Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 178, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 July 1913 — THE WINDS AND THE WAVES OBEY HIM [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE WINDS AND THE WAVES OBEY HIM

Pastor Russell and Party En Route For Europe. The Storm on Galilee's Sea Furnishes Text For a Discourse—Acts as Welli as Words of Jesus Parabolic—Ths Storm as a Typo—The Master and His Disciples as Types—Quelling ths Storm a Type—Also the Great Oalm.

Aboard “The Empress of] -Ireland,” on the Atlantic, July 27. “There arose a great tempest in the sea • • • but He was asleep. And His disciples awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us; we perish. * • * Then He arose and ,rebuked the

winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.”—Matthew 8:24-26. . - The Bible informs us that Jesus' teachings were parabolic. The Master explained some of His actions and words to His disciples, and told them that they) alone were permitted to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. He did not explain all of His parables even to His Apostles. On the contrary, He said, “When the Spirit of Truth is come [at Pentecost and after], He shall guide you into all Truth, and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have spoken.” Since Pentecost, therefore, Jesus’ followers can understand His teaching In a way that His earliest followers could not It was not expedient that natural men should understand clearly the Divine Plan. St Peter declared that if the Jewish rulers had known, they would not have crucified the Prince of Life. But only by Jesus’ crucifixion could the Dlvlne'Plan be carried out Therefore it was hidden from those for whom it was not intended.

This was a blessing; for If they had done those things under full light and knowledge, their guilt would have been much greater. They are, therefore, to be punished according to their limited light and knowledge. The same principle obtains respecting the whole world; light increases responsibility. He that knew the Master’s will, and did it not, shall receive many stripes; he that knew not the Master’s will, and did things worthy of stripes, shall receive few stripes. Those begotten of the Holy Spirit as God’s children have the highest responsibility, because they have the greatest knowledge. They alone could commit the sin unto death, as St Paul explains—Hebrews 6:1-6; 10:26, 27. The secret of the demarcation between the Church and the world Is that the former has the Holy Spirit begetting to a new nature, with privileges of knowledge of God and His plans hot granted others. Only the outlines of the Divine Character and Plan can be clearly discerned and appreciated by those not spirit-begotten. The Boat and the Storm In Antitype. I Our lesson typically considered, the boat would represent the Gospel Dispensation; the Master asleep, the Lord’s apparent indifference to the storms of, persecution assailing His Church; and the disciples’ Imploring ery, the prayers of the Church throughout the Age. After our Lord's ascension, storms of persecution one another until the history of the true Church has been marked by severe trials of patience and faith. Often the Lord’s people have wondered at the afflictions permitted to come upon them. It seemed as though the Lord did not care. I We might reason that If God had raised the storm which frightened experienced fishermen, surely Jesus hwould not have worked contrary to the Divine arrangement We might also reason that Satan, “the Prince of the Power of the Air,” might have thought to thwart the Divine arrangement respecting Jesus* crucifixion.

Storm of Trouble Is Near. i Bible students are convinced that the .great storm of trouble upon the Church is very near. We need not prophesy concerning Its character. We are to remember, however, that the majority of the storms upon the Church have come from professed people of God, rather than from the world. The Scribes, Pharisees and Doctors of the Law really crucified Jesus, as St. Peter declared.—Acts 8:13 15.

j Our expectation Is that the Church will have Its most trying experiences from professed brethren. Church Federation has a sincere and Innocent look; but is not its purpose and object to fortify sectarianism? Should we not expect that, when it shall gain the measure of political Influence and power Indicated tn the symbolic book of Revelation, those holding a simple faith tn God and His Word, and striving to walk the narrow way, will be misrepresented, slandered and eventually hindered from the Lord’s service? I The Lord seems to Indicate that His Church will be perfected on the Heavenly plane before the world’s tribulation shall break In fury. True, the Church may escape in the sense of being enabled to live the trouble—unaffected by It; but we think npt We believe that the Church will have passed into glory before the culmination of the world's Day of Wrath.