The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1916-02-11

whose light and warmth we need In
dark days. A realization of the love
of God will keep us from both dis
enlargement and apostasy.
But the Spirit Of God is even more
explicit and gives three directions
which, If followed, will enable us to
keep ourselves in the love of God.
First, we are to build up ourselves
on our most holy faith. John Wesley
used to warn his preachers that they
would not grow in grace unless they
grew in knowledge. We may add that
many stray from the faith because so
poorly instructed in it's contents.
They seem willing to trust their own
powers in the conflict with Satan,
whereas our Lord himself was content
to meet the assaults Of the devil with,
1T is written"
An excellent illustration of obedi-
ence to the direction of the text Is
found in the life Of Charlotte Eliza
beth, who lived in the days of the Irv-
ingite movement. She heard of mar
velous healings and gifts" including
the gift of tongues, and was very de-
sirous OF taking proper attitude in
the matter. She felt that a few scat
tered texts were not enough, but that
she should read the Bible in a con-
nected way for light. So, one night.
after earnest prayer for guidance, she
sat on the side of her bed, and, begin
ming at Matthew, read straight on till
she had gone through the seventh
chapter of Revelation, completing the
New Testament next morning. She
saw that miracles may even be Of Sa-
tanic origin and that they will charac-
terize some things to be avoided in
the last days. The prominence given
to women in the Irvingite movement
she saw to be unscriptural, and her
judgment on the matter was confirmed
shortly afterwards when she found
that heresy as to the nature of Christ
was being taught We tremble to
think Of the easy prey found by Satan
among Christians because of lack Of
such building up of themselves on
their most holy faith.
Next, we are instructed to pray In
the Holy Ghost. We are familiar with
the fact that the Holy Ghost prays in
us, but the thought of the text Is not
so common. It represents the Holy
Ghost, so to speak, as the atmosphere
in which the Christian lives and
breathes out his petitions.
Finally, we are to be looking for
the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ"
We shall need mercy when he comes,
and looking for his coming is means
OF safety. While such an attitude Of
expectancy was common in the early
church, it has unhappily become rath-
er rare in modern times. Yet It APP
pears on the very surface Of the New
Testament as the normal attitude OF
Christians. A missionary who had
spent fourteen years in China stated
that all the native Christians in her
district were looking for the coming
OF the Lord. She went on to explain
that this was not the result so much
of specific instructions on this point,
but because they had no book on doc
trine save the New Testament, and
they found this truth for themselves
as q commonplace of apostolic teach
ing.
Jude speaks of false teachers who
ran greedily after the error of
Baalam for reward. Looking for the
Lord Is a cure for the greed which
has led some into the ways of apos-
tasy. John Wilkinson, the founder of
the Mildmay Mission for the Jews,
was once approached at a railway sta
ton by two women who had heard
him speak. They placed in his hands
large sum of money and one of them
explained that God had intrusted to
them of this worlds goods and they
were anxious to prove good stewards
lest the Lord at his coming should
find his wealth in their hands unused.
So, in many directions, looking for the
coming Of the Lord is a safeguard
against falling from the faith.
Verse 1 of this epistle speaks
of our being preserved in Jesus
Christ" or, as the Revised Version
renders 1t, kept for Jesus Christ"
We do not wonder that Jude closes
with a confident doxology, Nov unto
him that is able to keep you from
falling Tor. stumbling), and to present
you faultless before the presence of
his glory with exceeding Joy, to the
only wise God, our Savior, be glory
and majesty. dominion and power.
both now and ever. Amen"