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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 15. 



At this exclamation the whole familv pilod 

 into the back kitchen, and I was finally sup- 

 plied with all I needed, given the best seat and 

 plenty of flannels, and. like the prodigal of 

 olden time, I was invited to sit down to a well- 

 spread table, and partake of roast turkey which 

 my stalwart young nephew "Ttiad" had 

 " shooted " the very day before, in honor of my 

 approaching visit. 



In a recent sermon by our good pastor, J. R. 

 Nichols, I was so much impressed by one or two 

 points that I asked him to write up that portion 

 for the readers of Gleanings. You will find it 

 below: 



ARMED WITH THE MIND OF CHRIST. 



Forasmuch then as Ciirist suffered in the flesh 

 arm ye yourselves also with the same mind; for he 

 that hath suffered in tlie flesh hath ceased from sin ; 

 that ye no lonjfer should live the rest of your time 

 ]^ the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of 

 God.— I. Peter 4:1-3 (New Version). 



"The sufferings of Christ" is the theme of this 

 epistle, which moves on a high plane of moral 

 grandeur and heroism. As we learn in the intro- 

 duction, it was addressed to the elect, scattered 

 through the provinces of Asia, who had not only 

 been driven out by persecution, but were now suf- 

 fering persecution on account of their belief. The 

 author's aim is to encourage and sustain them in 

 their trials, and tliis he does most successfully. He 

 first salutes them as heirs of an inheritance " incor- 

 ruptible, undeflled, and that fadeth not away," in 

 which they are able to "rejoice with joy unspeak- 

 able and full of glory," even though now for a time 

 they may "suffer heaviness." He recalls to their 

 mind the fact that their redemption has not been 

 purchased with "corruptible things, such as silver 

 and gold," but "with the precious blood of Christ, 

 as a limb without blemish and without spot," and 

 then, advancing to speak of their suffering and 

 hardships, he reminds them that they ought not to 

 be unwilling to suffer for the name of Christ, since 

 he suffered in the flesh for them; and this is the 

 gTOund of his argument and appeal, to which he 

 returns again and again in the progress of liis epis- 

 tle. In these verses the apostle is approaching 

 the conclusion of his argument, and he draws a 

 practical application or lesson: "Forasmuch as 

 Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also 

 with the same mind." 



I want to impress upon you, at this time, the. im- 

 portance of being armed with the mind of Christ in 

 regard to sufferings and alHictions as a means of 

 purging us from sin, and preparing us to do the 

 will of God. 



"The suffering of Christ," which is the theme of 

 this epistle, is also the groundwork of the whole 

 gospel. Leave this out of the thinking of the last 

 nineteen centuries and you utterly revolutionize 

 the Christian thought of the world. We have in the 

 suffering Savior " a man of sorrows and acquainted 

 with grief." Peter has before spoken of the .suffer- 

 ings of Christ, and the glory which shall follow. 

 Paul also speaks of his desire to "know the power 

 of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffer- 

 ings." There is sin in the world, and it requires 



suffering to get it out. This is God's chosen way, 

 although many fail to approve it. Time was when' 

 this plan did not me, -t even Peter's approval. When 

 Christ first announced to his disciples that he must 

 go up to Jerusalem and suffer many things of the 

 scribes and Pharisees, Peter took him apart and 

 rebuked him, saying, "Be it far from thee. 

 Lord;" but Peter has now been converted, and has 

 been led to see the wisdom of the divine way. 



Some say sin can be educated out of the world ; 

 but the experience of Greece, as well as of modern 

 times, has conclusively shown that a trained mind 

 is often found in the same body with an evil heart. 

 Some of the brightest men of the ages have been 

 fiends incarnate. Sin will endure a marvelous de- 

 gree of intellectual culture. Some are in favor of 

 doing away with sin by means of resolutions-pass 

 resolutions against it; but experience has proven 

 that it will stand any number of resolutions. It 

 thrives on resolutions. Some say, "Love it to 

 death." This is well; but how are we to show our 

 love for men ? Does a mother show her love for her 

 child by caring for it and fondlingit when in health, 

 and turning away from it in the hour of sickness 

 and suffering ? There is no way one may so effec- 

 tually show his love for another as by suffering for 

 that other, So Christ showed his love for us by suffer- 

 ing for us in the flesh. This theme underlies every cor- 

 rect conception of the l)lessed truth of the Christian 

 religion. It was in this way that Christ declared 

 his sympathy with us and his undying love for us; 

 while at the same time revealing his intense hatred 

 of .sin. We ought never to lose sight of this fact 

 nor its tremendous significance— that Chrtst suffer- 

 ed in the flesh. 



But the apostle next calls our attention to a prac- 

 tical inference or lesson fi'om this theme; viz., that, 

 since Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, we 

 should arm ourselves also with the same mind. 

 Peter addressed these Christians as if they were 

 engaged in a warfare, and he uses a military figure 

 —"Arm ye yourselves "—taking the mind and pur- 

 pose of Christ in relation to his suffering as a 

 weapon of both offensive and defensive warfare. 

 Take his loving spirit into your heart to protect you 

 in the midst of your conflicts for Christ and your 

 faith. Be willing to suffer for him; he has for you; 

 " endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.'' 

 Christianity appeals to the heroic in human nature. 

 It calls upon us to be strong and courageous in the 

 midst of trials, suffering, and persecutions. We 

 ought not to look upon suffering in the flesh "as 

 though some strange thing had happened to us." 

 This heroic spirit is quite too rare among the pro- 

 fessed followers of Christ in the present day. Too 

 many desire a religion of convenience, which does 

 not call upon them for any disagreeable service or 

 unwelcome sacrifice. They do not want to forego 

 any pleasure, or be thought peculiar, or even leave 

 their warm firesides, for Christ's sake. Some seem 

 to think that Christ has borne all the unpleasant 

 things, and they have only to reap the reward of his 

 sacrifices and sufferings. The command, " Be ye not 

 conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by 

 the renewing of your minds," seems to have been 

 dropped out of the Bibles of many people. The fact 

 that other people do things is to many a suflScient 

 warrant for doing them. Because others dance, 

 and play cards, they must do the same. The fact 

 that others violate the Lord's day by taking long 

 trips on their bicycles is a sufficient warrant for 



