The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-26


 that even the spirit begotten new crea- lures must make progress in their appre- citation of spiritual things. The apostle urges such that As new born babes they should desire the sincere milk of the word, that they might grow thereby
 And the growth Is necessary If they would attain joint heirship in the king dom; hence the apostle again urges that each seek not to continue babe. but to become a man. and to use the strong meat of divine truth. By becoming a man, he is sanctified, developed as a new creature and filled with the Spirit, and "thoroughly furnished unto every good work" by knowledge of the word of God.
 It must have been a difficult matter for our Lord, in teaching, to follow the rule which He gave to His disciples, namely, to ''be wise as serpent and harmless as q dove" Appreeiating the divine plan ful- ly, completely, He must frequently have had a yearning desire to tell His beloved followers more of the mysteries and deep things of the divine plan than they were able to appreciate.
 Spirit and Life' Words
 Now our test ''The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life" Here was another endeavor to im- press Ills dear disciples with the thought that they should not take Ills words too literally but should look for the deeper meaning. Furthermore, they were to re- member that they could not expect to get that deep meaning until after the Mas ters ascension; as He said, Tt is expe- dient for you that I go away; for if I go not away the Holy Spirit will not come unto you; but If I go away I will send Him unto you;" flor the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorfied. John xvi [; vii, 39
 Jesus was not glorified because His glorfication would not take place until His resurrection, and In a fuller sense until His ascension to the most holy on high. there to appear in the presence of God on our behalf-to make application of the merit of His sacrifice for those who have consecrated to walk in His steps.
 The Masters words were words of life in the sense that they conveyed the great message of the terms upon which we may have everlasting life and become His joint heirs. Although the apostles explain the philosophy of the divine plan in great detail, more than did Jesus, yet in His sayings we find the very essence or kernel of the gospel. Nowhere are the terms of discipleship more carefully laid down than in Jesus words. because the disciples could understand what would be the meaning of self denial, cross bearing and walking in His steps, even if they could not understand the philosophy of justification. sanctification. election and divine foreknowledge.
 From Jesus words more clearly than from any others we get the thought of the water of life," and how it is now in His followers spring of truth. grace and everlasting life. Nowhere else do We more clearly get the general statement that the Father hath life in Himself and hath granted unto the Son life in Him. self, and that He might share this life with His disciples. Thus, as St. Paul says, the words of this salvation in which we rejoice began to be spoken by our Lord. It is He also that declared that He brought life and immortality to light. thus distinguishing between the general reward of everlasting life to be given to the Horld and the special reward to be grant ed to the church.