The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-07-11

INSSNSO OV}0k9" ANU IHubt 1dyB Cuo
Apostle, we yin be able I'd "lay hold on
eternal life, 'Rnow proftersd to us. p Z
r. Like Unto Your Father. 4.
1t helps Gods intelligent children. to
| follow IN the marrow way and to
learn the lessons Of the present life, IL
they can see the principles involved,
and how the lessons In the School Of
Christ are advantageous. For instance,
many at first are inclined5to say, ~ do
not see how It will make any differ
ence to the Lord what / do with my
money, my talents. my influence He
10 rich, He needs nothing. Moreover,
i any are needy, He is quite able to
supply their needs without In the
slightest degree impoverishing Himself.
Why, then, should he desire His chill
dren,, who, ara far from rich in the
worlds estimation, to use their little
talents Of time and money. and 1nfiu-
ence, and why make this test for
them, which Will determine whether or
not they shall attain to the Kingdom at
all, and IT they attain at all, whether
they shall be amongst. the greatest or
amongst the least In the Kingdom
What is the philosophy Of it2"
The philosophy Is this: Man as orig
| inally created, in the Divine likeness,
was tender-hearted, sympathetic. 1t
was after sin entered the world and
the strife for living began that self.
ishness gradually became the FREEDOM
inant influence, producing hard-heart-
| Observation-Disclosures Of the interests of
others-self-love. r.,
-. Take Away the Stony Heart.
God proposes that during the thou
sand years Of Messiah's reign the hard
heartedness. OF our race shall gradual
" be dissolved. Satan viii be bound
and his allurements will be ended.
The curse will be lifted, the earth will
yield its increase. the thorns and this
ties will give place, and so will the
| pests. The stress being lifted from
mankind 1t will be easier for him to
learn the lessons of love and brother
hood, and to rise up out Of his present
condition OF meanness and hard-heart-
edness, selhshness- to the glo-
rious image Of God in which man was
created. This will mean the dissolving
of the stony-heartedness Of our race:
or, as the Scriptures put it, the Lord
will take away the. stony heart out of
their flesh, and give them heart Of
fesh-a heart Of sympathy. All under
| that favorable condition who will re-
fuse to return to harmony with God,
and to the likeness OF God, will be de-
| stroyed from amongst the people in
the Second Death.-Acts Ill, 1923.
But while such a restitution under
the favorable conditions of the Mes
sianic Kingdom is Gods provision for
the world, He has. different provision
for the Church, now being called, test
ed, proven. BY nature our hearts are
hard and selfish; and, as the Apostle
says, 1--WE were children Of wrath,
even as others" The fact that God
has called us to Joint-heirship with
His Son In the glorious Kingdom that
ls shortly to bless the world does not
sighifye that, He win" accept us in our
present condition Of hard-heartedness
and selflshness.
On the contrary, If we are to be the
kings, priests and judges Of the world,
In association with our Lord and Head,
the great King, we can readily see
that we ourselves must get rid Of this
| condition before we could be properly
capable Of helping the world up out Of
its Observation-Disclosures.
1--WE Walk by Faith"
In various respects the Lords deal
ings with His called Church at the
| present time are different from what
His dealings will be with the world
by and by. This is because ours is so
high an honor; and, correspondingly,
1t Is appropriate that we should mani
fest the more love, the more zeal than
will be expected Of the world.
TO illustrate: We must walk by
faith and not by sight, and volun-
tarify accept the Lords -pEevidences,
and voluntarily undertake to coop
crate In putting away the stony heart,
accepting instead the Spirit Of the
Lord, and the Spirit Of the Father
spirit Of love, Kindness, gentleness,
meekness, patience and long suffering
toward all. Moreover, during the thou
sand years Of the worlds recovery
from sin and selfshness and hard
heartedness, doubtless each Individual
will have several centuries for his
gradual development, but the Father
seeks in the Church class such as will
manifest SO much zeal for Him, and
such as will give such heed to His in
structions, ana show such earnestness
to copy His character, that they will
succeed in attaining a heart condition
OF tenderness, sympathy and love like
unto the Heavenly Fathers, In the
present years Of their Christian ex-
perience. 49,.
And If we shall ultimately demon
strate this fixtty OF our hearts, the Lord
will own us as His children In the First
Resurrection and grant us perfect bod
ies on the spirit plane, when it will be
possible for us to be absolutely like
Him. That Is the glorious condition
for which we are waiting, hoping, pray
ing, striving. And 1t Is within our