The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-12-16

his Divine power and expect MIN to
work miraculously In them, while they
are giving the best of their time and
talent and influence to business or to
pleasure or to disqualification. 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. TO 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,-to make them
all eventually see. to ultimately force
all to take their stand for right or for
wrong. intelligently. But now 1t is
different. God is calling" drawing"
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.
Thou shalt be with me in Paradise"
as to suppose that he meant that the
penitent thief would be a 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
earth become as the Garden of Eden
under the Millennial reign Of Christ
and his members" the Church. But
he was not "begotten of the holy
Spirit" He was not transformed by
the renewing of his mind that he
might prove the good. acceptable and
perfect will Of God. He never added
to his faith fortitude; and to fortitude
knowledge: and to knowledge temper
ance; and to temperance patience; and
to patience goodness; and to goodness
brotherly kindness; and to brotherly
kindness love, as the Word assures us
all must do who would make their call
ing and election sure I'll Peter /. 10. 1D.
We will not, however, discuss the
thief further. as we did so on pre-
vious occasion and that sermon is in
print. will be pleased to mail it free
on post card request.
The spirit-begotten children Of God
must work out their salvation as New
Creatures in Christ by growth in grace.
And growth in grace means growth in
acknowledgement general knowledge, but
the special knowledge provided by the
Lord in his Word. 1t is in full accord
with what we everywhere observe Of
the widespread ignorance Of the Word
Of God, even amongst Christians. that
the Scriptures declare, MY people per-
ish for lack Of knowledge" Hosea
iv, O..
Development I'D heart. in character.
is necessary to TT us for the future
service as members" of The Christ.
associated in his glorious Kingdom
work. Our call is to be kings and
priests that we may serve the world
OF mankind. TO prepare us for that
service is the object of our present
call and the trials of faith and pa
tience, that by all these. chnracter-like-
ness of Christ might he developed in
us. IL we do these things we shall
never fail and an entrance will be
granted us into the everlasting King
dom of our Lord and Savior. If we do
these things heartily they will prove
that we are copies of the Lord Jesus
and it is the Divine predestination that
only such as are copies OF Gods dear
Son shall be his joint heirs in the King
dom (tomans viii. Ia.