Esoteric V10: July 1896 - Iapsop.com

204 Goo's REVEALED WILL. [November
that they possess the promises, since "sorrow and crying," pain
and death, are as common among them as else where.
Perhaps, as the prophet said, "they return, but not to the
Most High." Hosea VII. 16. It is true that the early Chritstian
Church turned from Judaism, and that the Protestant branches
have turned from her and ft·om each other; but when they
claim to be followers of Christ, they cannot substantiate that
claim by showing the rnarks whereby he declared his believers
should be known: "And these signs shall follow them that believe
(the preaching of the Gospel); In my name shall th£>y
cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shail
take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall
not hurt them; th~y !!hall lay bands on the sick, and they shall
recover:' Mark XVI. 17, 18.
These words of Jesus are neither realized nor believed by
the church. Those earnest souls who compose the Christian
·Church will do well to consider: If they have not the mark nf
his sheep, why not'? Possibly they have not believed ar·ight,
for if bitten by poisonous serpents, or, if they drink deadly
poison, they die as readily as the infldel; and if one who i!4
sick is br·ought to them, the only thing that they can do,-and
to theit· credit they do it,-is to send him to the hospital.
The question now presented for our consideration is this :
Have God's people returned to him? The promise is matle
that they shall return: "And I will give them a heart to know
me, that I am the Lord ; and they shall be my people, and I
·will be their God : for they shall return unto me with their
whole heart." .Ter. xxrv. 7. "Tber·efore fear them not, 0 my
servant .Jacob, saitb the Lord; neither be dismayed, 0 Israel:
for, lo, I will save thee from afar and thy seed from the land
of their captivity; and .lacob shall return, and shall h~ in rest,
and be quiet, and none 11ltall make him afraid." .Ter. xxx. 10.
It i11 evident, however, that, ere they ean return, they must
understand how tu return. "Return unto me, and I will return
unto yon, Raith the Lord of hosts. But ey Raid, Wherein shall
we return?'' ~Ia!. III. 7. Thill return is not from a plane, hnt
from a condition of disobedience. "Obey my voine, and I will
be your God, and ye shall be my people. " ,Ter. VII. 23.
Digitized by Coogle