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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
the mind, we may surely believe th a t all its faculties are energized and stim u lated to function on a higher plane. The perceptive powers are sharpened, the im agination is more vivid, the memory becomes' retentive and the m ental m a chinery is lubricated so th a t it runs w ith less effort and w ith g reater speed. Conversion means th e renewing of the mind. This means negatively the bring ing of every though t into captivity jto Christ and positively rising into a new m entality which is a by-product of spirituality. The judgm ent is firm and clear. The emotions are purified from evil. The will can act promptly and cling tenaciously to th a t which con science approves. This is brought about by the m ind of Christ superimposed, as it were, upon our own, pervading, con trolling and infilling our whole being. This condition is not induced or secured by the use of any magic formula, or by any course of self-culture or by any effort however agonizing or protracted. “ Let th is m ind be in you which was also in Christ Jesu s.” v. 19. Sought to lay hands on Him. There is a p articu lar woe to them th a t devise iniquity (Mie. 2 :1 ), The more th ere is of wicked w it in the contrivance of a sin, the more COMMENTS FROM there is of wicked MANY SOURCES will in th e com- K eith L. Brooks mission o f i t . —Henry. v. 21. Master, we know. Nothing could exceed th e insidious hypocrisy of th is attack on Jesus. His enemies ap proach Him as a teacher whom they tru st.— F arr. v. 22. ■ Is it law ful fo r u s? The systematic and direct taxation of the country by Rome was an inextinguish able subject of hatred and strife be tween the ru lers and th e ruled. The Jewish law recognized taxes and free gifts only for religious objects, and ac cording to th e rabbis, the very holiness of th e land rested on every field and tree contributing its tithe to th e temple. How, it was asked, could this sacredness be m aintained if a heathen emperor re-
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. Is anything hidden from God’s
eyes? (Prov. 15:3.) (6) How is it possible to give to the Lord? (2 Cor. 8:1-5.) (7) How does God reckon our gifts? (2 Cor. 8:12.) (8) W hat kind of giving does God love? (2 Cor. 9:6-8.) The Herodians and Pharisees com bined to concoct a shrewd and deeply laid scheme to en trap and ruin the Sav iour. How could he escape? If he said trib u te should DEVOTIONAL be paid to Caesar, COMMENT he would alienate By F . W. F a rr ,the people. If he answered . i n t h e negative, he could be arrested for rebel lion. W ithout a moment’s hesitation Jesus exposed th e ir hypocrisy and met the issue w ithout evasion. On every sim ilar occasion, he quietly and in stan tly confounds his enemies, vindi cates th e rig h t and brings th e tru th out into th e light of day. His intellectual battles and victories are quite as won derful as any of his trium ph s in the sp iritual realm . Does he not afford a clear example of what a m ind can con ceive and accomplish when un tain ted by evil thoughts and unfettered by infirm ity? How often are we m istaken in our inferences and inductions! We are caught and entangled in alternatives. We are impaled on th e horns of dilem mas. We are defeated in argum ent and our advocacy seems to weaken the cause we have espoused. Can we claim some so rt of m ental salvation? In what sense may we have the mind of Christ? The man of' science is said to th ink God’s thoughts after him as he studies the book of Nature. How much better it is to have God th ink His thoughts in us! His thoughts are as much higher th an ours as the heavens are higher th an the earth. When the Holy Spirit is allowed to tak e full possession of
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