River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-01-08


in all his glory
was not arrayed like one of these
Wherefore. if God so clothe the grass
of the field. which today is. and to-
morrow is cast into the oven las fuel,
shall He not much more clothe you, 0
We of little faith?" Matthew 6:2S-30)
Pastor Russell said in part:
The great Teacher, we are told,
taught in parallels and in dark sayings
mot easily comprehended). Even our
Lords disciples were in the dark con-
corning the meaning of many of His
statements until the Holy Spirit at
Pentecost gave them enlightenment, as
Jesus had promised. This being true,
we are not surprised that many have
Inexperienced some of the Masters
dark sayings respecting the cutting off
OF a hand or a foot. the plucking out
of an eye. respecting undying worms
and quenchless fires, and even in re
spect to the text of today.
There are people of fair intelligence
who interpret the Master to mean that
His followers are not to labor as do
the remainder of mankind for the ne
cessities OF life; that they should ex-
pect to be supported by others who do
labor with sweat of face-that they
should be maintained by tithes. col
lections, etc. and toll and spin not at
ALL We believe that such are making
a great mistake. as did the man re-
Gently reported in the press as having
cut off his hand in what he thought
was obedience to the Masters instruc-
ton. We can sympathize with these
errors of judgment, but should avoid
them and seek to have the spirit Of
the Masters teaching, which was al
ways the spirit of sound mind.
In His discourse Jesus had called
the attention of His hearers to the fact
that the Gentiles-the heathen-were
continually thinking about their tenn
poralities and praying about these
what shall we eat? What shall we
drink? Wherewithal shall we be
clothed?" But your Father know
eth what things ye have need of be-
fore We ask Him." Let your worry
something higher and nobler than
merely the necessities of life. Consid-
er that while you were once aliens
and strangers through sin, disobedl-
ence to the Divine Law, you have now
been brought back into accord with
God and are privileged to address Him
in prayer, Our Father, which art in
Heaven"
If we have the faith to believe that
God through Christ has accepted US as
His children, we should as children
trust our Parent in respect to all the
affairs of life-great and small-food
and raiment-everything. But here
comes the important point-the crucial
test Are we the children of God? is
He our Heavenly Father? Has He be-
gotten us of the Holy Spirit? Are our
sins forgiven? Are we reconciled to
God through the death of His Son?
Are we children-'and if children, then
heirs of God and joint-heirs with Je-
sus Christ our Lord?
Upon the answers to these questions
being in the affirmative is the strength
of the basis of all our faith and hope.
If we are not Gods children, if we
have not come in His appointed way,
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 sentence
of death, each doing for himself ac-
cording to his ability in battling
against death, and, like all Gentiles,
giving our chief concern to food, raj
ment and hollow earthly ambitions
knowing not, approaching not. the
higher, the Heavenly, privileges in
Christ.
The Heart of the Lesson.
We perceive then that the lesson is
not for the world in general, except
indirectly. The world, learning that
these words are applicable only to the
consecrated people of God might prop
erly be DESTROYS that they might apply
also to themselves. And if they are
thus DESTROYS of having God for their
Father and His providential care in all
Of their affairs, the lesson to them
would be that they should come into
relationship with God through Christ.
that they should become His children.
in order to enjoy the privileges and
favors which belong to none others at
the present time.
The heart Of the lesson is that the
Heavenly Father is most gracious;
and that His tender mercies are over
all His creatures who are in harmony
with Him. We may be sure that
amongst all the Heavenly host there
is neither hunger nor want, neither
suffering nor pain, nor any disadvan-
tage whatever. Their Heavenly Fa-
Their knoweth what things they need,
and provides bountifully for them.
The Church is to learn this same les
son and to rejoicingly work by faith.
enjoying full confidence and trust in
Him who loved US and bought US with
the precious blood of His Son.
These children of God need not feel
harassed respecting life's experiences
They have a Heavenly Father. and He
knows their needs better than they do,