The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-04-18

the one true Church II they are dead
with Christ to the world. its hopes and
aims-buried with Him by baptism into
His death, which death to the flesh FAC
copied by the Father constitutes us
members of the one Body Of Christ,
the true Church. If thus baptized into
His death, we shall share also in Bis
resurrection. says the Apostle Romans
vi, 4, 81.
The Church In the Wilderness.
Is it asked, Where has the true
Church been during all the eighteen
centuries since the Apostles died? We
answer that the Scriptures picture. her
as going into the wilderness condition,
out of public view, for twelve hundred
and sixty years of this time. As pride,
pomp, arrogance and error came into
prominence. meekness, gentleness. love,
simplicity. gradually retired. Through
the long period of the dark ages no
history of the true Church was written,
just as no such history or record OF her
can be written today.
Since none of the various denomina-
tons Is the true Church, therefore
the history of none of these gives her
history. As her members are Scrip
turany declared to contain not many
wise. not many learned. therefore
scattered amongst all the various
creeds and churches. and some outside
of them all. the espuused. chaste wiz
gin of the Lord is not IA prominent
feature in Church affairs and is who'll
ly unknown to the world. Indeed,
these, while in the world. are not Of
1t and usually are disesteemed. As the
Master said Marvel not if the world
hate you. Ye know that it hated Me
before 1t hated you. II we were of the
world. the world would love its own
q John iii. 10; John Nv. Is, 49,.
If. then, the spirit-begotten ones, con-
stituting the Lords betrothed virgin
Church, are few, and If that few be
scattered amongst the four hundred
millions nominally styled Christendom.
1t follows that they are greatly In the
minority and could have comparatively
little influence today even If they were
ever so determined and energetic. The
masses and classes rule. Wealth. learn
ing, earthly interests and earthly pow
er are better pleased with present con-
ditions than with those which Gods
Word promises will be established
when Messiah shall take to Himself
! His great power and begin His reign
of righteousness.
Babylon. as the Scriptures declare. is
and daughters. She will never consent
to a recognition of the sain..y few In
her midst. whom she considers foolish
In claiming TO be 1.-The elect" and true
Church. To apply the Apostles words,
She esteems the sanity class fools
all the day long" 1.-The filth and off
securing of the earth. TO her they
are the impracticables. To her they
are insurrectionists. always crying out
| for the simplicities Of the Gospel, the
rights and liberties of the Individual
| In person and conscience. for holiness
unto the Lord. not merely in name, but
in deed and in Truth. For this true
Church class. SO small a minority In
Babylon. TO wait for the conversion
of the worldly masses of the various
systems to see "eye to eye with them
In this matter and to reform all these
various systems wouiu be TO CONFESS
folly and to be led Of unreason.
"come Out of Her, My People,"
In such a matter we need the wisdom
which comes from above and the faith
and courage to follow it. The Lords
prayer must be our guide respecting
His will concerning us-us who have
by faith and conservation and begetting
Of the Holy Spirit been adopted into
the Que True Church '',ohose names arc
soritten In heaUen" He prayed for us
really parts of the world and thorough
| ly decelving themselves in supposing
that they have either part or lot or in
heritance with the Church. Thank
God that we now see that this does not
mean that all except the sanity will
be eternally tormented, but merely that
none except the sanity, "copies Of
Gods dear Son." can be members Of
the glorious "little fock." which God
predestinated He would gather from ev-
cry nation. people. kindred and tongue.
OF this faithful Church the Lord de-
clares. My sheep know My Voice and
they follow Me-" We hear His Voice
assuring us that it is His will that we
who belong to His chaste, espoused
virgin class should all be one-should
no longer be separated into sects and
parties by creedal fences. The Lord
declares that He gave Babylon time
for repentance and she repented not.
He declares that His sentence against
the Babylonian system has already
gone forth-that. from the Divine
standpoint. already Babylon is falleni
is fallenr' from Divine favor. What
would be the wish of our Beloved, to
whom we are betrothed7 What Is His
out of her. my people, that We be not
partakers of her sins and that We re-
ceive not of her plagues"-her trou-
bles Revelation xviii. A..
Since the nominal systems are not
In that consecrated condition Of heart,
hungering and thirsting for the Truth
and for righteousness and dead to self
will. therefore 1t is hopeless to think
of their surrender of their interests,
theories. etc. The very most they
could think of doing would be to fed
erGte-to agree not to war with each
other Far better would it be to have
some theological battles and air their
Inconsistencies before the wiser public
Of today. But whatever Babylon may
do. mother and daughters. the course
Of the sanity few, the real Church.
which is shortly to come from the
wilderness" leaning upon the arm of
her Beloved Bridegroom, is clearly set
forth. The sanity should unite In
heart on the principles and doctrines
Of Gods Word, and should stand free
In the liberty wherewith Christ has
made them free from all human
bondage and sectarianism.
Why should the Lord permit the for
nation of these great wards and divi-
sions in mystic Babylon? He has per
mitted only such things as He is able
to make work out blessings for His
very elect. His little flock" who soon
shall be joint-heirs with Christ in His
Kingdom. Babylon's strong sectarian
walls. styled Orthodoxy" and the
great brazen gates of wordliness will
afford the sanity few the very test
they need to demonstrate themselves
''overcomers'- than conquerors,"
for such overcomers only will consti-
tute the members Of the Bride class.
ALL tho r,rnrninoS aro rnada To tha