The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-06-18

gator1aI experience after death, but Of
a purgatorial experience in the present
life God could protect His children
from every foe, from every trouble,
from every sorrow, from every one Of
Satan's darts, but instead Of doing so
He permits these fiery trials to test
their faith. their loyalty to Him. to the
Truth, to the brethren
Purgatory In the Present Life.
Did not Jesus thus have purgatorial
experiences ?-not to purge away sin
for He had none-being holy, harm
less, indebted and separate from sin
ners'-but to demonstrate His loyalty
to God; as the Apostle said, HE was
obedient unto death. even the death
Of the cross" And did not the Apos
ties have purgatoriaI experiences
which were needed. and which we all
need? Is it not in respect to these
purgatorial experiences that the Apos
tie urges US to remember that God is
faithful and viii not suffer us to be
tempted, tried. more than we are able
to bear. but with every temptation
trial, provides also a way of escape?
He also assures us, MY grace is
sufficient for thee. for Ny strength is
made perfect in weakness" And is
not this the very picture the Scrip
lures give US respecting our present
trials. namely, that our Lord sits as
90, - Ill 20 %oI-
from US the dross and to purify us as
New Creatures in Christ Jesus. and to
make us ready for the Kingdom?
1t is in full accord with this that the
Apostle declares of the Church that II
we judge ourselves-judge our own
conduct, and properly criticize our
selves for errors-we will not need to
be judged or chastened with fiery
trials by the Lord. But If we neglect
to thus judge ourselves. and become
careless, the Lord will give us chasten-
ings, fiery trials and stripes-purgato
rial experiences-to the intent that we
may not be condemned with the world
The Worlds Condemnation.
In this statement, to the effect that
the Church is now chastened that she
may not come into judgment with the
world, we should understand the word
iCorld to mean all outside of the
Church-both Jews and Gentiles The
Church is composed, not Of any sect
or party. but of all those who have
come into covenant-relationship with
hn 70 In ha 7 ord
Jesus, and a full conservation of their
lives to walk in His steps. The re
ward of the Church will be joint-heirship
with the Savior in His Kingdom. for
which we pray, Thy Kingdom come"
The Bible teaches US that shortly
the Kingdom win be established in
the midst of great time of trou-
ble," and that through its blessed
reign of righteousness the whole
world. of every nation and kindred
and people and tongue. will be blessed
with light, with knowledge, with OPP
portunity THE Sun of Righteous
ness shall arise with healing In His
beams" ushering in for earth the New
Day, which all the Prophets of God
have for so long foretold-the period
which St Peter styles. Times of
Restitution Of ali things which God
hath spoken by the mouth of all the
holy Prophets Acts ill, 1921.
Since we have learned that the Bible
teaches that God has blessings in store
for the world under Messiah's King
dom, we are the better prepared to un
derstand how and why the Messianic
Kingdom is to usher in the Times of
Restitution" and blessing. And we
learn at the same time that God has
purposed. first of all. to deal with the
Church. call, test. prove, discipline
| them with fiery trials. before He be-
gins His dealings with the world We
perceive that the Cnurcn Is TO De QeaI
with first because it is the Divine
declaration that the Church shall
share with Jesus in judging the world
in disciplining the world. giving tC
the world purgatorial experiences
which will be helpful and uplifting.
The Great Time of Trouble. which
our Lord declared should be expected
at about the time of the completion Of
the Church. will be a time of specia
discipline upon the world-the begin
ming Of the worlds purgatorial expe
rience. Hearken to Jesus words
| watch We (disciples). therefore, that
We may be accounted worthy to es
cape all those things coming upon the
world" Describing those things oul
Lord said, MEMS hearts will be fail
Ing them for fear. and for looking
| after those things which are coming
upon the earth, for the powers of the
heavens shall be shaken" Many OF
us believe that we are in that very
| time now.
The Churches Have Lost Their Power
Surely mems hearts are failing then
as they look about and see the surg
ings of socialism and anarchism, anG
the threatening of these waves of the
sea-" that they will ultimately swallow
up the present social order of things
Many of the rich and great are lookins
to the Church at this time, hoping that
as of yore ecclesiasticism will be able
" NOhiiOi AA4C udSoSo Dul al IL VIII
be different now; for, as the Master
said. THE powers Of the heavens viii
be shaken"-the ecclesiastical powers
will be shaken. From every side the
cry goes up that the churches are be
coming more and more empty. that col
lections are falling off and retrench
ment must be the order of the day oil
ruin will result.
st. Peter refers to the coming trou
BILE. under the symbolism of fire. ano
declares that not only will it consume
the "earth.' the social fabric, but the
heavens" also will be on fire and
shall pass away with a great noise"-
a great commotion. Not the physical
earth viii burn, but the social earth
not the physical heavens will burn. but
the ecclesiastical heavens.
The great and the rich have been SO
busily engaged in amassing wealth
that they have not noticed until re-
Gently that the churches of all denomi
nations have lost their power over the
masses, and now their hearts fail
them for fear as they come to per
ceive the weakness. the nothingness OF
ecclesiastical power as compared with
the strength of socialism and anarchy
amonuct fba n1aqcnc M vv0ndof. their