The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-10-31

tlRASlelK- KUS9tLll foe yourselves
80 - know perfectly
that the day of the Lord 80 cometh as
a thief In the night: for when they
shall say. Peace and safety. then sud
den destruction cometb upon them. as
travail upon woman with child. and
they shall not escape. But ye. breth-
rem, are not In darkness that that day
should overtake you an thief; ye are
children Of the Light Thessa lOnians
v, is.
The common tendency Of the human
mind Is expressed by st. Peter. who
prophesies Of the present time that the
worldly will be saying. "Where ls
the promise of His presence1
All things continue az they were from
the foundation OF the world" Ignor.
ance OF Gods Plan is to be expected Of
the world, but the true people of God
have the promise OF His special In
struction so That they need not be In
darkness respecting the Divine Pro-
gram.
Our world for six thousand years
has been the battle field between ,he
forces OF light and darkness. truth and
error. righteousness and sin: the
Prince of Darkness. otherwise styled
the prince of this world" has led his
forces in person. and has controlled
the masses and is still controlling
them The FRINGE OF Light Is repre-
sented in feeble way by ambassa-
dors who are specially cautioned by
Him that they must not use carnnl
weapons nor carnai methods. but must
I'm meekness correct those who oppose
them They must be subject to "the
powers that be- to the extent that
their consciences will permit. and 80
far as possible live peaceabiy with all
men.
This experience Of subjectlon TO the
powers Of evil has been hard lesson,
difficult to lenrn: trial of faith ns well
as of endurance. the value OF which
has been difficult sometimes to appre'
ciate. But these must walk by faith
and not by sight II they would please
the Captain of their salvation. For
centuries the prayer has gone up ia
God from their hearts. "How long. @
Lord!' Renson assures them that Il
cannot be the Divine purpose to for
ever permit the victory OF sin and
death under the Prince OF Darkness
Flowing, Sowing, Reapiug.
God represents Himself AZ greaI
Husbandmnn. Each Age IL season
and bears its own crop. Bach Age hat
Its own time for the piowing OF Tho
field. the sowing Of the good seed, ant
the harvest work, AS Bible student'
we have already Hoted the work nc
complished In the Age which ended
with the food. the different work ac
scompllshed during the Patriarch1i Age
and the still different work accom-
plished during the Jewish Age, whicl
lasted from the death OF Jacob ant
particularly from, the giving OF th'
Law. down 20 the death OF Jesus.
Our Lords ministry OF three and q
half years was u harvest time to the
Jewish people In the close OF their Az,
'of favor or day OF visitation" III
said to His Disciples, II aend you fotl
TO reap that whereon ye bestowed NJ
labor: other men iabored and ye ur'
entered into their iabors." John lv
3S.l The plowIng and sowing connect
ed with the Jewish Dispensntion wal
In the far past, The Egyptian bon
'dage served to do n plowing work. a
also lsrnel's escape from that bondag,
and the forty years of wandering Ii
the wilderness before they reached
Caanan. The giving Of the Law an,
the establishment OF them az a people
the lessons OF their sacrifices. aud th
'exhortation OF their Prophela. all con
stituted u seed-sowing. narrowing ant
cuitivnting experience. In the end o
their Are Jesus gathered the ripe fruit
age of TINT experience those aanct
died thereby aud developed In charaC
ter and obedience 60 God.
The crop gathered by our Lord an
the Apostles In the Jewish harves
numbered thousands. These were gath
cred out ~ Judaism aud from unde
the Law Covenant into 'Ghristianlty-
gathered under y Covenant appyIn
only 20 the Church which Ii the Bod
nof Christ THU Covenant. unde
which they became associated wit
Messiah. reads. ''Gather together NJ
Haints lholy ones, unto Me-" saith IN
Lord. 'those who have made q Cow
nant with Me by sacrifice" n'aalu'
o. All coming Thus into reiaiions''l
TO Jehovah as members Of the h"d
sof Messiah came by way OF the crS@s-