The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-12-19

NJ WSM1 dlscourses from
pcit35,S 5,, .H the following text:
ESEsEissssxsss.l.5 cast not away
r therefore your con-
hdence, which hath great recompense OF
reward. "-Hebrews X, IS.
Our English word confidence is n syn
onym for faith. 1t is very pretty
thought that we should not cast away
our faith, but hold firmly to it and
gain reward. This thought Is ex.
Isessed elsewhere i'm the Scriptures,
but 1t is not the thought of our text.
Here the word confidence more proper
ly signifies assurance or out-SpokenaeSS,
courageous presentation of q message
not always kindly received. The Apos-
tie is urging the followers OF Christ to
be OF good courage, or. in the language
OF the Savior, that they should not put
their flight under a bushel, but on
candlestick," where II would shine out
for the blessing OF men.
There is a practical side to the Cos
pei. Everything enjolned upon the fol-
lowers OF Christ and all their trying
experiences in life are wisely intended
TO work out for them character-devel-
opment of good. firm, fine texture. IL
Is mistake to think as some of us
have thought in the past, that it Is the
will OF God that we should merely
hear of Christ and give a nominal as
sent TO the message Of his death as our
Redeemer and turn from outward
forms of sin-and then. contented with
our progress, help others to the same
low standards.
The Father Does the Drawing.
Quite to the contrary, the teachings
of Jesus and his Apostles ignore the
world as a whole and merely seek for
a special class with hearing ears and
appreciative hearts. The Gospel mes
sage set forth In the Bible knows
nothing OF the ordinary mission work
Of resculng drunkards and harlots and
the profane. While not refusing pub
licans and harlots It did not go about
seeking them. 1t waited for them TO
seek for righteousness and, as the
Master said. "No man can come un-
to me except The Father which sent
MN anu NuOSOtNtI GOIltlu
unto me / will in no wise cast out"
John vi, 81. "A. 6j). AS n matter
Of fact, those who came to the Mas |
ter and those who have been interested |
in his message ever since, have not, |
In any large proportion, been the rich, |
the great, the learned. the noble. ac- |
cording to the course of this world, |
ahinAu ha rff In fafN To
ward our God.
Take as an illustration St. Pauls |
course when he went to Athens. We
do not find that he started a mission |
Sunday School and offered the chill |
dren the prospects of picnic or n |
Sunday School treat, in order to gather
them for n half hours talk about moth. |
ing "To keep them off the street"
Neither did he seek out the drunkards |
in the slums and establish a slum mis-
sion. On the contrary he sought the |
ear of the intelligent classes, the think |
ing classes. irrespective of their wealth |
or station. Why? Because he had q |
message-a message which children |
could not understand; a message |
which drunkards were incapacitated !
from understanding; a message which |
should appeal, II at all, 10 the best |
people of Athens. whether rich or poor. |
Have We not had, to considerable |
extent, the wrong idea? Are we wiser
than the Lord and the Apostles and
able TO give them pointers as to meth
DDS instead OF following their exam
pie, as we were instructed to do?
They proclaimed the Second Coming |
OF Messiah and the establishment OF
his Kingdom. They preached that the
very object of his Reign of Righteous.
ness for thousand years win be the
putting down of sin in its every form
and the lifting up of poor, fallen hu-
manity. 1Ley taught that there was
danger OF attempting to make a prose
lyte and really doing more harm than
good thereby. They taught that the
special work to which Gods people are
now commissioned as ministers or serv-
ants Of Christ Is the proclaimlng OF
the Gospel-'the Good Tidings of the
Kingdom"-not the proclaiming of eter-
nal torment nor the attempt TO drive
the world OF mankind from sin through
fear. They taught that the work OF
this present Age is the selection from
amongst mankind Of the Bride class. TO
be Messiah associates in his King
dom. for tho blessing of all the world.
1t is this message Of the goodness of
God that our text declares should be
proclaimed with courage, with bold.
ness, with outspokenness
A Great Fight of Affections.
st. Paul is crlticlzlng some who had
for quite time been Christians and
who had been granted large opportuni-
ties for growth In grace and knowl-
edge. He says TO these. For the time
ye ought to be teachers. but We need
that one teach you again which be
the first principles Of the doctrine OF
Christ" They had lost The first prin'
ciples. They had gotten entangled
with vain PHILOSOPHERS and their spir-
ituality was at low ebb. Conditions