THE COUNTRY CHURCH PROGRAMME 199 



of the stature of the fullness of Christ? Are we pre- 

 pared as families, as business firms, as labor 

 organizations, as cities, as a nation, to make the 

 venture of the Son of Man when He set His face stead- 

 fastly to go up to Jerusalem, and stake everything on 

 love i . . . Through many tribulations we must enter 

 into the kingdom of God, ' It became Him, for whom 

 are all things, and to whom are all things, in bringing 

 many sons to glory, to make the author of their salva- 

 tion perfect through sutfering.' The households, the 

 corporations, the unions, the municipalities, the nations 

 who would lead many of their brethren into the glory 

 of the kingdom of justice, kindness and faithfulness, 

 and be the author under God of their social salvation, 

 cannot expect a different perfecting of their Messianic 

 vocation. 



" But the cross for Christians can never be more than 

 an incident. * Christ Jesus died, or rather is risen to 

 life again, who is also at the right hand of God.' We 

 cannot anticipate a destiny less exalted for any family, 

 or firm, or organization, or country, which dares to make 

 the experiment of incarnating in its life the spirit of 

 Calvary. And there is no other way of placing a home, 

 an industry, a settlement, a state, at the right hand of 

 God."* 



From ocean unto ocean 



Our land ahall own Thee Lord, 

 And filled with true devotion 



Obey Thy sovereign word. 



• " Mea and Religion MessageB," " Social Service." p. 117. 



