The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1914-04-03

| through sufferings"
To bring sons to glory is Gods great
purpose in Jesus Christ The words
sons should be emphasized. for God
first must call men TO be sons. and
after that bring them 10 glory even as
the epistle TO the Romans says: IF
sons. then heirs" by nature men are
not Gods sons in this sense, but be-
| come so by the regeneration of the
Holy Spirit through faith i'm Jesus
Christ. Have you experienced this
mighty and vital change? For they
only have the hope of glory who thus
receive the spirit of adoption whereby
they can cry. Abba, Father"
When the text speaks OF Jesus
Christ as the captain OF our salvation,
a comparison is drawn between him
and Joshua, who was the captain of
the hosts OF Israel in their entrance
into Canaan. He was to lead them into
their inheritance under the Abrahamic
covenant but Jesus Christ leads us
into our Inheritance under the gospel
In the former case only they perished
in the wilderness who either out of
love unto the flesh pots OF Egypt. or
through terror at the hardships OF the
way refused TO go up under their lead
er's command. And so in the case OF
those who through faith have become
sons of God, there is no doubt of ulti-
mate victory in the following of Jesus
Christ.
Christ's Dedication.
Our captain was dedicated to his
work through sufferings, for that is
the meaning of perfect" in the text.
1t was often used among the heather
to signify the initiation OF man into
the mysteries of their religion in order
to become a leader of others in the
same religion. Sometimes these rites
were accompanied by much pain, and
the inspired writer employs the figure
to illustrate the sufferings of our
Lord. These sufferings were OF two
kinds. His life sufferings and his
death sufferings. In life he suffered
for righteousness sake, that is through
sympathy with man, but great as this
was. II was very different from his
death sufferings. These were the hid
ing of his Fathers face and the awful
darkness Of Calvary when he bore
our guilt upon the accursed tree To
some extent we may sympathize with
him in his life sufferings, but who
can know anything OF his death suffer
ings? As one says, man can paint
the cursed tree but who can paint
.. - 81 Z al .
Man may describe the soldiers spear,
but not the cup OF wrath he drained
to the last drop"
And how the mystery doepens as we
read that il became God to do this /
It was not only right and proper, but |.
It behooved him TO employ this meth |
cd in bringing many sons into glory. /
He could not do differently and accom- .
plish IL. because Of the desert Of sin .
and the unchangeableness OF his jus. F.
tice He might have suffered all men \
to perish in their sins, but once hav-
ing, in love, determined 20 redeem .
them, there was no other way in .
which it could be righteously carried
out Truth failed. and as Isaiah says.
The Lord saw II, and Is displeased
him that there was no judgment. And
he saw that there was no man.
and wondered that there was no inter
cessor; therefore his arm brought sal.
vation unto him. and his righteous
ness, II sustained him" Isaiah 50:
Is, 16.
What Inference Follows.
II It became God 20 adopt this plan
20 save US. who are we 10 question It's
wisdom or necessity? Who are we 10
hesitate In bringing our convictions
ana conduct into harmony with his
great purpose? And II the object God
had was TO bring sons TO glory should
We not earnestly inquire ~ We are
sons? II Is said OF Jesus Christ In
Johns gospel G:12) that, as many
as received him 90 them gave he au.
thority 20 become the sons OF God"
Have we received him? Does he By
his blessed Spirit dwell within and
rule US? Let US not take this for
granted; let us be assured OF il by
the testimony OF the Word Of God
and the answer OF our experience