Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1909-02-18
tobacco GuanIo

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reeking with sin. So disgusting is
the account history gives US that we
think we could not endure. to live
among the denominations OF the past.
BY their sins, men, not only as 1nd1-
viduals, but as whole nations, had Of
Tended the Father and the Son and
the Holy Ghost. They had made an
enemy OF Him that could send them
to eternal punishment. Christ mer-
cifully commands His apostles to
wash away the sins Of the nations,
baptizing them in the name Of the
Father and Of the Son and Of the
Holy Ghost. This was an exercise of
that almighty power that He had re-
ceived. Thus vas the account which
the Father and the Son and the Holy
Ghost had against them to be washed
away in the waters of baptism. What
a debt the nations owe. to Christ!
AS the issue proved, 1t was no easy
task to which the apostles were sent.
Christ sent them to do mems work.
But the apostles were full Of the sub
lime spirit of the Saviour, who had
trodden the winepress alone. For
three years they had imbibed the
lion spirit of Christ. So difficult was
their task that in its discharge they
one and all encountered the martyrs
trial. The foul spirit Of darkness
didJnot yield without q contest. but
Christ SO filled His apostles with His
spirit when He sent them out to
preach that they did not shrink from
the trial of blood for the sake of
Christ and for the sake OF us. Our
faith is an evidence of how we'll they
preached. How terribly earnest are
the words Of Christ when we inter-
pref them In the light Of what He
was and did, and in the light OF the
| lives and deaths of His apostles.
Let us now take up these other
words of Christ: Teaching them to
observe all things whatsoever I have
commanded YOU" This the apostles
| could understand. They knew what
commands He had given them. But
| perhaps they might understand diff
| ~ferently. perhaps they might forget,
rs other men do. This was all guard
| ed against, as one might infer from
| the brevity of the constitution, which
roes into no details. and which makes
no mention of mistake or failure.
The apostles were inspired. They,
ana not only they, but til sehurch to
all time, were preserved free from
possibility OF error by Christ when
He gave His promise: behold I am
with you all days even to the con-
! summation Of the world He sent
them to teach. And certainly since
He was to be with1then1 ,rHe5 was to
help them in the task He assigned
them. Otherwise His presence would
be without meaning. We .cannot.deny
that He is still present with His
church unless we deny the truth OF
what He said.
Power, power. power. is what
Christ gave His church. Power. pow,
er, power, for the sake of men. This
power He refers to in the preamble
OF the constitution He gave her. W.
NAV be certain that Christ having
mer1ted all power in heaven and in
earth for the sake of men. was moi
going to deny it to that church He
established to save them. The pres.
ence of that power in the church Is
shown by her victories Of 1000 years
Now Christ is true God and true
man. He , became man when He
came to ave us. So thoroughly like
one OF ourselves did He become that
some are tempted to believe that He
was man only. 1t was as man thai
power was given Him, for as God He
had it from eternity. We SHOULD
then expect to. see Him dispense tina,
power through a society. This il
what we actually see. Christ, .befne
the best and most prudent ofsal mer
would naturally do things in order
This power is to be used for the sake
of men of good will. It would not BIZ
reasonable to expect that it should bt
used for the sake Of people who
would refuse it. That It is only mer
OF good will that will avail them.
selves of the church's benefits need.
no proof. a.
Let us see now the way In which
the church uses her power. Certain
~ it was given that it mightsbe used
She uses it in baptism according t.
the command: "Baptizing them IL
the name OF the Father. and of The
Son, and of the Holy Ghost" Con
sidering that we are so very weak
suppose we have the misfortune tx
fail into sin after baptism, what
then? All, Christ's heart was too Big
It was Christ that said: Whose SIM
you shall forgive they r forgiven
them" It was Christ also that sa1d
nnless rnu eat Ny flesh and dr1Ql