Christian herald., September 08, 1882, Page 2, Image 2

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2
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1
CttlUstlAN. I-IKRAW.
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The Church at Epheaua.
in the true tabernacle or church of
«Si
God, dpes greatly err, not knowing
1>Y S. H. HEDRIX. •
“ Ye Are Not Under Law, But the 'Scriptures nm*
power of
NUMBER V
Under Grace.”
<W. For in the kingdom of God I
»
NUMBER lit.,
they neither marry nor arc given
Section two of this letter to the
in marriage This institution per- Ephesians begins at chap. 2: IL
_ As-there ar<? two kindking.
'TaTbs'to this world, amLik left to | and continues to" the close of tli at
«loins, spoken of all through the
Bible, the one earthly or fleshly, the powers that be to regulate. - It chapter.
1. It contains il niOrë particular
and the other spiritual ; and also is a relation of the flesh, and under
two kinds of men : the on€* earthly the civil law the godly maq^may adiponition abd tbnliast of their
or carnal, and the other spiritual ; marry and “ do well,” or lie may oneb wretched but now happy con­
it must be evident to every one not marry and “ do-bVtti'r.” If he dition. They were formerly Gen-
, __
who-dtas mty-jnstr-eencvptirrrrof yiflrr.V, hr. Should marry utile. linejL- l U ca inXta - -!
'
■
m
the
Lord.
”
In
all
things,
while
the flesh Sealed ùnÿ cOxbnanted
their difference “ that there must of
blessing to them. In this condi­
in
the
flesh,
whether;in
bating
or
necessity ” be also two different
kinds of “ law ” for their govern- drinking, in taylilg or selling, let tion they were without Christ, un­
ment. It is very strange, that thebe hilb do so “only in the Lord.” recognized in the commonwealth of
are so many “ teachers " ivho have' This relation is never to be broken srael, wanderers with no hope
never noticed, and; have never or departed from, ami Ins spiritual ai ml without God in the world But
ill, Christ
_____ tl .hose afar off are made
seemed to understand Paul s axiom­ union and harmqpy; with God,
1J_
ilgli, and at peace by his blood;
atic statement, that “ the--minis­ should nover be interrupted. He
tration being changed, there is made should not be “ hinder»1 I ” by " the the middle wall which had so long
flesh ” or “the things of die world,” divided Jew from Gentile Is broken
of necessity a change also of law.”
The first ministration consisted of but he should “ live in the spirit ” away. Even the law, with all i\s
a system. of formal worship; the (or tlie Lord) and “ also walk in the ordinances is abrogated, and in
secoml is a spiritual union and har­ spirit ’ hi the world we have trib­ Christ the two are made one as a
mony with God. The first was j ulation. In the world ami in the new man. To reconcile all to God
governed “ bv a law of carnal com- flesh we plow and sow - ami in one body, ample sacrifice was
? t"made on the cross, and, therefore,
mandments ” or statutory and com­ reap;—we buy ami sell, Hnd come
manded law ; the secomf is con­ under the law of marriage, ami are the Gospel is preached offering
trol le» I by “ the law of the Spirit of freed from the law of marriage, but peace far and near ; and through
life,” which is a principle of action from “the law of the spirit,” or him all have aceess by the same
“ written on the heart and in our Goil’s law, we should never be freed spirit unto the Father.
2. Therefore, they are no longer
minds. ’ - The first were “ servants >» ,We may engage in all thèse “earth­
ly
things
”
as
godly
men
or
Chris
­
foreigners and wanderers, but are
and under the bondage of com­
tians,
ami
if
“
the
perfect
law
of
fellow citizens in God’s household,
manded law ; while the other are
liberty
”
control
our
hearts
in
all
and associated with saints. They
“ children ” and “ led by the Spirit”
things,
1
can
truly
say
with
Paul
who accept Christ are, by the
of God. The old contained a flesh­
“
let
him
do
what
he
will
he
sinneth
Gospel, placed upon the foundation
ly priesthood “ made under law
not.
”
—
The
“
law
of
sin
ami
dea]th
”
of apostles and prophets, Christ the
while under the new “ we have a
(or
commanded
law)
and
“
the
law
chief corner stone. It is a ¿.'rand
high priest who is set on the right
of
the
spirit
of
life
”
stand
in
building, so constructed, that it
hand of the throne of the Majesty
eternal
antithesis
to
each
grows into a holy temple in the
in the heavens,” who is made not
other,
and
are
as
much
unlike
as
Lord ; it is thus built together, and
after the law of a carnal command­
light
ami
darkness
or
good
and
becomes God’s dwelling place.
ment, but after the power of an
evil.
