The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-05-12

accepts into this Body and who has,
through conservation. received the be-
getting of the Holy Spirit.
The Glorified Body of Christ.
The Spirit-begotten Body of Christ
the Pastor thinks. Will not be alto
gether the Body of Christ in glory
He believes that some who are now
on probation will prove to be I'M
worthy to be members in that glorious
Body. Only those who, after having
heen begotten of the Holy Spirit, shall
press faithfully on to the end Of their
course, will become the real kings and
priests of the future. He then ex-
planned why some will fail to make
their calling and election sure to per-
manent membership in the Body of
Christ These. he declared, will be of
two classes. One class who fail to
make their calling and election sure
to membership in the glorified Body of
Christ are those who turn away from
the holy commandment, who return to
wallowing In the mire of sin. For this
class, ST. Peter says, there remains
only the blackness of darkness
Second Death. e Peter PIT. 81, 22.)
These have had all their share of the
blessings and have misused them; ana
so there is nothing further for them In
Gods Plan
The other class who also fail to
reach the goal of membership In the
glorifled Body of Christ are those who
have neither denied the Lord that
bought them nor returned to wallow-
ing in the mire of sin, but who have
lacked zeal. These have failed to per
severe so faithfully In the narrow way
that the Father could count them cop
les of His Son Jesus and receive them
to the Heavenly Throne and glory
These are variously pictured in the
Bible In one of our Lords parallels
they are designated foolish virgins"
The Pastor then explained briefly the
import of this parable. The word vir-
gin means pure one The entire Church
of Christ is pure. The wise virgins are
those of the Church who will use pres
fnt opportunities and blessings 50 wise
~ 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
ly toward the Lord If this class keep
on In the narrow way at all; they
will eventually be conquerors, yet 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
fesh-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 palm branch.
When the foolish virgins shall have
passed through the great tribulation
mentioned In Revelation T. they will be
a 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 suff1-
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 di-
vision between the two classes of vir-
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
Christ-the Church In glory, clothed
with glory, honor, and immortality.
Suffering With Christ.
Next the Pastor discussed various
exits which declare that all the follow
ars of Christ must suffer in the flesh.
even as Jesus suffered He pointed out
The nature of our Lords sufferings,
who was misunderstood, slandered.
etc. While the follow
srs of Jesus cannot possibly expect to
suffer In all the ways that the Master
suffered. nevertheless they have sim
lar experiences to His. 1t is a mis-
aiken idea. the speaker maintained to
believe that suffering is sign Of Di-
line displeasure No Christian thinks
hat the Father was displeased with
our Redeemer; on the contrary. as the
scriptures say, Jesus was holy. harm
ess and separate from sinners. And
ret our Lord suffered much-it pleased
iod to bruise Him, to put Him to
yrief. to put Him to shame.
The thought is not that the Father
Ook pleasure in the sufferings of His
son, but that in the great Divine Plan
t seemed wisest and best that He
hnr1ld cnhiaat fha Con 70 s,ax-oro 4,e,4,
n order that both angels and men.
ooking back at Jesus experiences
rom Jordan to Calvary, could see that
lie was faithful unto death; and in or
Ter that the reward of Jesus obedi
nee might he manifest that all might
ee the condition upon which God
ives His choicest blessings To all
'ternity this viii be an incentive to
my who may have the opportunity of
CRYING God; such will know that who
ver renders service to Him and en-
lures suffering for righteousness sake |
viii have the spirit of glory rest upon
lim and will be amply rewarded.
The Pastor then dweIt at length upon |
he privilege of suffering with Christ. !
lie quoted Scripture to demonstrate
hat only those who suffer with Christ /
hall reign with Him. These who are |!
cad with Christ shall live with Him !
n the spiritual plane, partakers of His |
Divine nature sharers of His glory. |
Ill these blessings are conditional |
pom their demonstrating that they are |
worthy to be members Of His Body, |
nd are actuated by His spirit. Some |,
re privileged to suffer more than do |
theirs. In presenting this thought, the
'astor used the diamond as an illustra-
lon. A large diamond requires much |
lore polishing than does small dia- /