Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1914-05-07

ly. that they will make their calling and
election sure. They will be wise enough
| to lay aside every weight and beset-
ting sin, and run with patience the
| race set before them. The foolish vir-
| gins are those who. after having given
up the world and having accepted
Christ, will nevertheless try to hold
on to the world, While walking slow.
~ toward the Lord. If this class keep
on in the narrow way at all, they
will eventually be conquerors, vet they
| will not be those more than conquer.
ors' to whom abundant entrance into
the Kingdom will be granted
| These foolish virgins have been all
their lifetime subject to bondage be-
cause of their fear of death of the
flesh-the old nature. They are not
| courageous enough to follow the Lamb
whithersoever He goeth, although they
are loyal, faithful. These, the Pastor
believes. will get the secondary prize.
Instead of being on the Throne with
our Lord. they will be before the
Throne; instead of wearing the crown.
they will have only a palm branch.
When the foolish virgins shall have
passed through the great tribulation
mentioned in Revelation Z. they will be
grand class. But they might be in
the highest class if they were more
jealous. 1t remains with themselves
to make their calling and election sure.
God nominated them, but they fail of
election because they fail to have suffi
cient zeal, love and earnestness to gain
the great prize of joint-heirship with
Christ in the Messianic Kingdom
These different classes. the Pastor
declared, are all one Body at the pres
ent time; for all are called in the one
hope of their calling, and there is no
decision yet as to the two classes. All
who receive the Holy Spirit are one
company now. But at the end of this
Age the great Master will make the d.
vision between the two classes Of vir-
gins-between the wise and the foolish
between the Great Company and the
Little Flock. At the present time, how
ever, all who are begotten Of the Holy
| Spirit belong to the probationary Body
of Christ But after the division shall
have been made. only the Little Flock
will be of the permanent Body of
| Christine Church in glory, clothed
with glory. honor, and Immortality.
Suffering With Christ.
Next the Pastor discussed various
texts which declare that all the follow.
ers of Christ must suffer in the flesh,
even as Jesus suffered. He pointed out
the nature of our Lords sufferings.
who was misunderstood. slandered.
misrepresented, etc. While the follow
ers of Jesus cannot possibly expect to
suffer in all the ways that the Master
suffered. nevertheless they have GIN
liar experiences to His. 1t is mis-
taken idea. the speaker maintained. to
believe that suffering is sign OF Di-
vine displeasure. No Christian thinks
that the Father was displeased with
our Redeemer; on the contrary, rs the
Scriptures say. Jesus was holy. harm
! less and separate from sinners And
yet our Lord suffered much-it pleased
God to bruise Him, to put Him to
grief. to put Him to shame.
The thought is not that the Father
took pleasure In the sufferings of His
Son, but that in the great Divine Plan
1T seemed wisest and best that He
should subject the Son to severe tests
In order that both angels and men.
looking back at Jesus experiences
from Jordan to Calvary, could see that
He was faithful unto death: and in or
der that the reward of Jesus obedi-
ence might be manifest-that all might
see the condition upon which God
gives His choicest blessings. To all
eternity this will be an incentive to
any who may have the opportunity of
serving God; such will know that who
ever renders service to Him and en-
dures suffering for righteousness sake
will have the spirit of glory rest upon
him and will be amply rewarded.
The Pastor then dwelt at length upon
the privilege of suffering with Christ
He quoted Scripture TO demonstrate
that only those who suffer with Christ
shall reign with Him. Those who are
dead with Christ shall live with Him
On the spiritual plane. partakers of His
Z.
All these blessings are conditional
lpon their demonstrating that they are
worthy to be members of His Body.
and are actuated by His spirit. Some
are privileged to suffer more than do
others. In presenting this thought, the
Pastor used the diamond as an llustra-
lion. A large diamond requires much
more polishing than does small dia-
mond; yet Il large diamond is worthy of
much polishing. Our Lord and st. Paul
were large diamonds. Therefore they
were subjected to much atfliction,
much difficulty, in order that they
might show forth more fully the
praises of Him who called them to His
marvellous glory.
The Pastor concluded his discourse
by calling attention to the wonderful
blessings and privileges that are COM
ng to the world today and to the in
creased knowledge and light upon all
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