River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1922-11-23

ssG$SSA !. MM some of the illu-
&$$S|S& HAsA >%#S# sion called food
S T ~ sM#m we shall have the
illusion we are
! dead We are happy to find that the
Bible holds the same view as 10 the
reality of sickness as is held spoh-
taneously by common sense.
Paul tells us, too, that his friend
was sick nigh unto death" recogniz-
ing the reality of death as well as
that of sickness. The apostle be-
leved Christ had abolished death, but
this last enemy is yet to be de-
stroyed. Paul longed that he might
not be "unclothed," by dying, but
clothed upon with our house when
is from heaven" that is, that he
might receive his glorified body by
the appearing of Christ while he was
still alive I'll Cor. 5:14).
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
q :23). How then could 1t be a
mercy" for his life to be spared?
Recovery From Sickness 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. 12:1S; II Cor
$40.
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 is
another prominent aspect of the mat
ter. The Philippe; rs, to whom Paul
was writing, greatly needed Epaph-
roditus Hence, he shrank from
dying lest they be bereaved of him.
He considered 1t ''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 nd 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
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 dip. Nevertheless, his
prison was a sorrow" to him. He
did not repine; his epistle to the Phi
lppians, sent from Rome, had as its
keynote, Rejoice" But he would
have been glad for release, and says:
81 trust I'm the Lord that l also my
self shall come shortly" & :24).
Regarding the prison as sorrow"
he tells us that .if Epaphrodltus had
died he would have had sorrow upon
sorrow" OF course, he would have
reioiced 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 "as others which have
40 bnpoo IT Tbocc IN
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: II don't
want angels, | want folks" Paul,
with all his spirituality, would doubt
less have approved this robust hui
| man sentiment. God created cur hu-
mainly and would not suppress ii, but
rather would be glorified in our bodies
and in our spirits, which are His He
would miss His little human praise.
Speaking of our text, the late Bish-
Cd Moule said: "Observe the perfect
naturalness of Paul's language. He
abides in the peace of Cod; he has
strength for all things (4:7, 49,.
| But that peace 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, 35, 49,"
Christ does not forbid our tears
rather, He weeps with us. But He
stands saying: II am the resurrec-
ton and the life" and. God shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes.