Life, not Death, the Goal.
THE greater number of exhortations addressed to sinners urging them to repentance, and also of exhortations addressed to Christians urging them to fidelity, are, in our times, based upon the certainty and nearness of death. The careful reader of the New Testament need not be told that this was not apostolic practice. Life, not death, was the great impelling motive with them. To one accustomed to the utterances of the religious press, and Christian pulpit, it is astonishing how little is said of death, in the New Testament. Few are the exhortations to repentance or fidelity based upon it. It is never held up as the Christian's great climax of victory. Eternal life is the great prize, and the resurrection the Christian's final victory. "When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." 1 Cor. 15 : 54. Does the apostle exhort Christians to follow him in the divine life, to have their conversation in Heaven; it is because "we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." Phil. 3 : 20, 21. Again the apostle Paul exhorts Christians to "set their affection on things above." "When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." Col. 3 : 4. In his epistle to the Thessalonians he calls them his "hope," "joy," and "crown of rejoicing," but it is "in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming." 1 Thess. 2 : 19. In the same epistle he comforts the bereaved and afflicted ones, by assuring them that "them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." 1 Thess. 4 : 14. Timothy is exhorted to keep his ministry pure and "unrebukable," "until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Tim. 6 : 14. Titus is directed to "that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Titus 2 : 13. James urges believers to be patient and firm "for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." James 5 : 8. Peter warns against the latter-day scoffers, and invites to all "holy conversation and godliness," because "all these things shall be dissolved." 2 Pet. 3 : 11. These quotations might be multiplied to almost any extent. It is certainly clear that the coming of Christ and eternal life were the great impelling motives in apostolic times. Would it not be well to get back to "the old paths"? We do not preach a gospel of death, but one of life. We point not to the charnelhouse, but to the eternal hills of God. Our gospel is one of life and joy. —Rev. Jesse S. Gilbert, A. M. (Methodist), in Messiah's Herald.