Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1909-10-30
PEOPLES PULPIT.
Grievulg the Spirit.
Text. "Grieve Not the Holy
Spirit Of God, BY Which You
Were Sealed Unto the Day Of
Deliverance" (Ephesians iiv, 30).

y
ooOts-s-e-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-
For six thousand years our loving
Creator has permitted Adams disobe-
sdience to bring upon his family a terri
BILE reign of sin and death. God sym
pathizes with the ''groaning creation"
and has promised assistance deliver
ance. But his Wisdom determines that
the lesson Of the sinfulness of sin and
the bitterness of its fruit must first be
thoroughly le4rned. Then the deliver
ance to Righteousness and life may be
the better appreciated and all danger
of reversiOn to sin be avoided, and
an eternity of righteousness and bless
ing result
" Preparation for this great program
has not been swift. nor is haste neces-
sary. The lesson of sin and its bitter
fruitage has come to the world during
six thousand years. though no single
member of the race needed or received
so prolonged a lesson. The first step
of recovery was accomplished. by our
Redeemer's sacrifice of himself The
second step has been in process since
Penterost fthe calling and acceDting
of the antitypical Levites, specially
amongst these of the .antitypical priest
hood. who now rejoicingIy suffer with
the great High Priest. They lay down
their lives in his service under the
promise that in the First Resurrection
they shall be with their Redeemer and
share his glory and, as a royal priest
hood under him. rule. instruct. and
every way assist in uplifting the
'groaning creation during the Millen-
nfal Kingdom Of the great Mediator
whose members they will be. This step
in the Divine Plan is spoken of in the
Scriptures as THE Mystery of God:''
that the Church now being selected are
members" Of The Christ. AS soon as
this mystery hidden from ages" shall
be completed and the Church be glori-
fed. with her Lord, then our PRAYER
and the prayer of our Redeemer will
begin to have fulfillment-"Thy King
dom come; thy will be done on earth
as it is done in heaven"
Not all who have named the name of
Christ: not all who have turned away
from sin; not all who have made full
conservation of themselves even will
attain to the glorious things which
God hath in reservation for them that
love him." Only such of the conse-
Grated as learn in the School of Christ
the great lesson of supreme love to
God and heart obedience to his will
outward obedience also to the extent
of ability only these will be accounted
worthy to share in the Kingdom. 1t
is these that are mentioned in our text
as sealed by the holy Spirit of prom
Use and waiting. for the resurrection
morning. the deliverance day. the day
of attainment to the glorious things
which God has in reservation for the
the progress of his child in school. 50
the Heavenly Father is interested in
our progress. and desirouS that we
shall make our calling and our election
sure to the heavenly glories. Hence
he pictures himself as pleased with our
learn the necessary lessons. He has
promised US a place with our Lord in
his Millennial Kingdom Throne. but
the promise is a conditional one. Our
Redeemer expresses it thus: ITO him
that overcometh will | grant to sit
with me in my Throne" Thus we get
a glimpse of Gods special interest in
each of his consecrated. spirit-begotten
children. They have his love and favor
and smile in proportion as they follow
the Redeemer's footsteps. A failure
to walk in this way grieves the Lords
spirit or fguratively brings his frown
instead of his smile and tends to sep
arate us from his love.
The child of God should seek to ever
live in the sunshine of the Heavenly
Fathers favor Whatever clouds arise
between such and their very best
earthly friends win be light affiictions
indeed. if they still abide in fellowship
with the Heavenly Father and the Son.
through the holy Spirit-the spirit of
love. the spirit of Truth. the spirit of
obedience. the spirit of self sacrifice.
!. Indeed. if earthly friendships and
earthly loves be entirely severed
through faitbfulness to the Lord. the
loyal one may reach the place where
he can rejoice in tribulation also"
Sealed by the Holy Spirit.
A seal is an authoritative mark.
With a signature a seal implies that
the contract of the document is no
longer open. no longer mere pro-
posal. but an accomplished. finished
agreement or bargain. In olden times
seals were usually impressed in wax
while it was yet soft; the seal itself
represented a coat of arms or some
thing representing the personality of
the one who used it. The pressure
upon the soft wax was gradually in
creased and then held firmly until the
wax had cooled. hardened. and permit
ted the removal of the seal. without
injury to the impress which then was
clearly revealed This is he mental
,icture which our text brings before
our minds God our Creator our Fa-
ther. impresses upon our willing hearts
BY his holy Spirit his own character
likeness. which is specially exemplffied
for us in the words and doings of ouF
Redeemer and the apostles who walk
ed in his steps of devotion TO God and
to righteousness and in self sacrifice IN
the interest Of others.
What a beautiful picture our text
then gives MS of the holy Spirits opera