The Acts of the Apostles (1911) — PDF Scan 512

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506 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES With the growing contempt for God's law, there is an increasing distaste for religion, an increase of pride, love of pleasure, disobedience to parents, and self -indulgence ; and thoughtful minds everywhere are anxiously inquiring, AAliat can be done to correct these alarming evils? The answer is found in Paul's exhortation to Timothy, ''Preach the word." In the Bible are found the only safe principles of action. It is a transcript of the will of God, an exxDression of divine wisdom. It opens to man's understanding the great problems of life; and to all who heed its jDrecepts, it will prove an unerring guide, keeping them from wasting their lives in misdirected effort. God has made known His will, and it is folly for man to ciuestion that which has gone out of His lips. After Infinite TTisdom has spoken, there can be no doubtful cpiestions for man to settle, no wavering possibilities for him to adjust. All that is required of him is a frank, earnest concurrence in the expressed will of God. Obedience is the highest dictate of reason as well as of conscience. Paul continued his charge: ''Watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." Paul was about to finish his course, and he desired Timothy to take his place, guarding the church from the fables and heresies by which the enemy, in various ways, would endeavor to lead them from the simplicity of the gosi3el. He admonished him to shun all temporal pursuits and entanglements that would prevent him from giving himself wholly to his work for God ; to endure with cheerfulness the opposition, reproach, and ]3ersecution to which his faithfulness would ex-