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194 (2) THE EARNEST CHBISTIAN
no outward ceremonial; and the
one motive which will lead us selfish
and stubborn men to bow our
necks to that gentle yoke, and to
come out of the misery of pleasing
self into the peace of serving God,
is drawn from the great love of
Him who devoted Himself to God
and man, and bought us for His
own by giving Himself utterly to
be ours. All sanctity begins with
consecration to God. All consecration
rests upon the faith of
Christ's sacrifice."
Saints, then, are separated, consecrated,
purified, and are obedient
followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.
They are dead to the world. They
live not unto themselves, but unto
Him who died for them and rose,
again. They walk in the light as
God is in the light and, in this
walk of separateness and obedience,
they have fellowship with
God, and the blood of Jesus Christ
His Sou cleanseth them from all
sin. The name by which they are
called implies their separation unto
God and is the sure prophecy of
their final victory over all evil.
Moreover, this saintly character
and walk which we have been considering
is just what every Christian
is called to attain unto, and
exemplify in this world. "For God
hath 'not called us unto uncleanness,
but unto holiness." We are
"called to be saints"—"a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, an
holy nation, a peculiar people; that
ye should show forth the praises of
Him who hath called you out of
darkness into His marvelous light."
Beloved, let us honor this high
and glorious calling. Let us maintain
such a daily walk as will comport
with the scriptural idea of the
word saint, and as will prove us
to be saints, not in name only, but
in the experimental and practical
sense in which the term is used in
the Scriptures.
"I i)eseech you therefore, brethren,
by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world:
but be ye transformed by the renewing
of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God."
Masonic Plagiarism of a Christian Hymn
There are those who argue that
Freemasonry must be a good institution
inasmuch as the Bible is used
in the services of the lodge, as are
also some very excellent devotional
hymns. The fact is, however, that
when the Bible is used Masonically
it is either such portions only as
make no mention of Jesus Christ,
or portions that have been so garbled
as to leave His name out, and
as to exclude all reference to His
person. Just so, when devotional
hymns are used in the lodge they
are either hymns that make no mention
of Christ, or else hymns that
have been garbled so as to make
them acceptable to a Christless secret
order.
An instance of the latter kind,
involving a sort of wholesale plagiarism
of a beautiful, and, as orig