TH ER.EPORE and So Will I Seek out My Sheep, and Will Deliver Them out of All Pla.Ees Where They Have Been Scattered in the Cloudy A.Nd Dark Day
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~ v TH ER.EPORE AND So will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all pla.ees where they have been scattered In the cloudy a.nd dark day. -Ezek. 34: 12. And they shaJ.J be my people, aud I will bo their God.-Jer. 32:38. At evening time It shall be llght.- Zeoh. 1<1: 7. Volume XXXV!. Anderson, lud., U.S. A, Thursday, April 27, 1916. Number 17. THESE ARE THE SHEAVES I BRING alone with God, and when her impassi~ned soul REGENERATION. OR SPIRITUAL BIRTH could find no words to express her aniJnated By Thaddeus Neff By 07,a,·a M. Br-ooks feelings, the blessed Spirit of God took up her Secluded in her quiet room, where the balmy proyer and interceded for her before the g,:·cat The Nat1tre of Regeneratio~1.-Jesus, in con breezes wafted to her the sweet fragrance of the white throne. The loving heart of God wns versation with Nicodemus said to him, "Verily, blossomlug orange groves sat in silent medita- moved with pity too deep for earth to know, too verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born tion a Christian woman. Upon her the bancl of · wondet·ful for the human heart to feel. While again, he can not see the kingdom of God" misfortune haa fallen heavily, and for years she she waited with eager longing, the Spirit bore (John 3 : 3). It is obvious that he referred hl sat in her chair, unable to wnlk or to lnove to her the message, "Thy prayer is heard; God spiritual things and not to natural things. Re about, save as she received assistance from oth· has undertaken; many souls will be born into generation is a work Wl'Ollght in the heart ers. Forth from her fervent heart there :flowed the kingdom of God in the land where thy through the operation of tbe Spirit of God, continuii.lly a swelling fountain of desire to do daughtel· now labors.'' which reu~ws the mind and resto1·es the image something to help rescue tho lost from tlteir , Her heart, lately filled 1vith cries of sonow of God in the soul. despair, and to please the great Lord of the for the lost, bnt no1v comforted bc~·ond mcnslll'c, Metaphorically, it has been described as a de harvest by adding at least one sheaf to those btu"st forth with praise and expressions o.f ado liverance from the power of darkness, as a trans- , which will be his joy and the joy of tJle reapers ration to the Lord, who granted her request. lation into the kingdom of God's dear Son, as a iu the coming "harvest home." But, alliS 1 her Soon a heavenly cnlm stole over all het· soul. resurrection, nnd in the nbovc text, as a new hope.~ had so often been dashed into despair by Tal<ing her pen in hand, she wrote to her loved birtl1. As through natm·al birtl1 we enter into the thought of her helpless frame. One would one far away of the victory she had won through the uatural world, partake of human natltre, almost wonder whence she could draw courage faith, and told her that no doubt before the aud bear the image of our earthly pnreuts, so to say anything of the accomplishment of her letter should reacli her the Spirit wonld have through spiritual birth we enter the spiritual desire. been alreadJ poured out upon many heathen kingdom of God, partake of the divine nature, "I can not go forth with the reapers,,. she sonls. An an.c;wer came back that it bad come to and bear the image of our heavenly·Father. said to herself. "Wllat can I do for Jesus, to pass even as she had prayed, and that God in a What Regenet·ation Ej)'ccts.-By it our spir help to fill the garner witli grain- !, who am a special manner had revealed himself unto many cripple and so helpless?" Perhaps her life of fettered hearts, had broken their chains, and set ual vision is illuminated and our nndel'standing · them free. is opened to tbe mysteries of God's Word and resignation to her affliction, and the thoughts of spiritual things. We also begin to view sin from her daughter, whonl she had sacrificed so gladly At the last great day this poor soul, delivered God's standpoint, after we have partaken of · for her Master's service in a distant heathen from 1Jer helpless clay shall stand with celestial God's nature. Our wills and desires are also land, intensified the tide of emotion in hcr.sonl body and shining garments before the Lord of