Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1922-08-03

Illusion we are
deadi We are happy to find that the
Bible holds the same view as to the
reality Of sickness as is held spon-
taneously by common sense.
Paul tells us, too, that his friend
was sick nigh unto DEATH" recognize
Ing the reality of death as well as
that Of sickness. The apostle be-
lieved Christ had abolished death, but
this last enemy Is yet to be de-
stroyed. Paul longed that he might
not be s'unclothed," by dying, but
clothed upon with our house which
Is from heaven" that is, that he
might receive his glorified body by
the appearing Of Christ while he was
still alive III Cor. 5:1-4).
But we are especially struck with
Paul's statement that God had mer-
cy on Epaphroditus. the friend OF
whom he Is speaking. He considered
this mans restoration to health as a
mercy" Yet, we are told In this
same epistle that ITO depart is to be
with Christ, which Is far better"
Il :23). How then could It be q
ENERGY" for his life to be spared?
Recovery From Sickness a Mercy.
There are several answers to this
question. While death would have
brought this saint into the presence
OF his Lord, yet as we have seen,
death In itself is dark passage, even
to the Christian (Jno. 1918; II Cor.
5:4).
Again, when we die, the service Of
this our pilgrimage Is ended. Says
st. Chrysostum: Those Who are de-
parted this life can no longer win
souls"
In this particular instance, there Ia
another prominent aspect of the mat
ter. The Philippians, to whom Paul
was writing, greatly needed Epaph-
roditus. Hence, he shrank from
dying lest they be bereaved Of him.
He considered It mercy" to be kept
out Of heaven Itself, for time, that
others might be blessed!
Not only did Paul feel that God
had mercy on Epaphroditus, in spar
ing his life, but that at the same time
He had had mercy on himself also.
lest he should have sorrow upon sOr-
row." Just as we have seen that
sickness md death are to be regarded
as real, SO now we are authorized to
look upon sorrow as both real and
appropriate.
Paul was no stole, nor are Chris
tians generally hidden to be such.
He regarded his Imprisonment as a
sorrow" True, the things which
had happened unto him, leading to
his being a prisoner at Rome, had
turned out to the furtherance OF the
gospel (1:12). Nevertheless, his
prison was a Sorrow to him. He
did not repine; his epistle to the Phi
lippians, sent from Rome. had as Its
keynote, Rejoice" But he would
have been glad for release, and says:
Il trust in the Lord that also my
self shall come shortly" e pa.
Regarding the prison as Sorrow
he tells us that If Epaphroditus had
died he would have had sorrow upon
sorrow" OF course, he would have
rejoiced over his friends entrance
into the fathers house, but he would
have felt the loneliness and loss of
bereavement. Only, he would not
have sorrowed las others which have
no hope" II Thess. :13).
Not Angels but Folks.
When Father Taylor, the sailor
preacher Of Boston, was dying, some
one sought to comfort him by saying
"You will soon be with the angels"
But he answered at once: Il don't
want angels, want folks" Paul,
with all his spirituality. would doubt
less have approved this robust hui
man sentiment. God created our hu.
manity and would not suppress it, but
rather would be glorif1ed in our bodies
and in our spirits, which are His. He
would miss His "little human praise"
Speaking of our text, the late Bish-
op M0ule said: "Observe the perfect
naturalness Of Paul's language He
abides in the peace of God; he has
strength for all things at, 49,.
But that pedce Is no frost, or torpor,
OF the heart; that strength is not
hardness. He Is released from en-
bitterment and from murmurs, but
every sensibility is refined BY that
very fact. 1t was so with his Lord
before him (John II :33. IS, 38)."
Christ does not forbid our tears
rather, He weeps with us. But He
stands saying: Il am the resurrec-
ton and the life," and, God shall