The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-12-20

nj m
HscESAIIA..NSsSi IAgSsH Si1ssH Cast not away
therefore your con-
Gidence. which hath great recompense OK
reward" Hebrews X, 30.
Our English word confidence in syn
onym for faith. 1t Is q very pretty
thought that we should not cast away
our faith. but hold firmly to 1t and
gain a reward This thought ls ex-
pressed elsewhere In the Scriptures,
but II Is not the thought of our text.
Here the word confidence more proper
~ signifies assurance or Oat-Spobrnncss,
courageous presentation OF message
not always kindly received. The Apos.
tle IL urgiug the followers of Christ to
be Of good courage, or. In the language
Of the Savior. that they should not put
their light under II bushef, but Oh a
acandlesiick." where II would shine out
for the blessing OF men.
There IL practical side 10 the Cos
pei Everything euJolncd upon the fol
lowers OF Christ and all their trying
experiences IN life are wisely intended
60 work on, for them charGcter-dcvel-
0pment of good. firm. fne texture 1t
IL II mistake TO think. as some Of US
have thought In the past. that 1t ls 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 aud turn from outward
forms OF sin.-und then, contented with
our progress. help others to the same
low standards.
The Father Docs the Drawing.
Quite to the contrary, the teachings
OF Jesus aud his Apostles Ignore the
world as whole and merely seek for
special class with hearing ears and
appreciative hslrts. The Gospel mes
sage set forth In the Bible knows
nothing OF the ordinary mission work
of rcsculng drunkards and harl0ts and
the profane. While not refusing pub
iicans and hariots It did not 60 about
seeking them. Ii waited for them to
seek for righteousness and. as the
r. Master said. mo man can come un.
to me except the Father which sent
me draw him: land whOsoever cometh
unto me | viii In no wise cast OUT
(John vi. 81. A, 65). AS matter
of fact, those who came TO the Mas
Ter and those who have been interested
An his message ever since. have not
tn any large proportion. been tho rich
the great, the learned. the noble. &C
'cording to tho course OF this world
but chiefly the poor. rich In faith TO
ward our God.
Take AZ an illustration st. PaulI
t,n In,
do not liud that he started II mission
Sunday School aud offered the chll
dren the prospects OF picnic or
Sunday School treat, In order to gathe
them for a half hours talk about moth
ing. TO keep them OFF the street.
Neither did he seek out the drunkard
fu the slums aud establish slum mis-
sion. On the contrary he sought tn
ear OF the Intelligent classes, the thlnl
INK classes irrespective OF their wcalt
or station. Why2 Because he had
me3sage--a message which childre
could not understands; messag
which drunkards were incapaciate
from understanding; a message whic
should appeal, IL at all, to the bes
people OF Athens, whether rich or poo
Have we not had. TO consderab
extent. the wrong idea2 Are we wise
than the Lord and the Apostles an
able to give them pointers as to metl
Ods instead Of following their exam
pe, ns we were instructed to dc
They proclaimed the Second Comm
of Messiah and the establishment {
mia Kinrdom They preached that IL
very object OF his Reign OF Righteous
ness for thousand years will be II
putting down OF sin in its every forI
and the lifting up of poor, fallen hi
mnnity. They taught that there WI
dancer Of attempting to make pros
iyte ana really doing more harm tina
good thereby. They taught that II
specln work to which Gods people al
now commissioned as ministers or SER
anita Of Christ is the proclalming {
the Gospel-"the Good TidlnGs Of Il
Klngdomv--not the proclaimlng OF etc
nal torment nor the attempt to drh
the world OF mankind from ain thruuq
fear. They taught that the worE
this present Age is the selection FRO
amongst mankind Of the Bride - -,
be Messiuh's associates IN his K'u
dom. for the blessing of all the wort
" IN this message OF the goodness
God thpt our text declares should
proclaimed with courage, with boI
ness. with OutspokennesS,
n Great Fight Of Affections
st. Paul Is critlczlng some who M
for quite u time been Christians ~
WHO had been granted large oppoTu.
tlcs for growth Ia grace and know
edge lie says 10 these. "For the VI
yo ought TO be teachers, but ye re
that one teach you again which
~the Lrst principles of the doctrine
Christ" They had lost the first pri