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27 money, building churches, and sta tisti cal columns are to stand as evidences of real church prosperity, th en the world has a strong lodgment, and Satan has gained his end. Another scheme of Satan is to elim inate from th e Church- all th e lowly self-denying ordinances which are of fensive to unsanctified tastes and unre- generate h earts, and reduce th e Church to a mere hum an in stitu tion , popular,' n atu ral, fleshly and pleasing. Satan h as no scheme more fearfully destructive and which can more th o r oughly thw art God’s high and holy purposes, th a n to tran sfo rm God’s Church and make it a hum an in stitu tion according to m an’s views. God’s rig h t arm 'is thereby paralyzed, th e body of Christ has become th e body of Satan, ligh t tu rn ed into darkness and life into deafh. , Men who sit in apostolic seats often th rough a marvellous blindness, some times th rough a false attachm ent to w hat they deem tru th , and for what they consider the honor of Christ, are found trying to elim inate from th e sys tem of Christ those painful, offensive, unpopular, and self-denying featu res to which it owes all its saving efficacy and beauty and power and which stamp it as divine. They say th a t a creedless church | | and a creedless personality make | 1; for liberality and self-expression. § | The tru th is th e creedless church Sj|; | is a spineless church, a jelly-fish j § church. It is never fighting hum an j | misery, it never produces g reat |- | m issionaries, nor develops in its | ; | members people of convictions so j ! ' strong th a t they are w illing if § l i t need be to die for them .—A , Z. '¡: - Conrad. ' § CREEDIiESS CHtlRCH - .. -|jg .§.
THE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S ality. T rue streng th lies in th e vital godliness of th e people. The aggregate of th e personal holiness of the members of each church is the only tru e measure of its strength. Any o ther te st offends God, dishonors Christ, grieves th e Holy Spirit, and degrades religion. A church can often make the fairest I and best showing of m aterial strength when death in its deadliest form is feeding on its vitals. There can scarce ly be a more damaging delusion th an to judge of the condition of th e Church by it§ m aterial exhibits or churchly ac tivity. Spiritual barrenness and ro t tenness in th e Church are generally hidden by a fair exterior and an obtru sive parade of leaves and an exotic growth. A sp iritual church converts ! souls from sin soundly, clearly and fully, and puts them on th e stretch for perfect ho lin ess,,, and those who are strain ing to get it, to keep it, and to a d d 'to it. This spirituality is not a by-play, not to be kep t in a corner of th e Church, not its dress fo r holiday or parade days, bu t it is its chief and only business, if God’s Church is not doing th is work of converting sinners to holiness and perfecting saints in holiness, wherever and whenever th is work is not blazing and conspicuous, wherever and when ever th is w o rk becomes secondary, or other in terests are held to be its equiv alent, then th e Church has become worldly. W herever and whenever th e m aterial in terests are emphasized till they come into prominence,' th en the world comes to th e throne and sways the sceptre of Satan. There is no read ier and su rer way to make th e Church worldly th an to pu t its m aterial pros perity to the front, and no surer, read ier way to put Satan in charge. It is an easy m atter for the assessments to be come of first moment by emphasizing them till a sentim ent is created th a t these are paramount. When collecting
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EDITION GOSPEL OF JOHN. (Page 101)
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