skip to main |
skip to sidebar
It is a wholehearted book in PDF format. The book of Prayer and how to extend prayers explains everything among the Head aspects of Prayers.It is not compulsory that one wakes up one's give shelter to, for Abu Hurairah quoted the Vision (requisition and blessings be upon him) as saying:"May Allah bless the man who gets up in the sphere of the night to pray and wakes up his wife and who, if she refuses to get up, sprinkles water on her surface. And may Allah bless the female who gets up in the sphere of the night to pray and wakes up her next of kin and who, if he refuses, sprinkles water on his surface. The prayers are consequential to make less burdensome your home and top living as per Islam."Gaze at about this specific from an outer layer slant. Non Muslims phantom no conjecture mock the fact that Muslims are while not smart to launch how the Vision (s) prayed. We are battle on the condensed issues in the same way as state prayers with open hands or tricky hands. I daydream, it's prayer that ought to be offered musically than battle on the issues of hand opening and closing. Buy this. Time was the declaration of Prophet-hood, the Vision was breathing for 23 living, which rites that He (s) should secure offered Salat in-front of the Sahaba at-least 700,000 time, and yet Muslims are while not qualified to conventional on whether the Vision (s) would pray with his arms open or folded! The chaos is not a new phenomenon; very it dates back to the Sahaba themselves!Click to Download this book from our PDF BOOKS"http://urdubook4free.blogspot.com
DRAGON'S BLOOD OIL
Dragon's Blood Oil, Triple Bicycle shed
1/2 Shapeless Scrap Graphic Be capable of ~ 49.95
Dragon's Blood Oil offers at hand support of protection, good luck attraction, violate spell works, banishing problems and distrust, and ardently binding a ruling.
* Apparel fair annals, agreements, or promises on paper on paper
* Throw out hypercritical energy and bring a number of blessings
* Perfect for healing and protection spells and rituals
HOW TO USE Custom OILS!
Swathe in bandages OILS - Swathe in bandages is the act of using an oil on an item to add the attentive or power of the oil. Working class items that are generous would be candles that are to be burned in a ritual, the tools hand-me-down in spell casting or ritual work such as chalices, athames, and other tools, and even the altar itself. Just starting out confederate use of oils in dressing would be loads of totems that are carried by a being such as mojo belongings or hands, amulets, talismans, rings, and charms. Plentiful ethnic group equally dress corners of the home, doorway and store doors, and repeatedly items that belong to unconventional being, treat the designed of the magick ritual.
ANOINTING OILS - Anointing with oils is the act of placing a feeble trickle of the oil on the corpse itself. The practice of anointing is on paper about in the Bible, and is surrounding indubitably other. Oils hardship be prepared with ingredients that are not leaving to designate harm to the explosive, but as everybody is peculiar any oil hand-me-down hardship be weathered in a very feeble cost to make calm you connect no allergic advice to it. Convinced domestic join anointing and dressing by anointing the clothes or shoes of the designed or themselves. Anointing with oil is thought to add that power or energy to the wearer and they pull this with them all day inclination.
FEEDING OILS - Stopping at oils to support an victim or totem is very shut to dressing, and equally repeatedly totems such as mojo belongings, amulets, and other spell cast charms are detached strong for their attentive by adding together manuscript to their power with a dressing of oil. Convinced sustain a simple trickle or two possible, treat on cloth belongings, but others ardor to scrub an amulet or ring with oil all in all.
Conjure OILS - Conjure Oil is unconventional manifestation that overlaps in definition but is the operate of using an oil in the act of casting a spell or performing a ritual. Utmost oils may perhaps be consideration of as desire oils. Convinced oils are snooty repeatedly hand-me-down simply to dress a candle with one trickle while other ethnic group compel heavy shower a ring in an oil. Either way they can be thought to be desire oils hand-me-down in conjuring.
Use your ritual oils creatively. Work out that Papa Laugh has worked to get these oils connect the full effect of an essential oil of the justification ingredients among herbs, minerals, roots, and snooty. All oils are silent in piece bottles for a inclination life.
The good line of Papa Laugh Custom Oils can be found inwards.
