June 15, 1918 of the people can be eliminated only through great effort, spurred by chastisements; effort against the flesh engenders suffering, though finally that suffering emerges into the peace and joy of ripened character. (Hebrews 12:9-11) The chastisements and the sufferings will be the “boiling” of the flesh—the outeome of which will be a character of tenderness, like to the mind and character of the divine Christ, and fit to be acknowledged by and assimilated as their own by the Christ, Head and body. In that way it will be true that “that servant which knew his Lord’s will and prepared not, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he titat knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes. shall be beaten with few stripes.” (uke 12:47, 48) Those whose natural characters, whose fleshly minds. are tough and unassimilable for the priesthood, shall be “boiled” thoroughly until they are tender-hearted; but those who are readily responsive to the “ministry of reconciliation” will need but little of the trials administered by and through the water of the Word of God. The eating of the flesh by the offerer is the thorough assimilation, by the consecrator, of the new human character ideals presented in the restitution teachings. There, too, ‘tribulation worketh patience; and patience experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God fon the natural plane] is shed abroad in [their] hearts by the holy Spirit which is given’ (Romans 5:4, 5); for all the THE TRIAL IN The trial of the eight brethren from these headquarters waa set for the criminal term beginning Monday, June 3, in the Federal Court of the Eastern District of New York. Affidavits had been filed by the eight defendants stating their reasons for believing that Mr. Justice Garvin was biased against us and our work. This action automatically removed him from the trial and adverted the case to Mr. Justice Chatfield. He, however, referred it to a judge specially brought here from Vermont—Mr. Justice Howe. At this writing, one week of the trial has elapsed, with perhaps a little more than half of the testimony presented by the prosecution. Our legal counsel, Messrs. Sparks and Fuller, are loyally looking out for our interests, and under great handicaps, for the government has had three months for preparation and our counsel is obliged to prepare as we go along, THE WATCH TOWER C191 178) willing and obedient, at least, shall receive of the holy Spirit, as says Jehovah, “I will pour my spirit upon all flesh” (Joel 2:28) in the world-wide blessing, soon to come. Jn the Ezekiel Temple the boi‘ing of that part of the sacrifice to be eaten by the offerer was done in one of the boiling places in the outer court (W, W, W, W)}, symbolizing the infliction of chastisements on the natural restitution plane. It was done by the Levites, symbolizing the fact that of all who are on the spirit plane the great company will he the most directly identified with earthly matters. This flesh when “boiled” was eaten by the offerer, representing his moral assimilation of the ideals presented by the Word of God, touching upon human perfection. The flesh belonging to the priesthood is boiled in the boiling places (J, J) in the rear of the inner court, symbolizing the consecration of the offerer’s new natural mind, as sharing in the holy Spirit poured out upon all fesh, and symbolizing also the trials which he must endure mentally in connection with his chastisements. This boiling was done by the priesthood, suggesting that they will exercise supervision and direction over the acts of the great company. They collectively constitute a ‘merciful and faithful priesthood in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that they themselves have suffered [in this life}, being tempted [tried to the uttermost, “boiled”], they are able to succor them that are tempted.’—Hebrews 2:17, 18. BROOKLYN because no disclosures were made in the indictment as to what. portions of our literature were objected to. It seems we have a fair-minded jury, but it is too early to be able to discern which way the trial will go. Of one thing we are certain: all concerned are perfectly willing to accept the Lord’s providence in the matter, and rejoice that they are accounted worthy to suffer shame for his sake. Foreign Agencies:—British Branch: LONDON TABERNACLE, Lancaster Gate, London, W. German Branch: Unterdorner Str., 76 Barmen. Australasian Branch: Flinders Building, Flinders St., Melbourne. Please address the SOCIETY in every case. [Last appearance of this paragraph, which previously appeared in every issue since the agencies were formed.] Vou, XXXITX BROOKLYN, N. Y., JULY 1, 1918 No. 13 A SOUND MIND “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”’—2 Timothy 1:7. Fear is one of the principal things that make life troublesome. It was doubtless for this reason that our Master admonished us, saying, ‘Fear not, little flock.” Fear, when it is unbalanced by hope, becomes desperation; and desperation spells misery. Fear is a prodigious magnifier, especially when it has been excited by any unusual object. The traveler rarely sees a small tiger; the landsman seldom experiences a gale at sea that is not a hurricane. In a Christian, the “fear of man that bringeth a snare” is counterbalanced by the fear of displeasing his Lord. As the Master said: “Fear not them that destroy the body but after that cannot touch the soul; but fear rather him who after he hath destroyed the body is able also to destroy the soul in Gehenna fire.” We fear usually one or all of three things: weakness, disesteem, mistakes—and the uncertainty which follows in their wake. Fear instilled into the mind of childhood unconsciously impresses and influences the whole life, years after the small incidents which gave rise to the fears have passed into oblivion. But the Apostle intimates in our text that the Father has not been content merely to advise us to be fearless, but that he has given us those thinga which are necessary to put fear out of our lives. He has given us the spirit of power, i. e., power of purpose, which is courage; he has given us the spirit of love, and the spirit of a sound mind. This is the powerful alliance against fear. For if we have power and courage we do not fear weakness; if we have love overflowing in our hearts we have that which makes us estimable in the Pather’s sight, and even to some extent in the sight of others. Hence we do not fear disesteem; for “there is no fear in love; perfect love easteth out fear.” And if we have prudence, judgment, common sense, we have no fear of the desperation which needless mistakes bring. Courage may be likened to the little brother, love to the little sister, and common sense to the watchful guardian. Power might be disposed to use itself roughly at times; love might be too much impelled by tender feeling; but a sound mind modifies and directs them both. SOUND MIND MEANS SOUND JUDGMENT That quality which the Apostle terms “a sound mind” and which is popularly designated as “common sense” may be defined as the sound judgment of the mind when reflecting upon problems of truth and conduct, without bias from logical subtleties or selfish interests. Balanced judgment is as valuable as its application is rare. It is sometiines possessed to a astonishing degree—on matters of purely human import—by those outside of covenant relations with God. But thia should not discourage us; for they were merely better born. But the Lord’s people have a power within them which, if responded to and followed, will help develop the main features of a sound mind in them, no matter where they start on the seale. That power is a desire for the truth. Honesty, or a love of truth, is the basic requisite of a sound mind; for if we do not really desire the truth, then we are bound to beeome immersed in a hopeless tangle of illusions. One of earth’s wise men has said: “The love of truth is the most noble quality of the human intellect, the most enjoyable in the interchange of confidences, yet of all qualities it is the most rare.” Coupled to this desire for the truth is the capacity for its apprehension, which is possessed by every spirit-i]lumined child of God, and not by others. This fact is made plain by the Apostle: “The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak. not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, Iy-¢ which the holy Spirit teacheth; comparing spiritual things [6281]
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