THE KING’S BUSINESS
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these with their prayers and personal con versations. It was not alone in preaching to large companies that Mr. Burns engaged at this time. On the way to and from the preach ing place he was ever on the alert to seize an opportunity for “a word in season”— on the boat, by the wayside, at a farm house door, or wherever it might be. With his fellow ministers he spent whole nights in prayer to God, even though the day had been crowded with work— for he usually preached twice and sometimes
oftener. On ttiore than one occasion the awakened remained in the church until far into the morning to be talked to and prayed with by these earnest fishers o f men. A spirit o f deep, intense earnestness, rather than a spirit o f unhealthy excitement per vaded the whole movement, though there were some instances o f peculiar physical manifestations which, however, were not encouraged by the leaders. In our next article we' shall relate what took place in St. Peter’s, Dundee, when Mr. Burns resumed his ministry there.
(T o be continued). O
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Will Romans 9:3 bear this translation: "For I myself did wish a curse from Christ fo r my brethren’s sake, my kinsmen accord ing to the flesh.” Explaining when Paul wished this curse from Christ, one is referred back to Matthew 27 : 25 : "His blood be on us and on our children.” This would make Paul out as one of the Jews who helped to convict Jesus. It would also help explain 1 Cor. 9 : 1 : "Have not I seen Jesus our Lord?” No. Both the translation and the expla nation o f the meaning o f the wörds thus translated are impossible: first, because of thè tense o f the verb used, and second, because o f the word “ for” with which the verse begins, and the context. The word “ for” connects the verse closely with the verse that precedes verse 3, giving the reason or explanation o f verse 2. It was because o f his great sorrow and unceasing pain in hiß heart for Israel that Paul was wishing, or could wish that he himself was “anathema from Christ” for their sake. This certainly would not apply to those who in Matt. 27:25 said i“His blood be on
us and on our children.” This whole inter pretation is both impossible -and fantastic. The meaning o f the word is plain and sim ple enough. In his desire for the salvation o f his people he was wishing that he might take fheir place o f a curse that they might take his place o f blessing. As to 1 Cor. 9:1, no help is needed in explaining this verse. Paul saw the Lord on the way to Damascus. Is it correct to say that the child of God never receives any punishment, I. e., that Jesus Christ has received the punishment due 'him in his stead; hence God cannot be just and exact punishment twice—once from the Saviour% and once from the sinner who has been saved from sin? I f God never punishes His own child, how are chastise ments explained? Are chastisement and punishment identical in meaning? Jesus Christ bore the believer’s sins in His own body on the cross (Isa. 53 :6). He redeemed us from the curse o f the broken law o f God by becoming a curse in our stead (Gal. 3:10, 13).
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