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th a t is, the way in which the risen Saviour puts honor upon the written Word. He rebuked the two travellers for their slowness of heart to believe the Scriptures. “And beginning a t Moses and all the prophets, He ex pounded unto them in all the Scrip tu re s the things concerning Himself.” So also in His interview with the eleven and the rest a t Jerusalem. No sooner had He satisfied them as to His identity than He sought to conduct their souls to the same divine author ity—th e Holy Scriptures. “And He said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, th a t all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me, Then opened He their understanding, that they might under stand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from th e dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning a t Jerusalem.” ' All this is of the deepest possible im portance a t the present moment. We feel persuaded th a t professing Chris tians everywhere need to have their hearts stirred up in reference to the paramount claims of the word of. God, its absolute authority over the con science, its formative power, its com plete sway over the entire course, char acter and conduct. Yes, dearly beloved Christian reader, “It is w ritten” was a favorite sentence with our divine Master and Lord. He ever obeyed the Word. He yielded a hearty and unqualified submission to its holy authority in all things. He lived on it and by it from first to last. He walked according to it and never acted without it. He did not reason or question, imply or infer, He did not
add or diminish or qualify in any way —He obeyed. Yes; He, the eternal Son of the Father—Hijnself God over all, blessed for ever, having become a man, lived on the Holy Scriptures and walked by their rule continually. He made them the food of His soul, the material and the basis of 'His mar velous ministry—the divine authority of His perfect path. In all this He was our great Ex emplar. Oh, may we follow His blessed footsteps! May we bring ourselves, our ways; bur habits, our associations, our surroundings, to the test of Holy Scripture and reject with whole-hearted decision everything, no matter what or by whom propounded, that will not bear that searching light. RESURRECTION POWER “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection” (Phil. 3:10). What the world needs is not only the preached truth, but power; the gospel incarnate in human life; the gospel winged, electric, dynamic, transform ing. We have had much speaking about - God and His #will. Evangelism calls for “real doings with God” in bringing His saving grace to men. Our service must be a sacrament—th e real presence of Christ and the power of the Cross through th e Church. The Church must not be a corps of workers^ merely, but a “ communion of saints.” The first call' is “To your knees,” with the personal cry: “Oh, that I may ltnow Him and the power of His resur rection!” And it is not easy to pray. It is easy to say prayers, but to be pray-ers, to answer our own petitions —this means even to crucify self; to bring anxiety and burden ahd even wrestling into one’s life, rather than the easy-going ways of formal worship and service.—Wilbur Thirkield.
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