The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-02-08

/ ing the name of Christ hypocritically.
D merely us Il garment to deceive. that
they may the better gain their ends.
Thus we find the nominal Church to
consist off,
a. Hypocrites; (2J Moralisis; 60 In
| dillerents: a. Seekers after gCdliness;
| (Jl The true Church, "the sanctilied in
Christ Jesus" q Corinthians, |. ~
members Of the Body of Christ
prospective members of the Church
Triumphant
Fishtlngs Without and Within.
Every member Of the Church of the
| tirst-born" was called TO suffer with
| Christ" that he may he also late" glOri-
| fed with him in the Mi.lemnld King
| dom Only those who will stand the
test of faithfulness under sulfcrings.
trials, crosses. self-sacriiices, have the
promise of sharing with Christ the
| glorics of the Chur, b triumphant.
IF we be dead with him. we shall
alao live wish him; II we suffer with
him. we shall also reign with him; If
we deny him. he also will deny u.s.
I'll Timothy Ii. II. ~.
Cut why should the Ch,Tch fight?
| Is she not commended to live peace.
| ably with all? Are not Christians eX-
| holted to war not with carnul weapons
and to be smitten ON both cheeks
rather than to return evil for evil?
! Where. then. comes in the fight? Who
are the foes? Surely none would as
sail Il nOn-reGistant.
We reply that the facts do not bear
| out that suggestion. Our Lord and his
! apostles were peaceable and nOn-rr-
| sistuht. ODedlrnt TO kings and laws.
! ard yet they suffered violent deaths.
MS well as stripes and Imprisonment
| They had their names cast Otlt as evil
And those who prosecuted and ma
| lgned them verify thought that they
dil God service. All who follow In
The Lords footsteps must expect simi-
lar treatment because. as Jesus said.
'Ihc servant Is rot greater than his
Lord Marvel not. If the world hate
YOU We know that II hated me before
II hated you. If We were Of the world,
the world would love his own; but be.
cause ye are not of the world. but
have chosen you out of the world.
therefore the world hatcth you" Uoln
Xviii, IL, l0l. The Master sad. "rhe
darkness hntcth the light" which eX.
! plains why the chief re,igionlsts Of
! bis time, being Of wrong condition Of
I heart. instlgutcd his CrucihXiun. They
were of the darkness. living Outwardly
holy, while In heart they were far
from cons@ratcd to God. The very
holding up of the torch of Truth was
/ painful to them. reprovcd them and
excited their animosity. Human ma
ture Is the same today. Notwithstand-
Ing the fact that hcretlcroastlng has
become unpopular ana intOlerable to
the world. there are methods of pri.
vatcly and symbolcally roasting,
slashing. woundlng and killing prac-
! tlsed by those estranged from God,
though sometimes highly esteemed of
men and wearing vestmepts only
slightly less glorious than those worn
by Culaphas and PLATE.
who Scouraeth Every Son."
The Scriptures explain that there is
n two'fold reason why Jesus and all
OF his followers are required to suffer
for righteousness sake.
a. II Is requisite to their own char
acknowledgement that they should not
only profess absolute loyalty to God
and to Truth. but that this loyalty
should be put to the test Thus we
read of our Lord that though "holy,
harmless. undefled," he was proved
perfect in his loyalty by the things
which he endured-by his obedience
even unto death, even the lgnominious
death of the cross, The same prlnci-
pie, the Scriptures assure MS, operates
In connection with all whom God is
now calling TO be Emmunucl's assocl-
ntcs In the Mlllcnninl Kingdom. They
must suffer with him II they would
reign with him. They must walk In
his steps Galatians V, II; vi, II; III
Thcssalonlans |, .; II Timothy /, -;
Il. ., IL; Ill, 12l.
(2l These experiences are designed
OF God to qualify us to be judges of
the world during the NIillennlal Age
that the Christ, Head and Body, may
be mcrclful and faithful towards the
people of earth. Likewise ii Is proper
hat the world should know that Its
Judges have thus been tempted and
r:ied, and are able to sympathlze with
them In their weaknesses ana In their
rndcayors FOR righteousncss-0nd more
willing TO help them up, up, up to hui
man perfection than to conslgn them
% the Second Death.
Although this conflict has lasted for
more than eighteen centuries 1t has
not been long for any single individ-
uul win the Master himself the trial
period was only three and half
years, On the whole as compared
with eternity, the entire Gospel Age of
Sacrifice, us the Master said. Is but
"a little WHILE And as for the af-
llcuons and tostlngS themselves, st,
Paul gives the proper thought, saying,
.hnt at most they are Eight alllictions
but for Il moment and not worthy IN