The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1910-07-01
OF our fellows. by reason OF the =
Trajectory nonsense OF orr creeds.

The Apostle urges. study to show
thyself approved unto God" We are
not TO suppose, therefore. that the
highest of all science. that which per
tains t. the Divine purpose aud the
Divine plan. can be acquired without
study. We are not In this claiming
that study alone would bring the de-
sired results of proper knowledge. We
heartily agree in the Scriptural prop
Osition that the world by wisdom
knows not God" We are not there
ly wisdom. but along the lines OF that
wisdom that cometh from above
along the lines of the inspired Scrip
lures We must study! Whoever will
not study will not know. 1.-The secret
Of the Lord Is with them that rever-
ence Him." And reverencing him
means the giving of our best thoughts
and talents to the study of his Word
that we may "know the things freely
given to us of God" Il Corinthians H.
12).
We should note further as Bible stu.
dents that we must not study TO be APP
proved of men. but to have the Divine
approval. This will bring to us. as 1t
did to the Master and his apostles, the
disapprobation Of the worldly-wise and
nominally religious. 1t was the Chief
Priests and Scribes and Pharlsees, and
not the common people Of the Jews. nor
the Roman soldiers. who were guilty
OF the crucifixion of our Lord. And
we must expect similar conditions. be-
cause, as the Apostle says, las he was
so are we in this world" The class
who called the Master BeelzSbub is the
same class which will oppose his foot
step followers.
God permits all this with wise and
loving foreintention. Nothing connect
ed with the opposing forces is In any
sense of the word interfering with his
great Program. He set apart with Di-
vine wisdom this Gospel Age Of nearly
nineteen centuries for the sole purpose
of selecting from the world the
Church Of the firstborns"-the antityp-
zeal Priests and Levites. The restric-
ton of his message, the darkening Of
counsel. the clashing Of creeds. the OPP
position Of the world. the flesh and the
Devil, are all wisely permitted with
the foreintention on Gods part that
thus all through the Age the way of
the cross-in the footsteps Of Jesus
should be marrow way" SO that
comparatively few finding it would
care to walk in II.
1t is those few, that little flock"
jealous for God. for his Word. for
Righteousness. that be is now marking
out as the prospective joint-heirs with
Jesus in his glorious Kingdom. which
is to bless the world with full opportu-
mites for earthly salvation-'restitu-
ton" The trials Of the faith. the pa
thence. the love. the devotion of this
little flock" are all designed and not
accidental. Satan and his hosts may
think to thwart the Divine Plan and
may mislead and use humanity as their
tools, but 1t shall yet be seen that all
of the Divine purposes shall be ac-
complished. The Word that has gone
forth out of Jehovah's mouth shall
prosper in the thing whereto he
sent 1t.
St Paul declared of earthly Israel.
that they enjoyed much advantage
every way, because to them were COM
mitted the oracles of God" So now.
dear friends. 1t seems to me that you
and | and all sincere Christians the
world around enjoy much advantage
every way. Looking to the past we
find great excuse for our dear forefa-
theirs who. with sincerity of heart, so
misunderstood the Divine Word and
so misinterpreted the spirit of the
Master that they burned one another
at the stake. We should not think so
harshly of them for this-as though
they lived today under the greater ad-
vantages which we possess. We
should sympathize with them. We
should consider them as blinded by
the great Adversary as was Saul of
Tarsus, when he, as member of the
Sanhedrin. authorized the stoning Of
St Stephen. We should think of them
sympathetically-as st. Peter spoke of
the Jews who crucified the Lord. He
said. 81 wot. brethren, that in igno-
rance We did 1t. as did also your rul-
ers." So also we should kindly, low
ingly cast a mantle Of benevolence
over similar conduct on the part of
John Calvin and others of our forefa-
theirs. But as we would not 60 to the
Jewish rulers, nor to Saul of Tarsus
for religious instruction. neither should
we go to Brother Calvin or others of
our forefathers who were blinded, as
he was, respecting the true character
Of God and the true Spirit of his
Word
Only within the past century have
the masses of Gods people been able
even to read the Bible, If they had pos
sessed It And only within the same
time have they had the Bible to read.
Our great hindrance has been that
with Bibles in our hands and with
ability to use them. we looked for In
struction to our well-meaning fathers
instead of going to Gods Word itself.
Now by Gods grace the eyes Of our