1917_The_Finished_Mystery_Text

downward, and, a fire being placed under them,were suffocated by the smoke. Some had meltedlead poured down their throats: the flesh ofsome was torn off with fingers and toes. Housesfilled with Christians were set on fire. Numbersof Christians were tied together and thrown intothe sea. Seventeen thousand were slain in onemonth; and during the continuance of thispersecution in Egypt alone 144,000 Christiansdied by violence, besides 700,000 that diedthrough the fatigues of banishment or the publicworks to which they were condemned. Coinswere struck, and inscriptions set up recording thefact that Christian superstitition was now utterlyexterminated."— McC.Be thou faithful unto death.— "It is required ofall consecrators that they shall ‘die daily,' andthat the end, with us as with our Lord and Head,shall be literal death. As it is written: ‘I havesaid, Ye are gods [elohim—mighty ones], all ofyou sons of the Highest; yet ye shall die likemen, ye shall fall like one of the princes'— notlike Prince Adam, convicts; but like PrinceJesus, participators in His death. (Psa. 82:6,7.)"— F444.And I will give thee a Crown of Life.— "TheApostle James speaks of the same crown andcalls it the Crown of Life. (Jas. 1:12.) TheApostle Peter speaking of the same calls it theCrown of Glory. (1 Pet. 5:4.) The thought at thebottom of each of these expressions is the same;namely, the custom in olden times of runningraces and the giving of a crown to the successfulrunner at the end of the course. Our reward willbe the Crown of Life in the sense that we shallget life on the highest plane, inherent life,immortality. It will be a Crown of Righteousnessin the sense that only those who are approved ofGod as righteous will thus be rewarded andglorified— the righteousness of the Lordfulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, butafter the spirit."— Z. ‘03-190; Rev. 3:11; 2 Tim.2:15; Isa. 62:3; Phil. 3:14.