The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-11-16

siSoe % tho product Of the perfect
work OF patience III our souls?
T6xt IndlCatns . Process
A. already Indicated shove, the han
guago Of the apostle here seems to In
dictate =. process rather than = single
than 1unsrva-tike hpspringing Of
the spiritual manhood into fp1lness
and completeness The exhortation
ito let patience have her perfect
work" rather indicates such shap-
ing Of the life ~ the marble under
goes ct the hands Of the sculptor. or
40 the tapestry II subjected to In the
loom Of the artist-weAvef while in
process Of making. They both hold
In them the perfect ideal Of Tho
artise and yet II Ii only by the most
patient and carefully persistent ef-
fort that they are brought to their
beautiful works Of art.
Thus. the plastic character Of man
has to be touched here . little and
there Z little by the master hand Of
God 70 bring Il to that perfectnees
whore Il begins to reflect the work
ana image Of tts Divine Author. and
TO show with any degree Of complete
neGs the marvellous transformation OF
grace
N0G0 Nc NO OUnuCt.
Nor need ther be any .confiict IN
experience. Whether one believes that
We come into Christian completeness
BY = single act OF faith. and BY an
instantaneous work Of grace. or
whether he regards It's as the steady
progression Of the soul toward q great
ideal Of life, certainly 1t II true that
no life canbe complete until its final
chapter 10 written and its record 10
closed. 90 there h a very real me-
csssity In every life for tho perfect
work Of patience. and a very real
sense In which every soul must pro-
Bress In the virtues and graces OF re-
ligion II 1t is ever to realize the full
ness Of God. and be perfect and en-
tire. wanting nothing"
A brief examination OF the word
patience as employed here by the "a
cred writer may help US to . better
understanding of the content Of the
complete life outlined here by the
apostle. Patience as here used indi-
Gates gentleness. fortitude. courage.
forbearance, perseverance,. hope. In
deed almost the whole category of
Christian graces and virtues are most
intimately suggested by II. Almost ev-
erything that essentially touches the
formation OF the highest and most ex-
allied type OF Christian character il
involved in It: and its constant pres
ence and practice In the life leads
with inevitable precision to the attain
ment of those more blessed experi-
ences in which one Ia led to continual
fellowship and communion with God.
II. wish to inquire In the second
place as 10 the process through which
ere msaet pass to eeFfae iHt, this bless
ed life in Christ?
Regeneration Necessary Precedent
l. First Of all. ! should not hesitate
to affirm that Il must be preceded by
the recreation of the fallen nature by
the regenerating grace of God. Christ
declared to Nicodemus In words that
are shorn Of all uncertainty that there
10 no entry into the kingdom OF God
except by the gateway OF the new
birth. St Paul with equal emphasis
declares that II any man be in Christ
he 10 new creature. So great and
20 radically revolutionary IL the
change wrought BY this divine expe-
rtsnce that st. Paul Afiirms that old
things have passed away. and that
they (the old things themselves) have
become now.
It would appear that the apostle
desired to lay all possible emphasis
upon this ~ the perpetual miracle of
Christianity. To give TO 1t . position
OF primAcy and fuliness that no other
grace supply Ii was the great and
radical change In the relationship Of
grace to God-the new creation. o.:
the recreation of his spiritual life.
Thus with the dictum OF the Master
Himself rs to the necessity Of the new
birth. and the tremendous emphasis
placed upon It by Paul. by the very
Logic OF circumstances the new birth
stands out clearly as the primal Chris
tian experience. and a. the foundation
upon which all other developments of
the Christian life must rest
ReEeneratien Thorough.
This being the case. one would nRtu-
rally conclude that this work of God IN
the soul would be thorough and COM
plete In it's character. 1t is NO par
ttAl- claAnAtnE- Of the soul that IL az
fects. nor In complete change of ma
turs that II brings about. The roots
OF bitterness''--The Old Adam"-or
by whatever term the old sinful may
be described are alt removed by this
miracle OF grace. It starts man in a
new caresr-not as partially
cleansed. nor hAlf-renewed being. but
az = new creature In Christ Jesus."
This 10 the view Of Christ and His
apostles throughout tho New Testa-
ment Scriptures
1t would be impossible therefore to
over-emphasixe the work OF regenera-
ton as the primal work OF grace in
the soul. and As the only radical change
In our Relationship to God which can
possibly take place: for whatever
other experiences may OCCUR they
stand related to this az does the super
structure to the foundation. 1t 10 the
germ Of life. In this grace. tho soul
finds itself, and 10 born unto God and
goodness In 1t Che spiritual man
ands new point OF departure. and
begins new record. Fhrcugh Il there
comes into life . new conception Of
its duties and responsibilities. and
there dawns upon the soul that vision
OF God that puriflss and clsansss the
heart. ana Ellis the lifs With fulness
Of 10Y.
Il weu3A BE- imDaasfAls tor ne 70
reduce to tesgas the splsnAer and Mage
nftude Of tAls new litA LAnguaeo
even In the lips % e1r Divine Lord,
was too poverty-qkfiekea - attempt :
ds0nition Of thi1 eraeieus experienes.
The wind bleweth whore u liststh.
and thou Nearest the sound thereof, but
can6t NOT tell whence Il cometh nor
whittier Il gosth. - 10 every one that
ID born Of the Spirit" More than this
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