S C R I B N E R ' S M A G A Z I N E Important ... - Rparchives.org
S C R I B N E R ' S M A G A Z I N E Important ... - Rparchives.org
S C R I B N E R ' S M A G A Z I N E Important ... - Rparchives.org
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THE CHRISTIAN NATION.<br />
Vol. 59.<br />
t i P l T O R I A L<br />
NEW YORK, AUG. 13, 1913.<br />
RECEIVING THE WORD.<br />
Those that were converted on the day of<br />
Pentecost by the preaching of Peter are said<br />
to have received his word, an expression that<br />
describes the action of faith on the part of<br />
believers. Faith is so important, so fundamental,<br />
in the Christian life that every phrase<br />
that is used by •^he Spirit of God in a parallel<br />
text is worthy of our attention.<br />
Faith is said by Witsius tO' be the receiving<br />
grace as love is the giving grace. We<br />
see herein how love is greater than faith because<br />
it is more blessed to give than to receive,<br />
but nevertheless, faith is a great grace,<br />
particularly when we are receiving from<br />
God. Faith evidently comes before grace,<br />
for we have nothing that we have not received<br />
and we must receive before we can<br />
give.<br />
The word here spoken of as being received<br />
is the word spoken by Peter, the message<br />
from God that he delivered. These men had<br />
listened to it with great attention. They had<br />
received it in the outward ear. Then they<br />
had understood what it meant; that Jesus of<br />
Nazareth, whom they had known, who had<br />
been approved of God by many mighty<br />
works, works that no mere man had ever<br />
done or could do; that he had been delivered<br />
into the hands of their rulers and crucified;<br />
that he had risen according to the Scripture<br />
and now had sent his Spirit. They were acquainted<br />
with the Scriptures and believed<br />
them. In fact these people were well trained<br />
members of the Jewish church, nlembers so<br />
interested in their faith that they had come<br />
to Jerusalem, many of them from a distance,<br />
to keep the feast of Pentecost. They were<br />
"devout Jews" who now heard ithe message<br />
of an apostle concerning the Messiah. They<br />
understood what he meant and what the message<br />
meant for them. They received it into<br />
tance of all known sin; for this Jesus who<br />
has come is the enemy of all forms of evil<br />
and transgression. To have and to hold this<br />
great truth, all else fnust be subject to it.<br />
No wonder that we read on in this second<br />
chapter of Acts that they all began living for<br />
this end, that they might know and serve and<br />
enjoy the risen Messiah.<br />
They received the word, then they received<br />
baptism and the Lord's supper, and<br />
the company of the apostles and the preaching<br />
of the word in its further revelation and<br />
the privilege of prayer through him. They<br />
were always to be receiving, and then out of<br />
their ful-Iness of heart they began to give.<br />
Their faith worked by,love and purified the<br />
heart.<br />
GOD OUR REFUGE, FROM TROUBLE<br />
AND TEMPTATION.<br />
As we review the history of war we find<br />
that the successful side has generally carried<br />
on aggressive campaigns and that, while<br />
tbe defensive seems to have the advantage,<br />
it generally loses in the end. From this<br />
well known fact we are inclined to draw<br />
the conclusion that in all the battles we have<br />
to fight, we shouid take the aggressive and<br />
push the fight tO' the utmost. We feel that<br />
the wisest policy is- to meet the enemy half<br />
way at least and drive him to defeat and<br />
flight.<br />
An exception seems to be found to this<br />
general rule when we come to deal with<br />
trouble and temptation. Instead of hunting<br />
and fighting , these enemies we are to- fly<br />
from them. Our safety and our success are<br />
to be found in taking refuge in a secure<br />
pJace where these foes to peace and purity<br />
cannot reach us to do us harm. Like a<br />
child running to a father we are to find<br />
•safety in the protection of God's care.<br />
"In thee my soul hath shelter found.<br />
And thou hast been from foes around<br />
The tower to which I flee.<br />
Within thy house I will abide.<br />
And underneath thy wings will hide.<br />
Forever safe in thee."<br />
The closing petition of. the Lord's prayer<br />
shows that we are to avoid temptation and<br />
when we are tempted that it is our safety<br />
defence, and we find safety, under the shelter<br />
of his wings. The consciousness of overwhelming<br />
danger that causes us to flyto him<br />
is the triumph both of wisdom and of trust<br />
