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The Fundamentals to take at once the place of rejection with Christ, who has been cast out of this age and all of its affairs and enterprises, the rulers (or leaders) of this age having crucified the Lord of Glory (1 Cor. 2 :8). He showed us that Christ had given Himself for our sins for the express purpose “that He might deliver us from this present evil age” (Gal. 1:4) ; and that His will for the redeemed of this age is that they should go forth “unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach” (Heb. 13:13). The camp is, superficially at least, an attractive place, full of gaiety and revelry, with every possible device to delight the eye and gratify the mind of the flesh. By keeping the bright things#as much as possible in evidence, and pushing the wretchedness, suffering and misery into the background, the camp manages to keep up appearances, particularly as its occupants are quite willing to be deceived, and are pretty well agreed that it is the duty of every dweller therein to be an “optimist.” Having led the Christ of God outside the gate, and put Him to death, the leaders of this “present evil age” have devoted their great talents and energies, under the superb direction and management of the “god of this age,” to the one object of making such “progress,” and developing such a glori ous “civilization,” as will demonstrate that the world has no need of Christ. In carrying out this great undertaking the “leaders of this age” are sufficiently astute to provide a place inside the camp even for those “who profess and call them selves Christians,” making them welcome in the world, and even giving them positions of prominence therein, upon the single easy condition that they will accept the age’s gospel of progress, and subscribe heartily to the doctrine that “the world is getting better every day.” This condition the aforesaid “Christians” are for the greater part quite ready, not only to accept, but even to make it an article of religion, chang ing the Scriptures so far as necessary to that end.
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