Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 184, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 August 1917 — HIS OWN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HIS OWN

By REV. B. B. SUTCLIFFE

Of the Extension Department, Moody Bible Institute. Chicago

TEXT— Having loved His own He loved, them unto the end. —John 13:1. This text has in it much of comfort,, strength and assurance for the Chris-

tian. His Own Property. Christians belong to the Lord in at least a threefold way.First by gift from the Father. In his prayer in John 17 our Lord says “thine they were and thou gavest them to me.” They do not belong to themselves but to him —his own peculiar property, for

they are his peculiar treasure. The man of this world may rejoice in the gift of gold and silver, but our Lord rejoices in the gift from the Father of those he is pleased to call his brethren. ,

In the second place they are his own by purchase. He has paid to the uttermost farthing and now can say to them “Ye are not yoUr own, ye are bought with a price.” That price was nothing less than his own precious blood poured out on the cross of Calvary. He gave his life for his sheep. He laid down his life as a ransom for them. He was the “merchantman seeking goodly pearls who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” The title to ownership of every Christian is his. They are his own peculiar property. In the third place they are his by their surrender. As believers go on in their Christian life learning more and more of him, more and more do they surrender themselves to him. Some there are that try to withhold a part of themselves from him, but they are never happy, contented Christians. The fullness of blessing and of power never comes until in fullness of surrender the Christian yields himself unto the Lord, recognizing that he is Indeed the property of him who loved him and gave himself for him. The measure of the Christian’s daily peace and power is the measure of that Christian’s surrender to the owner — the Lord Jesus. His Own Care. Peter exhorts the Christians to be “casting all your care upon him for he caretfi for you.” This last sentence might be worded, “It is his business to care for you,” and he will care for each one of his own. As they are his property, purchased.,by such a price, he will guard them from all harm, protect them from all evil and set a hedge round about them against all that might injure them. Sometimes hard things come into the Christian's experience, but these may be the only way he can guard them from danger. He had to guard David from coming to the throne unprepared by allowing many a hard experience to come to him. In the second place they are his own peculiar care to guide. How often would they, like sheep, go astray but for his care in guiding them. Sometimes, ’tis true, he leads them in paths that look from the outside most uninviting, but once in those paths the Christian discovers they lead beside the still waters into pastures green and fresh. In the third place they are his own peculiar care to provide for. His provision is new every morning and fresh at eventide. It is ndver old nor stale. His own tniss much that he provides by being out of his place. He told the ravens where to place Elijah’s food and he told Elijah where to go. His Own Loved. Having loved his own, he loves them to the end ’sometimes are tempted to think his love varies with their own changing affections. But he loves them always with the same unwearied love. Loves them in spite of failure, as the history of Peter so fully shows. Peter thought he would be ready to lay down his life rathe# than forsake him. But how quickly he was put to shame by the question of a stranger maid. How pitiful the failure as the oaths, slipped from his lips! But did the Lord's love weaken? Nay, rather it burned, if possible, a bit brighter in his great heart and flamed out from his eyes, bringing Peter back to the place, of bitter tears through which tie saw the path of return. In the second place, he loves his own in spite of all backwardness. Think of him walking and talking with Philip for three years, instructing by example and by word all those days while he was about his Father’s business, only, at the end to find that Philip had not learned the.first lesson, but must needs say, “Lord show us the Father,” not knowing “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” How trying such backwardness is, but to the Gr&at Teachei' it did not lessen in any degree his love. The tender passion by which he held Philip was Just as deep that moment when his backwardness was revealed as ever it was. Q 0 not allow any hint that his love for you .grows cold when: you discover how Ut- [ tie progress yeu have made.