EDITORIAL NOTES.<br />
The autoists are in combination to increase<br />
the speed limit, and to saddle the expense<br />
on 'the public of good roads, which, their<br />
machines go far to make useless to pedestrians<br />
and vehicles drawn by horses, by reason<br />
of excessive speed and chained tires and<br />
heavy loads. They have secured the submission<br />
of the people of Pennsylvania of an'<br />
Amendment to burden the Commonwealth<br />
with a debt of fifty millions for good roads.<br />
I<br />
The Tenth Council of the Alliance of Reformed<br />
Churches holding the Presbyterian<br />
System, met at Aberdeen, Scotland, Wednes-i<br />
day, June 18. Ge<strong>org</strong>e Adson Smith, who<br />
is principal of the University, gave the open-]<br />
ing discourse. Dr. D. J. Burrell was presi-1<br />
dent, and pjleadted in his laddres® for the<br />
proclamation of the Gospel message. On<br />
some subjects it seems as if the arrange^<br />
ment is to hear all sides, since latter days '<br />
have brought to Presbyterian circles dis-1<br />
cordant notes, many of them of human phil-'<br />
osophy. The Episcopal Conference pro-'<br />
posed came before the Council. Dr. W. I.J<br />
Wishart speaks of it as follows: *<br />
"Some debate was provoked when the proposal<br />
of the American Episcopal Church for ;<br />
a 'World Conference on Faith and Order' j<br />
came to be considered. The British Church-^<br />
es had not been well informed as to the na-1<br />
ture and scope of this proposal. And when ^<br />
it was learned that 'Roman and Greek Cath-':<br />
olics are to be invited into this conference-.;<br />
there was just a little hesitation. However, :<br />
when the nature of the proposal was explain-,,;<br />
ed, it was agreed to send it do-wn to the con- !'<br />
stituent churches without prejudice." '•<br />
We fail to see how the Alliance is a .<br />
channel for such a proposal. The unity in t<br />
such a Conference could be obtained by in- t<br />
viting the Pope to preside, were he not a<br />
their minds.<br />
prisoner in the Vatican.<br />
f<br />
In receiving this message those who were<br />
The next session of the Alliance is to be_i<br />
converted accepted it as the truth. They<br />
held in Pittsburg, in 1917.<br />
accepted it as the statement of a fact, the<br />
most momentous possible fact in their knowledge.<br />
Sir Jonathan Hutchinson, whose death f<br />
If this word was true, all the hopes to be delivered. In fact, to be delivered is took place at the close of June, expressed in<br />
of their people had been fulfilled, the great to overcome. In fighting the battle with his will the desire that upon his gravestone]<br />
day of God's revelation of himself had dawned<br />
personal sins, we are not to seek the enemy should be inscribed the words:—"A man of<br />
upon them. They saw clearly the Savior but to resist when he comes, to defend what hope and forward-looking mind:"<br />
of Israel in Jesus of Nazareth. They received<br />
the truth that changes and saves, a rev<br />
"Stand," and the armor he commends and The Upper H0US5 of Convocation of Can<br />
we cannot rightfully give up. Paul says,<br />
olutionary truth that opened to them a new even the weapons used are to repel attacks. terbury held a short public sitting on Wednesday,<br />
July 2, during which the Bishop ot<br />
life, a life that began and ended in him. It is the same way with, trouble. We are<br />
Ely moved a resolution asking the Archbishop<br />
to take such steps as seemed to hini de<br />
Thisi truth, this word, each man receiv not to seek it, but when it comes to- cast it<br />
ing made his own. It belonged to him as on the Lord who cares for us. We ane to sirable in order to secure the revision of tne<br />
fully as if no other one had received it, as trust in the Lord and wait on Him. In passages of the Psalter in which the language<br />
is specially obscure or misleadingif<br />
he had been the only sinner to be saved. these things holding our position is victory.<br />
The Archbishoi^ of Canterbury intimatea<br />
This word was his possession and, at the Not activity, but endurance is the required<br />
that he would be prepared to act upon tne<br />
same time, it possessed him, for no one can virtue.<br />
resolution if it was passed. It was then carried<br />
unanimously, and the Archibshop said m<br />
receive the word here preached by Peter that It is in this view of the Christian life that<br />
this possession does not encircle and color Go'd is to us a fortress, a. strong tower, a intended to consult the Archbishop of Yore<br />
^11 that is in his beart. It brought repen- refuge, a covent, a hiding place, a rock of before appointing the oommittee, but tne)