The Mena weekly star., 1916-04-27

to lay hold upon the hope set before us; which hope we have as an anchor of the soul. both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil"
 The Apostles words intimate that there is but one hope set before the Church-the hope presented in the Cos pei of Christ, the Pastor began. It is very important, then. that as Chris tians we understand what that hope Is Once we had such confused ideas re. specting our Heavenly Father and His Plan that many of us supposed that it was a hope set before a few and threat set before everybody else-a threat of endless torment How we misunderstood the God of All Grace and the Father of Mercies" Now we see that there is n glorious hope for all who learn to love righteousness and hate iniquity, although the worlds hope is not the Christians hope
 The Hope-Reisnine With Christ.
 The hope set before the Church is the hope of reigning with Christ. as His Joint-heirs. His Bride. the hope of attaining the Divine nature. (Romans S:17: 1 John 3;2; Peter 1:4.) This hope has been held out in advance of the worlds hope. in which the Church has no part The first intimation of the Church's hope was given to Abra. ham-the intimation that God could raise up a class that would roll away the curse of death from Adams race The Almighty Himself had placed the condemnation of death upon the world, had judged that man was unworthy of everlasting life. Two thousand years after He had pronounced the curse upon Adam, the Eternal declared that families of the earth. It required great faith on Abraham's part to be lieve this Promise But he believed that in some manner God would roll away the curse.-Genesis 12:3; Rom. 4:3. And now, four thousand years after Abrahams time, this Promise has not yet been fulfilled. God promised Abra- ham that through his Seed the whole world should be blessed. That Seed, the Apostle Paul assures us, is Christ and Ills Church. The hope of being this Seed is the hope referred to in our text Galatians 36-S. IS, %.
 Our Anchor Sure and Steadfast. God showed that there are to be two seeds of Abraham; for He said, Thy seed shall be III as the stars of Heav- en, and [2l as the sands of the sea shore" Genesis 22:15-1S) Here are two seeds mentioned, though the Heav- enly was to be the Seed of Blessing In due time God gave His Law to the Israelites, with the understanding that if they could not keep that Law. they could not be proper teachers and bless CTS of the world Moses read the Law to them at Sinai; and the people an swered, "All that the Lord hath spo- ken we will do. Exodus 19:1-S
 God designed that the whole world should learn that no fallen human be- ing could keep the letter of His Law; for 1t is the measure of a perfect mans ability. But He dealt with the Israelites as if they could do so. Year after year they tried in vain to keep the Law; hence they failed to be the Seed that was to bless the world. God was merely teaching them, and all of His intelligent creatures. that it is i'm possible for sinners to justify them selves in His sight.-Romans 3:20.
 Then fin due time God sent forth His Son. the Logos. to become human being and accomplish great work for mankind Jesus was born son of Abraham, through the Virgin Mary He kept the Jewish Law and proved Himself worthy to be Messiah. the Seed of Blessing He died Core sponding-price for Adam He redeem ed the race. He became qualified for the great work of the worlds deliver ance But first He is delivering the Church. Before the Church God has set the great hope of constituting with Jesus the Spiritual Seed of Abraham. which is to bless the world If we let go of this anchor of hope. we shall make shipwreck of our faith.
 The remainder of the sermon was devoted to the present outlook The Pastor showed that the European war i0 merely the beginning of the trouble to which our Lord referred when He said, Except those days be shortened. there should be no flesh saved" Mat thew 24.21, 22.) The worlds only hope is in Messiah's Kingdom, shortly to Dc established upon the ruins of the Old