The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-10-02

% higher nature. %. says the Apos-
! lie. Israel hath not obtained that
which he seeketh for, but the election
obtained it and the rest were blinded"
only the few had a suficiency of faith
o make use of their knowledge.
"If Our Gospel Be Hid"
st. Paul declares that the Gospel 10
hidden from some during this Age,
namely, from the perishing ones whom
Satan hath blinded and these surely
are the vast majority of the race. As
Jesus declared to His disciples, Bless
ed are your eyes for they see and pour
ears for they hear" And thus 1t has
been all down the Age for more than
eighteen centuries. Only the few have
been so highly favored by birth and
environment etc, as TO be able to see
and able to hear and appreciate the
glorious invitation of this present time.
Furthermore, Gods providence has
oeen exercising apparently a discrimi-
nation in the sending of the Gospel
| Message. 1t went not alike to all parts
Of the earth Beginning with Israel
in Palestine 1t moved northward and
westward to Greece and to Italy, and
| thus spread through and amongst the
savage tribes of Europe, namely, to
such as had "ears to hear" the Divine
call to joint-heirship with Christ In
the glorious Kingdom soon to be es-
tablished. From Europe this Message,
this knowledge came to America; and
now. within the last century in par
| ticular it Is reaching some Of the
many millions of India, China, Japan,
Africa, etc, but still with the same
limitations. 1t appeals only to COM
paratively few In any nation-"He that
hath an ear to hear, let him hear"
"Not of Yourselves"
All, yes, we can see a force in the
Apostles words, mot of yourselves
1t is indeed for ourselves to exercise
faith when the knowledge comes to us,
yet faith being impossible without
knowledge, we were dependent upon
God TOR it, How thankful we should
be, how appreciative! How sympa-
thetic we should be toward those who
have not been so highly favored with
knowledge or whose condition has been
less favorable to the cultivation of the
hearing ear and of the understanding
heart! Truly God is electing and Sc
lecting, testing and proving the mem
bers of the Church of Christ.
Another phase of the subject well
worthy Of our notice is that our faith
Is largely matter Of development;
first the seed, then the blade, then the
ear, then the ripe corn. When God
gave us the first impulse toward
knowledge of Himself and Of His pur-
poses, that was the seed from which
faith might terminate if 1t fell into a
heart or mind that was good soil for
it. And even those whose hearts are
good soil for the Message Of Gods
grace and the Kingdom invitation find
that they greatly need a certain Di-
vine supervision, watch-care, in order
to bring forth fruitage such as the
Lord will be pleased to accept.
| What would any of us be today
without the grace of God assisting us
in faith and in obedience? Surely the
original faith would long since have
withered and died. We must still say,
BY the grace of God we are saved,
through faith, not of ourselves. 1t is
the result of the knowledge granted and
the Divine blessing poured upon us.
Growing In Grace, Etc.
In full line with what we have con-
we must continue to grow in grace
and in knowledge aud in faith and in
love, and to the extent Of our ability
in obedience and good works. And
this growth in grace, this growth in
faith signifies continued and further
growth in knowledge. For instance,
the promises of the Bible contain the
spiritual food upon which we as New
Creatures must feed in order to grow
up to the required likeness of Christ
In order to be fitted and prepared in
character-and- Acknowledgment for a
place in the Kingdom.
1t should not surprise us. therefore,
to find the Scriptures clearly teaching
that the Bible contains nourishments
exactly adapted to our requirements.
st. Paul illustrates this matter by say
ing that in the beginning of our ex-
periences we, as new born babes,
should desire the sincere milk Of the
Word that we might grow thereby
grow in grace and in knowledge and
faith and obedience. But he admon-
ishes us also that we should not al
ways continue to be. babes. feeding
upon the milk of the Word. but that
! by the use Of it and the strength that
| is derived we should become strong in
the Lord. become manly. attaining
unto the full stature Of manliness as
members of the Body of Christ. And
for this additional strength the Apos
tie tells us that we need more than the
milk of the Word-we need the "strong
meat of Gods Word. of Gods prom.
| Uses that we may grow thereby. And
again. in all this finding and using Of
the meat in due season" we are in
debted to God
Not only has He provided meat in
! due season in the Holy Scriptures.
that the man of God may be thorough
| Il furnished" and able to rightly di-
vide the Word of Truth" but addition