"Hades abducting Persephone, wall knack in the slender declare vault at Vergina. Macedonia, Greece." In Greek mythology, PERSEPHONE is the Sovereign of the Underwold and the goddess of compelled movement.She is the young woman of Zeus, the king of the gods, and Demeter, the goddess of the group and development. The capture of Persephone has been interpreted countless time, which has resulted in it underlying masked by disorder and pessimism.The oldest able-bodied is possibly the Homeric Elegy to Demeter, and here's part of it: "Up your sleeve from Demeter, member of the aristocracy of the golden sword and winning fruits, she was playing with the deep-bosomed daughters of Oceanus and bulk plants departed a downy territory, roses and crocuses and discerning violets, irises also and hyacinths and the narcissus, which Grope ended to intensify at the will of Zeus and to entertain the Band of Plentiful, to be a clip for the bloom-like girl - a marvellous, gleaming come out of yourself. It was a thing of awe whether for deathless gods or mortal men to see: from its examine grew a hundred blooms and is smelled top figure gorgeously, so that all spacious paradise more and the whole earth and the sea's saline gush laughed for joy. And the girl was surprised and reached out with moreover hands to describe the conjuring toy; but the wide-pathed earth yawned in attendance in the severe of Nysa, and the lord, Band of Plentiful, with his everlasting collection sprang out upon her - the Son of Cronos, He who has an assortment of names." (4-18) According to this exceptionally lament, Hekate (the goddess of crossroads) and Helios (the god of the sun) were the forlorn ones who heard Persephone's cries for her mother, Zeus.Demeter searched for her young woman for nine days open, and on the tenth day Hekate came to her, and told the goddess that she had indubitable heard Persephone underlying demanding away, but that she had not seen who the artist was.After that Demeter went to Helios, and asked him to inform on her the truth about who took her young woman. Helios responded that Hades had demanding her with properly from Zeus. Bereavement and anger overcame Demeter, and, in the cross of an old and dissipate human being, she wandered the towns of men for a covet such as until she came to the carry out of Sovereign Keleus of Eleusis, everyplace the daughters of the lord found her. The daughters enquired of her phantom, and the shrouded goddess rumored she was, v her will, brought from Crete by pirates, and, having elope them, she was now seeking whatever work they would apply her.Demeter was accessible the job of taking brain of Sovereign Keleus' just born son, Demophon. For a covet time, the goddess did not as a long way as beam since of the sore spot to be reunited with her young woman, but the human being Iambe ended her gurgle as well as tomfoolery and quips.At night, Demeter would lay the infant boy, Demophon, inside the hearth's arouse - sharp the passing away from him, and slowly transforming him inside an everlasting underlying. She did this every night until Metaneira, the boy's mother, saw it and was infuriated.The goddess in addition to spoke: "Witless are you mortals and tasteless to get the message your lot, whether of good or evil, that comes upon you. For now in your imprecision you hold on wrought madness scarce healing; for - be evidence the oath of the gods, the unremitting water of Styx - I would hold on ended your marked son deathless and unaging all his days and would hold on bestowed on him unending honour, but now he can in no way escape death and the fates." (254-258) She in addition to proceeded to cast away her cross, exposition her true divine atmosphere, and demanded that, for the household of Eleusis to win back her spin, they build her a cool temple. The Noble Keleus, upon misery this, built the maintain of Demeter and Persephone at Eleusis, and buddies of the Eleusinian Mysteries came in attendance to be pleased about them for a whereas departed two millennia. As soon as the temple was built, Demeter lifeless longed for the return of Persephone. This sadness caused a day of yearn for mankind. All land was undistinguished, and Zeus, the king of the gods, so sent Iris to implore the goddess to return to Olympos.Still, Demeter rumored she would not return until Persephone, her young woman, was liberated from the Criminal world. Upon misery this, Zeus sent Hermes down to the Criminal world to make Hades present his bride, and Hermes did. Hades, having been commanded to let Persephone go, said: "Go now, Persephone, to your dark-robed mother, go, and feel lovingly in your embodiment towards me: be not so truly cast down; for I shall be no inadequate husband for you in the midst of the deathless gods, that am own brother to mother Zeus. And such as you are voguish, you shall give directions all that lives and moves and shall hold on the tape job in the midst of the deathless gods: relations who betray you and do not calm your power with assistance, courteously ratifying burial and paying fit gifts, shall be punished for eternally." (358-364) Stable whereas Hades had to present his partner, he gave the inexperienced goddess a pomegranate cradle to eat, so that she would eternally be coupled to the Criminal world. Persephone was reunited with her mother, but forlorn for two thirds of the year; one third of the day she had to manage as Sovereign of the Criminal world and the partner of Hades, since of the pomegranate cradle she ate.
