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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
Spirit, shall render th e service of prayer and praise forever. W ill you no t be persuaded th a t in th is faith is a blessing unspeakable for you, and, through God’s promises, for your children a fte r you? Can you deny th a t th is faith is w hat th e Scriptures re veal? Can you deny th a t it is in th is common faith th a t th e Christian Church has lived and grown? Can you deny, th a t something in you, quite beyond the operations and explanations of your mind, speaks in a voice of pleading power, and says, “This is the* way, walk ye in it? ” , Could all preconceptions and prejudices die in you th is hour, would no t th is harmonious and satisfy ing cluster of holy tru th s rise in clear ness and com fort on your w aiting up lifted eyes? Wk H | THE WILY WORLD As you love your souls, beware of the world; it has slain its thousands and ten thousands. W hat ruined Lot’s wife?— th e world. W hat ruined Achan?— th e world. W hat ruined Haman?— the world. W hat ruined Jud as?— th e world. W h at ruined Simon Magus?— the world. W hat ruined Demas?— th e world. And “what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own sou l?” Us K EEP THE COLORS FLYING A young Christian soldier in th e late w ar was often assaulted by his ten t- m ates while a t prayer a t night. He sought advice of his chaplain, and by his counsel, om itted his usual habit. His ard en t h e a rt could no t endure this. He chose ra th e r to have prayer w ith persecution th a n peace w ithout it, and resumed his old way. The resu lt was, th a t, afte r a time, all his ten or twelve tent-companions kn elt in prayer w ith him. In reporting to his chaplain, he said, “ Isn ’t it b etter to keep th e colors flying?”
es and corruption clean away? That is th e practical side of the second a rti cle of the Christian Creed,— faith in God th e Son who h ath redeemed us. Does your spirit, failing often to fol low th is divine Master, coming sho rt of its due service to Him, to rn w ith doubt, darkened w ith bereavem ent and afflic tion, long for some present, inw ard sign and assurance th a t th is Maker and th is Saviour, unseen in heaven, have not for gotten or forsaken it, b u t love and pity it still? T h at is th e practical side of the th ird article of th e Christian Creed, — faith in God th e Holy Ghost, proceed ing from the F a th e r and th e Son, who sanctifieth and com forteth us. Now here, in simple words, answering to real desires in loving and suffering breasts, are th e practical p a rts of th a t gracious and glorious doctrine of our gospel, th e T riun ity of God. On th a t three-fold stock, and ou t from it, have grown, and will grow, th e beautiful and blessed fru its of holiness: no t worldly righteousness; no t a m orality which term inates in earth ly relations and motives ; b u t the spiritual, disinterest ed, sanctified righteousness which is of Christ. And when so much of the Crded is alive w ithin you, you will be ready, please God, to go on and find unexpected treasu res of light, rich and encouraging, in th e rem ainder of it: faith in “ the Holy Catholic Church,” no t scattered, fragm entary, solitary groups of individual believers,but one visible bpdy of th is indwelling Christ; faith “ in th e communion of sain ts,” be gun in th is Church visible, and fulfilled in th e sinless Church trium p h an t; faith in “ th e forgiveness of sins” Which cling yet to our imperfect lives; faith in “the resu rrection of th e body,” th a t this outer tabernacle may share in the re demption and rejoice in th e world to come; faith in “ the life everlasting,” where th e children of the resurrection, sons and daughters of the F ath e r, re deemed by Christ, sanctified by the
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