changed, lienee the sinful or vain things that until it had now become an irresistible :flood. the harvest and say with gladdened heart: we once songllt after an& found pleas11re in, She had no means to send, as she was poor. "I could ?lOt go forth with the t·eape·rs, lose their attraction for us. 011r affections are Already she had given her daughter, which was, B11t_ these are the sheaves that I bring." now ou things above, and our couscieuce is indeed, a great sacrifice to one so impotent ns changed, renewed, and spil·itnalized. she. She would gladly give llcr own life, but There is no one so helpless that he can not Regeneration is an instantaneous act; it is what was a helpless cripple worth to the Lord of increase God's kingdom upon earth. If yon first not obtained gradually-merely by external ref If the harvest Y "I can not go forth with tho have the desire you will find the way. you ormation and the renunciation of error- but reapers," was her cry, and how void was this are so poor in earthly treasnl'es that yon can not at the very il1stant we nteet every condition of relief to the overwhelming tide within. (!ive mea11s, you can be rich in faith and give necessary £or the experience, the ' chango is what is greater-fervent prayer. You need not wrought by God himself. "Blessed be the God She pondered still ·over the dying souls in starid before the 1\!l:astcr empty·handed at the the da1·k heathen land whither per danghter and Fatl1er of our Lord Jesus Christ, which jndgment. If you can not "go forth with the according to his abundant mercy hath begotten bad gone. Love, eternal, undying love, far sur reapers," you can at eventide come with the passing all she had ever felt before, came sweep n.c; again unto a lively hope" (1 Pet, 1: 3) . sheav~s of your faithful toiling, mingle your Ethics and leal'Oing can not effect it, else man ing like a flood over her soul, and she could find voice with those who swell the song of "Harvest no mitigation for her bnrdcned heart until she would be capable of saving himself. Paul af. IT omt'," and sa.y to yonr loving Mastez:, "These firms tl1at, "we are His workmanship" (Eph. cried out iu deep emotion and tears to God that aro the sheaves that I bring." he would cause his ·word to prosper beyond the 2: 10). ocean, and save many souls from the cruel power The body also participates in this change, be and tyrannical control of Satan. More a.nq ing the in.strnment of the soul. For this reason more intense grew her desire, while more fer The Master's ringing cry is, Go ye; ancl the one's conduct will be transformed. 1 1 Keep thy vently she plead with God for their salvation. other cry from our blood-brothers of the far heart with all diligence; for out if it are the Food became o£ so little value to her that £or away lands is, Yo1t a.re a long time coruing.-8. issues of life" (Prov. 4: 23) . If the heart is three days it did not touch her lips. She WRS D. Gord011. purified and cleansed from sin, the boay will be 258 (2) THE GOSPEL TRUMPE T .April 27, 1~16 clean also. The apostle Paul says, "Let not sin TRACING GOD deliglited by the fragrance of orange blossoms. therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye I traee him where the ounset fair Mr. Sv.m.day : The te1o:t op. which I have should obey it in the lust thereof. Neither yield Is t.ad.ing far away founded my belief is found in Matt. 24 : 13- ye your members as instruments of unrighteous· In the golden west, with beauty crowned " But he that shall endure unto the end, the ness· unto sin : but yield yourselves unto God, as 'Neath the closing gates of d.ay. same shall be saved." In this life there is some those that are alive from the ,dead, and yonr I traee him whore unnumbered stars thing to endure; heyond this life, or after the members as instruments of rightcousn~ss unto Shine forth from depths~ 1lllknown, end, there is salvation. I believe in a future God. For sin shall uot have dominion over And in the solemn oeen.n 's voiee salvation and a future salvation only. you" (Rom. 6: 12-H). That sings in monotone. Mr. Wright: I believe in a future salvation, I traee him where the mountain• high but to say there is no salvation other than a The Mea;ns of Regeneration.-'l'h~ Word of Toward clouds of beauty rise, future salvation is to say so in the face of mltllY God and the Spirit convey uew life to the souL And where the swelling tides of light plaiD.