Christian Nation Vol. 18 1893 - Rparchives.org

Feb. 15,1893.A FAMILY PAPEE.SEPARATION FROM EVIL.*MABTHA A. M'CONNELL.Wherever the gospel has been preached orthe Ohristian Temperance movement proclaimed,and all lands have been reachedthrough the church and our white-ribbonround-the-world missionaries, in all these placesthere is reform work or separation from evilgoing on. In John 15:5 Christ says, "Withoutme ye can do nothing," or as the Eevised Versionputs it, "Apart from me ye can do nothing,"so that separated or severed from Christ wecannot work successfully. No matter how wiseour plans may appear to be, how prudent ourmanagement may seem, if Christ be not in itwe read the result in 1 Cor. 1:19, "I will destroythe wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothingthe understanding of the prudent."We must have a strong and sure foundationon which to erect our structure and the onlysafe one is Jesus Christ.2 Tim. 2:19-20, "Nevertheless the foundationof God standeth snre, having this seal, TheLord knoweth them that are his. And, Letevery one that nameth the name of Christ departfrom iuiquity. But in a great house thereare not only vessels of gold and o^. silver, butalso of wood and of earth; and some to honor,and some to dishonor. If a man thereforepurge himself from these, he shall be a vesselunto honor, sanctified, and meet for the Master'suee, and prepared unto every good work."I wish to call your attention to the words inthe 19th verse, "Let every one that nameth thename of Christ depart from iniquity;" whichis, to sever our connection with everything thatis unrighteous, unholy, unclean, unchristian,from ail evil or that which has the appearanceof evil. 1 Thess. 5:22, "Abstain from all appearanceof evil." We have the promise thatif we thus purge ourselves, we shall be vesselsunto honor, sanctified, meet for the Master'suse, and prepared unto every gooa work. Whatgreat honor! not only to work, but to be preparedaud fittedfor every good work. I trustit is the desire of each one present to be thoroughlyfurnished unto all good works.The word of God is very explicit about ourdeparting from iniquity in the family, society,organizations, government, and in the religiouslife and our own personal lives.2 Cor. 6:14, 15, and first clause of 16 "Beye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:for what fellowship hath righteousnesswith unrighteousness? And what communionhath light with darkness? And what concordhath Christ with Belial? Or what part hathhe that believeth with an infidel? And whatagreement hath the temple of God with idols?"This rule or measure of our lives is followedwith a command or Thus saith the Lord;"Come out from among them aud be ye separate;"enter your protest against the existingevils, contend with unrighteous laws,*and dissentfrom unchristian governments. The commanddoes not end here but adds, "touch notthe unclean thing;"—the E. V. has it "touchno unclean thing;"—touch not but practicewhat we profess. Oar principles, talk, protests,yea, even our prayers will avail nothing eitherin the sight of God or man, if our practices oractions are touching the unclean. Union withChrist demands a full and complete separationfrom evil.As an organized host of Christian women wehave been called upon many times to enter ourprotest against sinful measures and cuetoms»and in so doing we have warned the wicked ofhis wicked way and have delivered our souls.Ezek. 3:19, "If thou warn the wicked, and heturn not from his wickedness, nor from hiswicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; butthou hast delivered thy soul." We have saidto the Sabbath desecrators by our petitions forthe proper observance of tbe Lord's day, thatwe have come out from among you and purgedourselves from this iniquity. We are truly aprotesting people. Many times does an evilspirit wearing the garb of a penitent, pose beforethe Christian as a subject for goad work,but the Bible rule is to prove the spirits.1 John 4:1-3, "Beloved, believe not every spirit,but try the spirits whether they are of God:because many false prophets are gone out intothe world. Hereby know ye the spirit of God.Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christis come in the fiesh is of God. And everyspirit that confesseth not that Jesus Ohrist iscome in the flash is not of God: and this is tbatspirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard thatit should come; and even now already is it inthe world,"Yes, this spirit of antichrist has spread worldwideand we meet it constantly, but we have atest furnished in the sixth verse of this samechapter by which we can detect it. IJohn 4:6,"Wo are of God; he that knoweth God hearethus; he that is not of God heareth not us.Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and thespirit of error."Time and time again, -year in and out havewe contended, and are still contending againsttbe unrighteous laws of our land. "The lawof the L >rd is perfect," and the scope of thelaw is to condemn wickeaness. Paul says "thelaw is good, if a mau use it lawfully," and thewise man speaks on this wise in Prov. 28:4,"They that forsake the law praise the wickei',bnt such as keep the law contend with tbem."These unrighteous laws whicli we are constautlyopposing are not built upon the divine foundation.Hear the word of the Lord on our licenselaws,Isaiah 28:15 "We have made a covenantwith deatb, and with hell are we at agreement,when the ovei flowing scourge shall passthiough, it shall not come unto us: for we havemade lies our refuge, aud und