The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1913-12-18

llkASlSlKa kgoSLELJ l say unto you,
that even Solomon
in all his glory was not arrayed like
one of these. Wherefore, if God 50
clothe the grass of the field, which to-
day is. and tomorrow is cast into the
oven las fuel. shall He not much more
clOthe you, o We of little faith ?"-Mat-
thew 6:2S-30.
Opening his discourse the Pastor re-
minded his audience that the Great
Teacher taught in parallels and dark
sayings-not easily compreheDded.
Even His disciples did not understand
many Of His statements until enlight-
ened by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
We are not surprised. said he. that
many have misapprehended the Mas
ter's dark sayings respecting the cut
ting of Of hand or foot. the plucking
out of an eye, undying worms. quench
less fires, and even our text.
There are people today who inter
pref the Master to mean that His fol-
lowers are not to labor as do the re-
mainder of mankind for the necessities
Of life. but are TO be maintained by
tithes, collections. etc. The Pastor be-
lieves that such make great mistake,
as did the man recently reported in the
press as having cut off his hand IN
what he thought was obedience TO the
Masters instruction. We should avoid
such errors Of judgment. and seek to
have the spirit Of the Masters teach
ing-the spirit Of sound mind.
A Crucial Test
Applying his text. the Pastor decar-
ed that if We have the faith to believe
that God through Christ has accepted
us as His children. we should as chill
dren trust our Parent in all the affairs
of life-great and small But here is
the crucial test. Are we Gods chill
dren? Has He begotten US OF the
Holy Spirit? Are our sins forgiven
Are we reconciled to God through the
| death of His Son?
Upon the affirmative answers to
these questions is the strength Of the
basis Of our hope and faith. If we are
| not Gods children, if He has not re-
ceived us through Christ. then we are
still aliens and strangers. Then our
affairs are not under His supervision.
but we are with the world sharers in
the death sentence, each doing for him
self according to his ability in battling
against death. and like all Genttles
giving chief concern to food. raiment
and earthly ambitions approaching
not the higher privileges in Christ.
The Heart of the Lesson.
The Pastor then demonstrated that
the lesson is not directly for the world
in general. Those DESTROYS of having
Gods providential care should cone
into relationship with the Heavenly
Father through Christ, in order to EN-
belong to none others
The heart of the lesson is that the
Heavenly Father is most gracious and
that His tender mercies are over all IN
| harmony with Him. The Church is
| reiOicingly to work by faith. with full
confidence in Him who has opened up
| the new way of life through Jesus and
has granted them the precious rea-
! tionShip of children.
These children of God need not feel
:asassed respecting lifes experience
Eh3ir Heavenly Father knows Their
needs better than they do. and is bota
| able and willing to give them what is
best. Gradually they will learn that
Establishments in the present life un-
| der Divine providence may be made
| to work cut for them "a far mere eX-
ceeding and eternal weight of glory
on the Heavenly plane, to which they
have been begotten.
Learning Lessons of Faith.
| The Pastor then called attention to
the context. Jesus pointed out that al
though the birds have neither barns
nor storehouses, yet God provides for
| them, even as also for the lilies. Sure
| ly He is ne less willing and able to
! Pre-" ide for those who have become
His children through Christ-those fer
| whom He gave His only begotten Son!
The Master spoke of the beauty of
the lily. Solomon in all his glory had
no such seamless robe, no such perfect
1 texture for his raiment. Perhaps the
Master had deeper thought than ap,
pears on the surface. While He assur-
eddy meant that we are to trust Heav
emily provision for natural clothing,
He may have meant also our clothing as
New Creatures-the spotless, seamless
robe of Righteousness. granted as
wedding garment. in which we have
access to the riches of Gods grace
Let us prize above all else this robe
of our Redeemer's merit. This Is In
deed free gift. We could not pur-