WEARING OF COSTLY APPAREL.

We might argue with considerable force that nothing is too good for a true, faithful, noble child of God, who has consecrated life and all to the divine service. We might reason also that without doubt the angels of heaven and all of the heavenly arrangements are splendid and glorious in their appearance, and, hence, that splendor represents the divine mind and will respecting God's people. Viewing the matter from this standpoint, we might at first be inclined to say that the members of the New Creation might properly adorn their mortal bodies with gold and jewels and costly array most lavishly; but before so deciding let us look at the other side of the question—at the reasons why the New Creatures should not adorn their mortal bodies lavishly, extravagantly:

(1) Extravagant personal adornment naturally leads to more or less of pride; and we all know that a love of display, a love of appearing well before others, is a peculiar temptation to our fallen flesh, and very unfavorable to the cultivation of the spirit of meekness and humility. Hence, anything that would minister to pride and hinder the development of humility would be contrary to the interests of the New Creation.

(2) The vast majority of the human family are hindered from any luxurious outward adornment by poverty, and so long as cor.trolled by the natural mind they are sure to look enviously upon the rich, and especially upon those making ostentatious display of wealth. The spirit of love, therefore, would prompt the New Creation to consider the conditions and sentiments of others,—not to provoke them to covetousness, envy, etc., nor to make their lives and lots seem bitter in comparison.

(3) Every member of the New Creation has made a consecration of his all to the Lord and to his service, and to use whatever may come to him in the way of this world's goods as not abusing it, but in accordance with the pattern of him who has become our Redeemer and Leader and Lord. The pattern set is that of sacrifice

not only of influence and time, but also of means, wealth, etc. "He who was rich, for our sakes became poor." Every member of the New Creation, therefore, in proportion as he appreciates his covenant and seeks to live up to its conditions, can find better use for the money intrusted to his stewardship than in extravagant adornment, which might not only injure himself but provoke others injuriously. He will want to make every dollar useful so far as possible in the Lord's service. We do well here, perhaps, to call attention to the fact that the consecration which would not permit us to expend money for jewelry, or gorgeous or extravagant apparel, would not, as a rule, be any more faithfully used as stewards if investing it in stocks, bonds, real estate, etc., instead of wearing it upon our persons or lavishing it upon our homes. Money is valuable for the use to which we can put it, and each member of the New Creation possessing wealth should consider carefully the responsibilities of the stewardship, and be prompt to use it according to his judgment of the divine will. He should remember that all the tendencies of the fallen nature are toward selfishness, and that therefore the new mind must battle with this disposition in the flesh and must overcome it, if he would win the prize.

If a worldly man of high principles, who declares that he is not a Christian, but that if he has any religion at all he is a Buddhist, sets forth the maxim that it is "a disgrace for any man to die rich," how much more should the members of the New Creation so feel;-that it would be a shame for them, having made consecration of their all to the Lord, if they wasted consecrated money extravagantly upon their own persons, or hoarded it when they see so many opportunities in life for using this talent advantageously! The whole creation is groaning, is travailing in pain, as the Apostle declares; and, as the Master explained, the poor we have always with us. Undoubtedly, all who have good impulses will find numerous opportunities for benevolences, benefactions in a worldly way and in temporal matters. How much more may the New Creation realize opportunities for

wise use of their stewardship, and moderation in respect to their personal affairs, that they may use the opportunities which they see everywhere about them of dispensing the spiritual bounties which the Lord has so freely bestowed upon them. Peradventure they might be enabled through this channel to carry to others the robes of Christ's righteousness, and the bread which cometh down from heaven; that through this stewardship they might the more effectively show forth the praises of him who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light, letting that light shine forth the more clearly. Undoubtedly it is in order to give his people the opportunity of serving in this matter, and showing their devotion and faithfulness as stewards, that the Lord leaves his cause in such condition as to appeal continually to his consecrated ones to deny themselves and take up their cross and follow him whom God hath sent forth to be our exemplars.

