The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-12-27

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that one teach you again which be
the first principles of the doctrine Of
Christ" They had lost the first prin.
c1ples. They had gotten entangled
with vain PHILOSOPHERS and their spir-
ituality was at a low ebb. Conditions
are very similar today. After eighteen
centuries of Divine instruction and
with the wonderful Bibles now at our
command and with helps for Bible
study, what manner of Christians
ought we to be-in faith, In love, In
obedience, in couragel
St. Paul points out the necessity for
the Lords people to assemble them
selves together for fellowship and for
the study of his Word and to provoke
one another to love and good works.
The necessity for this, he suggests, is
that sin on the part of those who
have received knowledge of the
Truth and been made partakers of the
Holy Spirit is a much more serious
matter than the same conduct would
have been before they came into the
precious relationship of spirit-begotten
children of God He says, For If we
sin after that we have received a
knowledge of the Truth, there remain
eth no more sacrifice for sins, but a
certain fearful looking for Of condem-
nation and fiery Indignation which
shall devour us as Gods adversaries"
oversees 26, 20.
have we grasped the import of the
thought? Ii signifies that those of us
who have accepted the Divine terms
and entered the family of God will
have no future opportunity in another
life. We must either make our "call-
ing and election sure under the terms
Of the call, as accepted, or be rejected
as unworthy of life everlasting-as fit
for the Second Death-annihilation
He who despised Moses Law died
without mercy. But he who having
come to a clear knowledge of the
Truth. shall be found a willing sinner,
will not only be cut off from further
opportunity in the present Age, but be
everlastingly cut off from life. destroy
ed. God is able to destroy both soul
and body"-the present life and our flu
ture hope. These thoughts should
make very earnest, very diligent, all
who have accepted Christ and been
accepted by him.
Nevertheless Be Not Discouraged.
These things were written, not only
for the Hebrew Christians Of ST. Paul's
How hrtf int Nv kI,O Toll {,.fk
for all the household of faith. We
should not rock ourselves to sleep, nor
| give to each other opiates. While the
11Orld Is not yet on trial for eternal
| life, the Church is now being tested
J for life or death eternal. The thought
should sober US. AS the Apostle sug-
gests, BE diligent, be SOBER" be
faithful, following in the footsteps of
| Jesus.
| But st. Paul or, rather, the Holy
| Spirit through him, took cognizance
of the fact that the Lords people are
to help them on to God" The Apostle
recognized that we might become dis
couraged with our own faults and
weaknesses. Hence, after earnestly
exhorting to faithfulness and energy
and after pointing out the dangers Of
slothfulness and of being over-charged
with the cares of this life and the de-
ceitfulness of riches and thus losing
| the spirit of Christ. he turns from this
threatening attitude and uses encour-
aging words.
He says, "Call to mind the former
days in which, following your illumi-
nation of the Holy Spirit, you endured
a great fight of Affections" st. Paups
intimation is that at that time. while
suffering prosecutions. the brethren
were really in a better, more alive.
| spiritual condition than later. The
prosperity, privileges, freedom from
persecution enjoyed, had made them
slothful and less courageous He
would have them and us call to mind
| the victories won in the past, that we
might have courage for the present
and the future How gracious, how
helpful, are all the provisions of our
| God for those who now hear his call
and seek to walk In Jesus steps! To
these he guarantees that every expert
ence of life which his providence shall
( permit shall work for good, for bless
ing, for valuable experience and edu-
cation along lines of righteousness and
acknowledgements.
Two Glasses Of the Faithful.
In time of war not all can go forth
as soldiers. Some, unfit for such serv-
ice, may perform useful part at
home supporting encouraging, send
ing supplies to those at the front, etc.
And so it is in the army Of the Lord;
Jesus is the Captain of all those who
voluntarily enlist as soldiers of the
cross to battle against sin, especially
in themselves-f fighting a good fight
of faith" and overcoming the spirit
of the world which surges all about
them, threatening to overwhelm them
as New Creatures in Christ
| st. Paul intimates a strong persecu-
ton, openly manifested by the worldly
spirited, Satan-deceived people of God.
He says, Eye endured a great fight of
Affections, partly whilst We were made
gazing stock both by reproaches and
Affections and partly whilst We be-
came companions of them that were
so used. For We had compassion Of
me in my bonds. and took joyfully the
spelling of your goods" verses 32-94.
St Paul and others prominent
| amongst the Lords followers natural
/ ly would receive the brunt of Satan's
attacks. 1t is presumed that the Epis-
tie of which our text is a part was
written while St Paul was a prison
er at Rome. Fellow Jews, so far from
being sympathetic for a countryman.
reproached him as a traitor, unortho-
dox, seeking to tear down the work
Of God and to ignore the Divine prom
ises belonging to Israel and their sa-
cred traditions BY the Romans, too.
he was regarded with suspicion. as one
| giving allegiance to another King,
Jesus, and not therefore disposed to
use his Roman citizenship specially for
the pride and glory Of the Empire. st.
Paul declares that thus himself and
those who espouse the cause of the
Lord are dcsplSeu and rejected Dy all
He says that we are counted as the
filth and offscouring of the earth
| that which nobody cares for or values,
but which all would like to get rid Of.
as the darkness always hates the light
and seeks to quench it and reigns COM