Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1910-12-31

1 <.sA &Sl trying experiences IN
/ life are wisely intend
| 13% ~ ed 10 work out for
| is11sseYSSS Ti,sesTId them character deyel-
LES4 sfs5 IGn sSGSyl1e1 opment Of good firm
fine texture. The mis-
take IS common that
| Il IS Gods VIII for Christians To give a
| nominal assent TO the declaration that
| Christ died as tie Rcdeemer Of men, and
| 70 turn from outward forms Of sin and
| then. content with their progress help
| others to the same low standards; and 10
| call this Saving souls"
On the contrary. according to the teach
| ings OF Jesus and the Apostles. such be-
| lief and turning from outward sin is mere
/ ~ the first step fotrdrd Christianity and
| not at all a step IN Christianity. The
| Scriptural definition OF Christian should
| not be overlooked by those who would
make their calling and election sure"
/ Those who have believed on Jesus and
| who have turned their backs upon sin are
| drawn called invited 10 become his fol
| lowers, ITO walk in his steps to take
| up their cross and follow him, to drink Of
| his cup 10 lee baptized into his death.
The difficulty is that the name Christian
| has become a popular synonym fpr intel
| ligence. As everybody likes to b. thought
| int elIigent "a ] refined, gentlemen nd gen
| tlcwomen $50 all like 10 he call, Chris
| tians. Few have the courage u declare
| that they have no real kuoWled--a of the
| Great Teacher, that they rarely think Of
| him and have never 50 much consid
| cred the matter of becoming his disciples
| followers In his footsteps.
Christians For the Rewards.
| Pastor Russell declared that many rep
| rebate the thought that Christians should
| be stimulated 10 faithfulness BY promise
| OF reward claiming that virtue is its own
| reward. But this IS theory. and those
4 on baz-a TnfrCh ID
| the virtue. Instead of seeking human
| wisdom on this subject We should see
| the Divine Wisdom Gods promises f.
| the Bible continually hold before the
| Christian glorious hopes of grand rewards
( for faithfulness. Not TO be wiser than
| his Teacher, Pastor Russell must do tho
| same His text, for example, eucoura gcs
| Gods consecrated sanity few TO perse-
| we're in the narrow way and to allow their
| faith TO be strong and confident, assured
| that IN the end they shall have great re-
| ward. The context bears this out also.
| ST. Paul had been discussing the luke
warmness of some who in former days
| had endured great fight of Affections for
| the sake OF the Gospel Of Christ
Some OF these had been actively in the
| fight and suffered great losses from the
| earthly standpoint while others had
| shared with them Loyalty in that they
| had remained true to the DETAINED and
| dishonored ones. supporting them. ac-
| knowledeinG them. assisting them. All
] such faithfulness on the part Of those who
| are fully cousccrated, who become New
| Creatures IN Christ and receive the illu-
| mination OF III Holy Spirit. IS not only
| praiseworthy. but sure to have a reward
| The Apostle declared that God is not
| unrlghteous to forget your work and la
| Dor of love" St. Paul would revive the
| tagging courage and kindle afrcsh the
| sacred flame of zeal and devotion TO the
| Cause OF the Master; hence he eXhorts his
| hearers to forget not the assembling OF
! themselves together. as the manner OF
| some Is. but so much the more as they SEQ
| the day (of Christs Kingdom) drawing
nigh. The reward is sure to be great
St Peter also reminded the brethren OF
| the glorious hopes before them, as in
| centives to faithfulness, saying, Where
| by are given unto us exceeding. great and
| precious promises. that by these we might
| become partakers of the divine nature
| by the assistance they render us in the
| sacrifice of earthly interests and by their
| sustaining power as we walk In the foot
steps OF Jesus self-sacrihcingly through
| the valley Of the shadow of death-the
pathway Of the present life e Pet. 80.
Jesus Influenced by a Reward.
Rewards may be heavenly or earthly;
| and the desire for them may be selfish or
unselhsh OF the worlds Redeemer We
/ read, lie lot tne JOY llldA was HtA uClbt .
| him, endured the cross, despising the
| shame. and is now lin consequence set
I down al the right hand" of the Majesty
| on high. henceforth anticipating the time
| when all the opposition OF sin and Satan
| shall be Vauquished (Heb. l2;0. Although
| the Masters motive leading him TO sac
| rifice was a benevolent one. nevertheless
| in the work set before him, the rewards
! undoubtedly exercised Il potent influence,
assisting him to faithfulness I'm doing tho
| will OF the Heavenly Father. The prom
ises made to him were various:
| ID He would be the Captain of Saliva
ton to many sons of God who. under his
| leadership. would attain joint-heirship with
| himself and. under him. in the glorious
Messianic Kingdom promised. Heb. 2.10.
(2) He was promised the heather. the
Gentiles the peoples of the earth, for an
| inheritance and ell the earth for a pos
! session-a possession which It would be
| his privilege TO give to so many OF Adams
| race a would. under his benelicent King
| dom, be accounted worthy of life eternal
under the terms of the Divine Law.-Psa.
| IS
(3) And part Of his pleasure undoubtedly
| was the outworking of the Plans Of Jc-
hovah-Plans which glorify the Father s
| Wisdom. Justice. Love and Power; and
| which in turn would reflect its glory upon
Jesus and all associated with him
| ca Additionally. was the Divine Prom
ise OF his own high exaltation to the very
| highest place in the Universe. next TO Je-
/ hovah-possessed Of glory honor. immor-
| taiity. the divine nature.
| These joys set before our Master en-
abled him 20 faithfully and cheerfully
endure the cross. the ignominy. the
| shame. These things being true. Il can
! not be doubted that the promised re-
| wards Of the Church are designed by tho
| same great Author Of Salvation to slim
/ ulate. encourage and assist ali who would
walk in the footsteps of Jesus as his TO-
! lowers
We 90 not forget ther uolcsty OF tbs
Eczsccn n1cr-hou that while faithfully do
! ing the Fathers viii and remembering
the promises of his cxaltatiou as a r.
ward he humbiy prayed merely that bc
| might have again The same degree oi
honor and glory and fellowship with bis
Father which he had enjoyed before he
undertook his work Of obedience IL ac-
comprising mans salvation from sin and
death He prayed. Father gl0rifv thou
| me with the glory that I had with theC
before the world was" But his humility
| did not hinder the Father from fulfilling
all Of his glorious promises respecting
him; and he answered tire prayer TO this
effect, saying i have ClorIfcd thee Iiu
| the glory before the world wasl and
I rrffT ry1GwfFT- rAsen .ser f-, r~s-s. Al