The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1914-07-31


found in the text, are very significant.
Gas my Father hath sent me, even SO
send l you" 1t is not for us to ex-
anime into the counsels Of eternity,
but we know there was purpose in
the sending of Jesus Christ to this
earth on the part of the father, and a
willingness to perform that mission
by the Son, who said: II am come to
do thy will, o God" There are three
phases of the mission of Jesus Christ
that may help the Christian to under
stand what his mission is.
1. Jesus was sent to exemplify per-
fectly holy life. We may indeed say
that God wanted to show the world
that there could be perfect life in
one wearing the human body. Jesus
asked in his great microscopy prayer
that his disciples might be sanctified
through the truth, that is, made holy.
While we cannot get along without
the atonement of Jesus Christ by
death, we cannot get on without this
holy life. Jesus challenged his enc
mics to charge him with any sin. and
their testimony is on record, that
they could find no fault with him. The
moral glory of Jesus Christ Is one OF
the best testimonies to the genuine
ness of his mission.
The mission of his disciples is like
wise to exemplify holiness. 1t must
not be negative only. the avoiding OF
evil, but it must be positive, and will
come out in making the Word Of God
the guide of life, in prayer, In medlta'
ton and in correct outward deport-
ment according to Gods law.
2. The mission of Jesus Christ was
also that of saving. 1t is true that
we may think of Christ as saving us
by dying for US on the cross, thus
making substitutionary sacrifice, but
it must not be forgotten that while
he was upon earth he was soul-w1n-
uer. He did not seem to be success
full in his popular preaching. He gath
cred his disciples one by one; he won
the woman of Samaria, Zaccheus and
Bart4meus. He sought the people,
sin. His disciples in these days must
remember that this work of saving is,
in sense, their chief mission. If the
church would arise in its mission, the
entire world of mankind would soon
be brought into submission to Jesus
Christ. Yet, not possibly one out OF
ten is a recognized soul-saver. We
might ask in establishment, Why Is
this, as the burden of responsibility In
this text rests on Christians, and the
promises of success are abundant? j,
3. Jesus Christ was sent to suffer In
the flesh, so are his disciples. We can
never think of Jesus Christ as hilari-
GUS or lackadaisical, but as sorrowful,
burdened with the sins of the entire
world. He was poor, and did not know
where to lay his head, had not honor
in his own country, was despised and
rejected of men, He worked 1nces-
sanity, though hungry and thirsty and
weary, and at last IN early life was
cruelty put to death.
His disciples are also to suffer, yet
most of them seek their own ease, and
congratulate themselves that they are
escaping poverty, hunger, and oppo-
sition of men. Jesus Christ was not.
as John the Baptist, clothed with
camePs hair, and otherwise denizen
of the wilderness, but in the midst OF
civilization he did not take advantage
of it's conveniences and luxuries.
Would not the suffering that his dis
ciples today should endure by willing
poverty, soon give the gospel to every
SHINING man upon the face OF the
earth. and thus hasten the coming OF
the Lord? Sometimes we are called
to suffer pain and sickness, not con-
nected with our work. May this not
be Gods method of purifying us? How
few there are upon this earth that
would be worthy of walking in the fur
mace of suffering with the son of God,
the fourth one in the fire! Christians
now are groveling, they are living on
the limits of their privileges. why
should they not rise to the higher lev
els of privilege and experience? The
answer to this question might be that
thew are not willing to live the life
that Christ lived, receiving the ap-
nroyal of God; they are not willing to
give themselves to soul-saving, and
not willing to suffer for his sake.