The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-01-28

from this narrative is that the spirit OF
Divine Truth tends toward liberty
more than all other influences combin-
ed, but that this liberty may be dan
gerous to those who receive not the
Divine Law and Message into good and
honest hearts as Israelites indeed.
Christian Love of Liberty.
The teachings of Jesus and the Apos-
ties went first to the jew, by Divine
direction, gathering from them 'pe-
culiar people, Jealous of good works."
a class at once godly, reverential and
liberty-loving. So Independent were
they that they willingly rejected the
teachings of the Scribes and Pharisees,
and braved persecution, ostracism, for
what they believed to be the Truth.
Already they belonged to the most
independent people of the world, the
Jews; but the Message of Christ made
them still more independent than their
brethren. 1t made them free indeed
by giving them a clearer knowledge of
God and of His Divine arrangements.
The Gospel Message gave them cour-
age to become martyrs for Christ.
Sinars Law admitted the nation of
Jews to be Gods servant people, but
the Message of Jesus, confirmed at
Calvary and at Pentecost, gave still
higher hope and still more ennobling
thought 1t was the teaching of Jesus
price was provided, which eventually
would permit the return of all man
kind from the power of sin and death,
to harmony with the Creator and to
everlasting life.
More than this. the Message was an
invitation to those who had eyes of
understanding and ears of apprecia-
ton, that they might, in association
with the Redeemer. become the agents
of God in hesi owing Restitution bless
lngs upon mankind But in order to be
sharers with Christ IN His glory, they
must be sharers also in His sufferings
and ignominy AS He was despised
and rejected of men they must not ex-
pect to escape similar experiences.
Their share in the Kingdom would de-
pend upon their faithfulness and 10y
atty eren INTO death.
Is it any wonder that this Gospel
Message served to stir. their hearts, to
open their lips and to make them cou-
rageous beyond all others of the whole
world? The Message made them freei
IF ovplainad that in bacop,ipfr tho dfSai-
Piles of Jesus they passed out from UNI
der slavery to sin, and became chill
dren of the Highest. 1t declared that,
becoming children of God they were
associated with Jesus, they became
heirs of God and ioint-heirs with Jesus
Christ, their Lord and Redeemer-if so
be that they should suffer with Him.
They Went Everywhere Preaching.
These, liberated from all fear of
death, made free through their conf
dence in the Savior, manifested their
courage. They knew that faithfulness
must bring them persecution, yet they
kept not silent. They We're prosecuted
by the Jews. because they disturbed
the order of things prescribed by the
Chief Priests and Pharisees. They
were imprisoned. whipped and perse-
euted, but they went everywhere
preaching the Gospel.
Amongst the Gentiles they had SINH
lar experiences Those who made sill
yer shrines for Diana perceived that if
the people believed the teachings of the
Christians they would have no further
use for their shrines. On commercial
grounds they opposed the preaching of
the Gospel and sought to destroy those
who bore the Message. Stripes. impris-
Onments. tribulation on every hand
were the results. Soon the Roman EN-
perors realized the Christians to be a
new force and feared the awakened in
fiuenee on their peoples Nero and Di-
ocletian crucifed them, burned them.
caused them to be devoused by beasts.
thus making public spectacles of them.
and rendering the very name or CHRIST
odious. Yet even this could not stamp
out their spirit of liberty.
Liberty EnIightening the World.
Alas. change came, as the persecu-
lions gradually relaxed, and millions
espoused the name of Christ without
having received the true Gospel Mes
sage to make them free. So for cen
turtles there followed a period of dark
ness, ignorance, superstition. Yet God
was not without His witnesses. A
few retained the spirit of the Truth,
and were esteemed fanatical, peculiar,
and had trying experiences amongst
their brethren. The cause OF tnis gen
eral lapse into darkness was that the
Word of God was no longer the Torch.
Instead, the word of bishops became
the standard, and later the DEGREES of
councils.
BY and by. in Gods Providence, the
Torch of liberty again was lighted.
Great Britain, became leaders in
movement to bring forward the Word
Of God The darkness hated the light
and almost extinguished it. Those
who lifted the TorJi persisted as mar
tyrs. and TyDdale's Bibles were burn
ed at st. Pauls Place, London.
For time it seemed as if the Torch
had beer. quenched, but later it blazed
forth again Luther and his associates
held it up The bishops who had burn
ed Tyndale's Bibles were themselves
forced ultimately TO produce transla-
ton Two Catholic versions of the Bi-
BILE and our common English version.
and Luther's version followed.
The Torch flared up, and the whole
world began to be Influenced by 1t.
The British, the Germans. Scandina-
VANS and Dutch. became potent infiu-
ences of civilization and enlightenment
throughout the world. Today these ma
tons are still in the forefront, Ameri-
ca with them, while the nations which
neglected the Bible, have until now
made little progress. Now all nations
are being influenced by this wonderful
Book. although they know it not. The
doctrines which the Bible inculcates
have given to the civilized world its
high conception of human liberties, hui
man rights. human CAPABILITIES.
Danger Now. as to the Jews.
What we point out respecting the
Jews and the influence of their Law
upon them. we must now point out
with respect to Christendom and the
influence of Gods Message today To
the sanity Jews. the liberty granted
helped them TO appreciate the privilege
of laying down their lives in Gods
sqErice Rnt to the remainder Of the