We are not in this urging that any should beggar themselves and make themselves dependent upon the charity of others by giving away their all in the Lord's service, leaving not even the seed from which future returns may be expected. Nor are we urging that sacrifices be carried to such an extreme as would cause the Lord's people to appear peculiar, shabby, stingy. To our understanding proper dressing is that which is neat, appropriate to the surroundings and conditions, unobtrusive to the eye and in reasonable accord with the financial means. Surely the New Creation should be ensamples for the world along these lines. They should be particular not to dress nor attempt to dress beyond what their circumstances would permit, not to make a show of wealth which they do not possess, and indeed, so far from dressing and living up to the full measure of one's ability-wages, income, etc.-the Lord's people are to live within their means, not only that they may have a provision ahead for the ordinary necessities of life, but also that they may be prepared to exercise the God-like qualities of benevolence and charity toward others in necessity.

STUDY XV.

THE FOES AND BESETMENTS OF THE NEW

CREATION.

"THE OLD MAN."-THE World as AN ENEMY OF THE NEW CREATION. -THE GREAT ADVERSARY.-HE WAS A LIAR AND A MURDERER FROM THE BEGINNING.-SATAN'S ASSOCIATES IN EVIL.-LEGIONS OF DEMONS.-HOW SATAN'S FIRST LIE IS PERPETUATED.-CHRISTIAN SCIENCE AND THEOSOPHY.-"WE WRESTLE NOT (MERELY] WITH FLESH AND BLOOD."-THE MINISTRY OF EVIL.-BESETMENTS OF THE ADVERSARY.-"THE PRAYER OF FAITH SHall Save tHE SICK." "IF SATAN CAST OUT SATAN" HIS KINGDOM WANES.-LOVE RIGHTEOUSNESS,-HATE INIQUITY.—MARK 16:9-20.-THE NOMINAL CHURCH AS AN ADVERSARY TO THE NEW CREATION.-THE ARMOR OF GOD.

CH

HIEF amongst the foes of the New Creation is "the old man"-the old will. Let us avoid the mistake so commonly made respecting this subject. Let us not think of the New Creature as having two minds, two wills. "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways," unsatisfactory to himself and unacceptable to the Lord. The New Creature is not double-minded. He has but the one mind, one spirit, one intention, one will; and that is the new will, the Spirit of Christ, the holy Spirit. Instead of partially accepting the mind of Christ and partially maintaining his own will, he made a full consecration of his old will to the Lord, and that old will was reckoned as dead, and set aside from having control in his affairs. It was thus that he was accepted as a member of the body of Christ,-to have no will of his own, but to permit the will of the Head to control him. It was thus that he became a New Creature in Christ Jesus, and found "old things passed away, all things become new." Those who have not made such a surrender have not become members of the Ecclesia, the body of Christ, though they may be members of

"the household of faith," from which come all the members of the "body," the "elect."

But although the old will was thus renounced thoroughly and forever, and reckoned dead (by the Lord and by all who view matters from his standpoint), and while the flesh was reckoned dead, too, as respects sin, but alive toward God, quickened by the promises, and brought under the control of the new will-(Rom. 6: 11; 8: 11), nevertheless this death of the flesh and its will, and this resurrection of the flesh as the servant of the new will, to serve the Lord, the Truth, under the Golden Rule, are only reckoned matters. The "dead" and "alive" conditions need continually to be maintained by opposition of the new will to any life or activity of the old will and its influence over the flesh. If the new will becomes indifferent and fails to use the mortal flesh continuously as its servant in higher and spiritual things, the flesh will very shortly reassert itself and have motions and desires of its own, antagonistic to the new mind, opposed to the interests of the New Creature. The latter must, therefore, be constantly on the alert for insurrections, and, as the Apostle expresses it, must keep down, keep dead, the old will, with its affections and its desires— must continually mortify, or put to death, the ambitions and desires of the flesh. The Apostle explains this, saying of himself, "I keep my body under [dead, as respects all control from the old, selfish will of the flesh], lest after having preached to others I myself should become a castaway"-might fail to make my calling and election sure.- -1 Cor. 9: 27.

The inspired Word declares that "the [natural] heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jer. 17: 9)-not the organ called the heart, but that which the heart represents in Scripture, viz., the natural affections. The New Creature gets a new heart, a new will, a new standard of affection, in which God and his righteousness and truth and plan and will are first; and in which all other things occupy a place of honor and love in proportion to their harmony with the Lord and his righteousness. To those possessing this new heart