The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1910-01-08

I AhN NENlAAh Va a AN Ak1SNAs ~ - q
favorable time for determining wha.
should be disposed Of In the profit ar
loss account and for putting into effec.
resolutions governing the New Year
The fact that thousands Of resolution.
will be made at this season only to be-
broken later under the impact Of temp
tation. should not discourage us iron
making such resolutions ourselves and
advising the course to others. The
man or woman who makes no Resolu
lions or Vows makes little progress /,
Misunderstanding. Poor, fallen human
nature needs all the bands and brace.
and supports which a well-directed vii
can give II. We are not advocating
hasty. and sometimes unreasonable,
vows and resolutions and pledges
thoughtlessly taken. What we do ad.
vocate is thoughtful, rational sitting
down and counting the cost, and then
and there resolving with the full
strength Of the character, with the full
determination Of the mind, TO pursue
the way which deliberate judgment
tells n Is the proper course.
A Christmas Vow or Resolve.
A Christian. like other men. can be-
benefited by such Resolves to himself.
which should be sacredly kept, in pro
portion as he respects himself and
would be respected. These Resolutions
may apply to sundry affairs of life
his home, his business, his personal
habits, etc. But when the Christian
comes to consider his highest interests,
he at once recognizes that they are
those by which he is related to his
Creator and his Savior. At the very
beginning Of his Christian experience.
after he had longed for righteousness
and turned from sin; after his eyes
had seen Jesus as bis Redeemer; after
his ear Of faith had heard that he was
%reconciled to God through the death
of his Son and had forgiveness of sins
through faith in his blood-then came
to him the most important m OF
his life. For God, through his Word.
invited him to make a full consecra.
ton Of himself Including every earth
ly interest and affair to the Lord and
his service.
The proposition, In the language of
the Savior, was that he should take up
his cross and follow Christ; and hat
as a reward he should have in the
present life tribulation from without,
but the peace Of the Lord within, and
In the future life experience a share
in the First Resurrection. That change
to glory, honor, immortality, the Di-
vine nature, means Joint-helrship with
his Redeemer In his great Office and
work as the Mediator between God
and the world during the Millennial
Age. The terms are clearly stated
self-denial, cross-bearing, service for
Christ, faithfulness unto death. The
rewards also, al clearly stated, are
crowns Of life and membership in the
Royal Priesthood, a seat with the Lord
In his throne, an opportunity Of being
one Of the judges for helping and up
lifting mankind during the Millennium
While stating the conditions clearly
and distinctly, through his Word the
Lord did not urge conservation, but
said rather that each should sit down
first and count the cost. After having
counted the cost, whoever chose to ac-
cept the proposition did so by making
a Vow unto the Lord-a Conservation
Vow Of full submission-the full sur
render Of the will. This was to the
intent that thereafter not only the
conduct Of life, but the words Of tn
mouth and the medltations Of the heart
should be acceptable to the Lord. Thi
comprehensive Vow is symbolized In
baptism, which, rightly understood, as
explained by st. Paul, is q baptism
into membership In the Body Of Chris
(the Church,, and this by baptism or
immersion into Christ's death"
Only such as make this Vow are ac-
cepted at all as members Of The Christ
and anointed with the holy Spirit. II
is respecting this Vow that st. Pau
urges, in the words Of our text, 81 be.
seech you, 0usti6ed) brethren, by the
mercies Of God. that ye present your
bodies living sacrifices, holy, accepta
BILE to God, and your reasonable serv.
ice" Our contract with the Lord /
entered into, made secure, by the Vow
Of Conservation, and the remainder O.
life is merely a testing Of the conse
Grated one, to determine to what de.
gree he really meant the Vow; to wha'
degree he uses his every endeavor t.
be dead to the world, dead to self, dead
to all earthly things and alice TOWARD
God and the interest Of the Millennia.
Kingdom to which he has %consecrated
himself as a member" Of the Body Of
the Mediator Of the New Covenant
Jeremiah XXI, 81; Galatians, 81, 29l.
~ Will Pay Ny Vows"
Let nc one lightly undertake a Vow
unto the Lord. 1t carries with Il
weighty responsibilities. 1t would b.
better every way that none should
take the Vow without first understand
ing the matter and entering fully into
the spirit Of the resolution he makes