Monroe City Democrat., 1913-04-03

addresses. from st.
HA Paul's words:
IlPASI0R RUSSEll)l "Perlls among
false brethren" y
Corinthians 1l:26.I He Sad
St Paul was fully devoted to the
Master and His cause. His faithtul.
ness brought many trying experiences.
He served Christ to such an extent
that many counted him fool. Those
who opposed his teachings often raised
a tumult and blamed him for 1t, In or.
dei to bring him into disrepute.
Nevertheless. he rejUiced in all such
experiences None OF these things
moved him from faithfulness to his
Master. whose servants he had perse-
cuted before his eyes were opened. He
recounts various perts from robbers.
from Jews. from hpathen. in the city,
In the wilderness. on the sea. He winds
up the list With the words OF UuT text,
'perils among false brethren"
The question arises. NV ere these Suf.
ferings deservedY' Surely not! st
Paul was noble character and bore
the Message of Gods grace in Christ.
Then comes the question, III his suf.
ferings were not punishments. what
were they2" We reply that, like the
Masters. they were evidences OF 10y
atty to God and of the darkness of the
world. which led men to persecute him.
Darkness Hates the Light.
The Master declared that He stood
for the principles Of light, righteous.
ness, truth: while Satan stands for
darkness. blindness. superstition. All
children Of the light must be uncompro-
missing in attitude toward wrong.
Therefore the world hates them and
says all manner of evil against them
falsely. Yea. men will feel that they
serve God when they slay the right
eous, whether literally, as with Jesus
and st. Paul. or by shooting out ar
rows. even bitter words" the more
popular present-day method
But some will say, Times have
changed! Today our ministers are rev
erenced. No one thinks of prosecuting
them. All men speak well of them.
Those not spoken well of today must
| in some way be unworthy"
How strange that we should forget!
In Jesus day did any traduce the chief
priests and Pharisees? Were they moi
| spoken of highly and reverenCed! But
/ the Master and His disciples were not
/ popular, According to their own rec
ord they were styled the filth and of
securing of the earth " The Master
said that whoever prosecuted them
would feel that he did God service. AS
Jesus told some in His day, "Ye gar
nish the sepuchres OF those whom yOuI
fathers slew. yet We do their works. >
So today many extol the Lord and the
Apostles and denounce their persecu
tors. while similarly they perserute.
The Master was Jew. The Jew:
were His brethren according to tht
flesh, Yet they hated Him without /
cause. prosecuted Him and finally cru
cited Him. But st. Paul lived afte
PentecOst, and had Christian brethren
begotten of the Holy Spirit, fellow
members of the Body of Christ. Jesus
had none such "Of the people Their
were none with Him."
st. Paul knew the bitterness of per
secution from false brethren-the eli
max of all his perils. We may be sur,
that such experiences were most diff
cult to bear, for they came from breth
rem of the closest possible relationship
-fellow-members of the body of Christ
The Cody Suffer Persecution.
r All faithful followers of Jesus hav
prosecutions These come from ever
quarter; but none are more cruel tina
those from Christian brethren. Di:
putes between Christians have bee
very bitter. History demonstrates thl
fact. Heretic became the most obnoN
!ous word In the dictionary. NOthin
was too bad to do against hereto.
Thank God for the advancemer
made In Christian sympathy! No Ions
er can civilized people take pleasure
tortures. burnings, etc. The gener'
sentiment no longer appreciates or to
I crates physical torture. But who ca
dispute that mental torture is equal
severe? In our day there are more r,
fined ways of prosecuting, torturinI
ETC.. open to false brethren
: Evil-speaking, evil.surmising. slaI
!. deSS ambiguous suggestions. etc. ca