These
two
kinds
of
law
are
Through Ins spirit lie is eVer in
endless life. Under the first they
spoken
of
all
through
the
Christian
sympathy with his house, and gives
“ observed holy days, and new
Scriptures,
and
the
man
who
does
it light and life forever.
moons and Sabbaths,”—but in
not
understand
and
recognize
their
Christ, Paul would say to all such
3. There are many strange things
who “ are so foolish,”—“ 1 am afraid difference is not sufficiently instruct­ in this world, which we have never
of you lest I have bestowed ujxm ed in the kingdom of God to been able to solve-;--oney aUrvv all
you labor in vain.” Carnal com­ “ rightly divide the word of truth.’’ others is, why men do not more
mandments (vvliich are statutory The one is written on paper ami is fully appreciate the great blessing,
or commanded laws) belong to “ the com mandatory, while the other is honor and dignity .offered to al),
old man,” and “ living in them,” are “put into the mind ami in the through the church of Christ.
“ his deeds,”, which godly men are» heart ” The one is “ weak and beg- Men would feel slighted if no offers
to “ put off.” But “ the law of the garly ” and “can make nothing per­ of mercy were made to them. They
Spirit” of “the flew man” is fect,” while the other is “ the per­ would weep if it was inqiossibie for
“ righteousness and true holiness.” fect law of litarty,” ami “ will make anyone to ever attain to a closer
The one is in direct opposition to the the godly man pi’rfect and thor­ relation to God than that which
other,and they are placed iu contrast oughly furnished unto all good Gentiles formerly had. If today
with each other,all through the New works.” The one is statutory, while the world could lie made to know
Testament. The laws of the one the other is a principle »if the heart. that all sympathy»,ami favor were
regulate the works of the flesh, The difference is just the difference taken away, ami all means by
while the laws of the other pertain tatween the man who in his hones­ which they could jietition the
to the spirit, and produce its right­ ty and truth “just keeps within the throne of grace were suspended,
law,” ami the man who is truthful
eousness, its peace ami its joy.
what an awful night o£ gloom
The “ teacher” (?) who thinks to ami honest from principle
would overshadow the land.
8. C. A dams .
find a law regulating civil marriage Salem, Or., Aug. 21,1882.
Section three includes the third
Original Contributions.
clmpterj abd contains ah barhfe&l' Jf
prayer of Paul for their establish­
ment in the Gospel. What has
tfone before is assigned as the cause
or reason of the apostle’s procee<l-
ure. (tt) He is a prisoner_,Joi-.__
Phrist, because the apostle of the
Gbntiies. The administration of
God s grace was tastowed upon
him for the Gentiles; to him God
made known tlie “ mystery ” or
secret. The allusion in parenthesis,
Xo
■ ■he—had—tafore“ writtb+tr ■"
doubtless refers to the letter to
Colose, which was written before
the present one, and, which Paul ,
expected them to obtain before
Tychicus should arrive with this X
one, on rea<ling of which they
would comprehend his knowledge
of Gods will; a knowlwlge wlpelt,
eye ilad nUt seen, nor ear “ heard,
neither had it entered the heart of
man. It had not been known to
the sons of men in the ages past.
It was not until the embassador of’
Jesus went forth with the Gospel
for every creature, that it is known
that Gentiles, as well as Jews, arc :
to be heirs of tli“ same inherit nm-v
and partakers of God s promises itl i’ ' X
Christ, by the Gospel. (6) To tjlis 1
end Paul was made a minister, ack­ ■>
cording to the gift of God’s grata,
even by the great power which
wrought in- him effectually; abd
thereby he preached among the
Gent iles the unsearchable riches of
Christ, and thus made all men see
the administration of the secret
which in all the ages was known
only to God. All, too, that the
governments, in heavenly places,
might have through the church, the
manifold wisdom of God, and that
according to the predisposition of
the ages, in Christ Jesus, who
granted his messengers liberty of
speech, they
are
introduced
with confident faith in him.
(c) And now he requests them, in
no way, to become discouraged on
account of Ips trial, but count it
their glory. He finds it an abun­
dant reason to taw down, to rever­
ence the Eatltcr of our Lord Jesus
_Christ,-of wjfom ait the family of
heaven ami earth are named) and
now why should any man want it
named for, or in honor of any one
else ? This,with the context, ought
to deter any one from calling the
church of Christ or any congrega­
tion in it by any .other name than
that which is recognized by the
great ajxistle while bowed before
heaven. (d) the apostle* further
prays God, according to the riches
of his glory, to strengthen thereby
his spirit in the inner man. dliit