Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1916 — GREATER SUFFERINGS, GREATER REWARDS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GREATER SUFFERINGS, GREATER REWARDS

• Corinthian* i:lSlS.—Bept. tg Faint Not In Tribulation—Tha Natural • Man Pariahaa, tha Naw Craatura Growa—What Ara Light Afflictions? What Is Thair Duration?—What la Thair Objact?—How Shall We Attain Thie Objact? “The things which are not seen are eternal.’’ Terse IS. m ■ HAT great Christian courage f ■ I St. Paul’s words and deeds manifest! He who endured so many hardships, a Tery thrashing-machine experience, nevertheless writes: “We faint not; for though our outward man perish, yet the inward mau is renewed day by day.” Ah, that was the secret of the inatter-dhe renewing & the inward man, the New CrCutureT The tribulations of the outward man would have been terrible indeed had there been no inward man to take a different view of matters and to learn valuable lessons and experiences from the outward man’s tribulations. The inward man had God’s assurance that if God were for him, the opposition of all others would be ns nothing; for G«d would overrule all his experiences for his highest welfare. He had the Load’s assurance also that the glories of the future would be proportionate to the trials of the present time faith fully endured. Here we have the secret of the Apos tie’s great zeal for God, for the Church, for the Truth! He

endured as seeing Ilijn who is invisible to natural eyes. (Hebrews 11:27.) He lived a double life, in the sense that to man he was Saul of Tarsus, hut in reality he was Paul, the servant of God, the New Creature in Christ Jesus. The world knew him not; hut

he knew himself, knew ids God; and he was energized by the Power Divine and by the Message of God’s Word, which spoke to him peace and relationship to God through Christ, and informed him of the glory, honor and immortality awaiting all the loyal and faithful ones at the end of the way. Fellowship In Christ’s Suffering*.

This secret of the .Apostle's experience Is an open one to all of God's spirit-begotten children who faithfully continue to walk In Jesus’ footsteps and to he taught of Him through the Word. We do not have so large a manifestation of Divine favor as had Jesus, the Head of the Church, and the Apostles, the foremost members of the Church. Rut still we have in a general way the same favors of God, the same promises of God, the same Inspiring hopes which they had. let us not forget the Apostle'H endurance when we.read his words: “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh tor us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” The Apostle's argument was that If the sufferings of Christ, in the Divine arrangement, are to measure the coming glories of Christ, then he desired to be a participator with the Lord in the present sufferings, that he might also be a participator with Him In the coming glories. Instead, therefore, of saying to himself or to others, “I am doing more than my share of the Gospel work; and some of you should help me, and give me a rest.” St. Paul took the other view. He declared himself willing and anxious to fill up as much ns possible that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ. He counted it all Joy to have tribulation, knowing that tribulation would work out the fruits of the Holy Spirit in his character, and thus prepare him for the King dom.—Colosslans 1:24; Romans 5:3-5; 2 Timothy 2:11, 12. Many find It easy to start In the Christian way when everything Is fa

vorable. Some run briskly for a while, and then grow weary in well-do-ing. ■ But the A|k»stle seemed never to weary. Tie was always on the alert, in season and out of season, so far as his own convenience was concerned. He was ready to preach the

Gospel anywhere, everywhere, to all who bad the hearing ear. The-secret of his perseverance is given Us In Verse 18: “We look not at the things* which are seen, but at the things w hich are not seen.” These words mean that St. Paul had spiritual eyesight He Indeed saw earthly attractions, but they lost their drawing power upon him because of his perception of the things unseen. With the eye of faith he saw the Heavenly Father, the glorified Lord Jesus, the Heavenly hosts, the coming Kingdom of glory, honor anji immortality. By faith he saw the great Millennial Kingdom spreading out before him, and heard the Divine invitation to become an heir in that Kingdom. Joined in heirship with the Master and Redeemer. He had accepted this Invitation. He had enlisted under the banner of the Master; and he realized that everything else in the world was of practically no value in comparison with these eternal things which God had promised. Ilia confidence wag in the Word of God.

A Victor’s Reward.

“In Prisons Oft.”