, they make
you that we shall be neither barren nor
unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord
| JESUS NiIlSL IOr so an entrance
shall be ministered unto you abundantly
into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christi Pet ISL.
The Apostle declares that 1--WE are not
sufficient of ourselves; but our sufficiency
is of God''-o Cor. 3:5
When we think Of the imperfection Of our
| very best endeavors along the lines Of this en-
! hroltery work, this development of the gTaces
! of the holy spirit, ask ourselves Whose
garment would be fit to wear In the presence
| of our bridegroom and of the FaJner and of the
holy angels?" The answer is, None of them. -
1t is IN harmony with this that that the
| Lord has provided something different. Ho
| allows MS TO practice upon our robe Of Imputed
! righteousness, but the new robe which will
| give own will be absolutely perfect,
/ rs well as glorious. There will not be a flaw
In the embroidery otherwise. How sol Be-
| cause that glorious dress Of perfect righteous
ness will he given ONLY to those who have
earnestly desired IT, however short Of il were
] their best endeavorU. Inasmuch as their hearts
: were perfect lnasmuch their endeavors were
! for perfection, the Lord will accept the heafe
| and Its endeavors and grant that the new
bodies shall possess to full perfection all those
| glorious traits and qualities which were the
Brides ideal and endeavOr in her betrOthed con-
clifton, when she practiced upon the imputed
! robe. An! now that poor, bungling
efforts are valuable in the Lords sight, not De-
cause of what they really attain to, but because
of the heart condition which they attest. With
! this encouraging thought, dear friends, let us
continue weekly, daily, hourly, to work upon
cur robe paiHstakingly TO seek to cultivate those
] high ide1Is of truth and grace and love which
{ our hearts approved and which we see perfectly
| eXemplfied in our heavenly Father and our
| heavenly Lord.
Hearken, o Daughter; Consider
In the present time many voices calling
1 the Lords espOused ones the virgin church. Tie
| world says, I'VE admire you In many respects,
' tut you are too orudish, too heavenly minded.
| Your ideas are too radical. They tend to make
, you peculiar people, Come mix with us. To
! tell the truth, your separa eness of life mars
/ our pleasure and makes us rather dissatisfied
| with our standards. Come with us
! Home, pleasure, art. wealth, popularity, all
lend their influence towards worldliness and the
| cultivation of earthly hopes and prospects. Our
! great adversary, Satan, works upon us wIIl
1 subtlety, cooperating with the earthly in
| fluences What shall we do? AS the espoused
! one listens. she hears the voice Of her Lord
saying, Love not the world; neither the things
that are in the world. II any man love the
/ world the love of the Father is not in him.
| Il John 2:15) She hearkens again and hears
! it hath hated me before IT hated you. If We
4 were Of the world, the world would love Its
! own; but because yc are not of the world, buc
! have cLosep you out of the world, therefore
the world hateth YOU" (JOhn l5:B-l9.) She
, hearkens further and hears one OF the mouth
pieces Of The Lord saying, Il beseech you therp-
fore. brethren, by the mercies of God, that We
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy ac-
. certahle unto God. which is your reasonable ser
/ Wee" (lIom. 121)
/ SO I'm the psalm under consideration the
/ prophet says. ''Hearken, daughter and con-
| slider and incline thine ear The worlG says,
/ Look and be attracted by the things OF
this present time" The Lord says. ''Hearken.
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