River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-04-22

either to escape eternal torment or to
gain present advantage. Look where |
we may over the field of Christendom,
we see comparatively few true disci-
pies of Christ, willingly and gladly
walking in His footsteps in the narrow
way Of self-sacrifice and service We
see the vast majority ignorant Of the
Truth and Of the grace Of the Lord
not knowing Jesus as their personal
Savior, not knowing from what they
were redeemed, not knowing to what
they have been called, and not knowing
the trials and difficulties Of this pres
ent time for all the faithful ones.
We see that the fruits of the Spirit
meekness, gentleness, patience, long
suffering, Ioye-possessed by the wheat
class, are not esteemed by the tares.
The tare class is full Of earthly ambi-
lions, schemes and plans; in every
sense Of the word they give evidence
that they are of the earth earthly.
Some Of these tares are fine, noble peo-
pie in many respects; but they have
never consecrated their lives to the
Lords service even unto death; they
have never entered the narrow way,
which alone leads to glory and honor.
Having in mind the numerous brands
of Churchianity and their various con-
ficting doctrines, we cannot wonder
that the Scriptures use the word Baby
| observation-disclosures a name for these
systems as a whole. One can put his
finger with some degree of defniteness
upon the teachings of COnfucius, and
his followers know what they believe;
the same with those Of Buddhists,
| Brahmins, etc, but not SO with Chris
! tians; for their doctrines are legion.
The confusion of doctrines amongst
| the various branches of Churchianity
has brought reproach upon them all.
The heather are iuquiring how it comes
that there are so many kinds of Chris
tians, and how it is that they all get
their conflicting theories out Of the
same Book. This reproach is keenly
felt by the leading minds of all denOm-
| inatiOns. Consequently their creedS are
very generally ignored; but the organ
izations built upon those creeds are
held to most firmly. The systems are
| WOrSnlpeu, anu TIE cEoeuS Iepuuldlcu.
"seven Women In That Day"
We have seen that in Scriptural usage
women symbolic the churches; that
the true Church is represented by
virgin, and the false systems by har-
lots, unfaithful to their espOusals and
associating with the world. (Revela-
ton 1850 Throughout Scripture the
number seven is we'll recognized as
the symbol of completeness. Accord
ingly we assume that in our text it
signifies all the churches of this world,
but does not include the true Church,
which is not of this world and does
not follow it's course.
We have come to the time when these
seven WOmen-all the various sects and
denOmnations-are with one heart feel
ing the reproach of their situation. And
what is their conclusion as to the prop
err course to be pursued? We answer
that it is propheticaIly voiced in our
text. The one Man represents our Lord
the Heavenly Bridegroom. Our text
thus signifies that all the nominal
churches have come, or are about to
come, to the place where they desire to
be called the churches of Christ, but
care to have nothing more to do with
Him. They wish to hold their secta
rian names and at the same time to be
called Christians. The name of Christ
is almost their only asset. For the doc
trines of Christ they care nothing; and
for any thought of redemption and COW
ering of sins through Him they care
nothing. 1t is merely His name that
they desire. I'VE will eat eur own
bread and wear our own apparel; mere
ly let us be called by Thy NAME
Still associated with these various
earthly systems are some members of
the true Church, but they will mot long
remain therein; for one by ,Cne they
are hearing the voice of Truth calling
to them, Come out of her [Babylon],
My people, that We be not partakers of
her sins and receive not of herplagues."
Revelation 1S:4) The more these wO-
men desire to eat their own bread and
to wear apparel of their own furnish
ment tine more the Lords true people
amongst them will awaken to the sit
uation, and find that they have neither
part nor lot there
Attitude of this True Church.
The true Church does not wish TO eat
her own bread; she wants the Bread
that came down from Heaven. She
does not prefer her own schemes, her
own theories, her own plans of saliva
ton, her own methods; she desires that
which God has provided as her daily
portion-"meat in due season" for 1.-THE
Household OF Faith''-tnings new and
old from the Storehouse of Divine
Truth. Neither does the espoused viz
gin of the Lord desire to wear her OWE
apparel; for she has come to under
stand that her own righteousness is as
| filthy rags. isaiah 64:69 More and