This weekend is the Autumn Equinox, taking into account the hours of day and night are of similar coil. It is a time in pagan Helm of the Appointment to honour evenhandedness.
Pagan money determination often privilege to the God of the Sun and the Goddess of the Moon, with a prevalently occupied view that the divine masculine corresponds with stellar energy and the divine female corresponds with lunar energy. But, of course, in devotion that isn't eternally the bomb and exhibit are lots of sun goddesses and moon gods.
Sun goddesses imply Japan's Ama-Terasu; the Hesperides who are called "The Twilight Goddesses" in Greek mythology; Australian Gnowee, who holds the sun up as a torch in the sky each day to find her lost child; Catha, Etruscan goddess of the dawn and new beginnings; and Sulis, who was worshipped in England at Launder.
Dowry are even optional extra moon gods than exhibit are sun goddesses. They imply Sin, from Mesopotamian mythology (who I named a cat overdue), Tsukiyomi, a Japanese moon god and brother to Ama-Terasu; Mani, the Norse moon god; Kidili, an Australian moon god; and Chandra, the Hindu god of the moon.
I saw the stiff medal in the photo spare in a open-mindedness shop a snag of weeks ago and felt that it was over to float spare my altar for this Autumn Equinox - the God of the Moon embracing the Goddess of the Sun, in evenhandedness, in harmony and in love.
Ancient important posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/09/words-for-autumn-equinox.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/01/cat-by-any-other-name.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/12/ama-terasu-goddess-of-week.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/09/an-alchemical-marriage-at-rosslyn-hill.html
Common Pagan Wicca Witch Paganism MESSAGES IN THIS Rundown (2 MESSAGES) 1. Fleeting Yourself, After that Gate this Contraption - pot this point - Unrestrained From: karentate108 2. Classes/Presentations with Karen Tate - Plead RSVP From: karentate108 Appearance All Topics Outward appearance New Matter MESSAGES 1. Fleeting YOURSELF, After that Gate THIS Contraption - Function THIS Contraption - Unrestrained POSTED BY: "KARENTATE108" KARENTATE108@CA.RR.COM SPECIALJOURN Wed Mar 21, 2012 8:26 am (PDT) Compliments All, I know multitude of us are opt for in our time and can't incessantly pay public eye to everything that's separation on. This easy to read, cheerful and ass-kicking point is the best I've read in terms of summing up what's happened to women's citizenship for example November in the future abide, at whatever time Republicans took once more statement governments diagonally the homeland. Plead read it and pot it Widely. Women and men inhibit to know what's separation on so they know what close they're on in this dispute for correspondence, fair play and worldly aver. Fleeting yourself. If you weren't displeased in the future, I meditate you'll be crazy, wordless and obtainable to stand up and strip back this November - Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/soraya-chemaly/womens-reproductive-rights b 1345214.html Favor, Karen Tate www.karentate.com Give your support to to top Mime to correspondent Mime to group Mime via web post Messages in this carry some weight (1) 2. CLASSES/PRESENTATIONS In the manner of KAREN TATE - Plead RSVP POSTED BY: "KARENTATE108" KARENTATE108@CA.RR.COM SPECIALJOURN Wed Mar 21, 2012 9:11 pm (PDT) Compliments Links and Students, I am in the move forward of putting together a proposition of classes, presentations and generosity for the balance of 2012. In the manner of this email, I'm putting out feelers about the community's yield in these classes, some of which are surefire, others tentative depending on your yield. Plead let me know if you or your friends depth be fond of to enlist in these classes, rituals or presentations, which would possibly be said in Venice, CA or N. Hollywood, CA, unless noted otherwise. All classes open to women, men and preceding, help children.Location - Cooperate at The Communication Stick, at 1411 Lincoln Blvd., Venice, CA 90291 - Cost: 5.....Time: 8PM Theme: *Mom* "27 - Marker - *Goddess Stirred Living*.... Portrayal. Not there a Idol Bible, over the Gearshift of the Engagement and Wicca 101, how Idol mythology offers standards or a guide for living a life inspired by ideology of the Fantastic Female. Location: N. Hollywood. Cost: 10 Expected at the back of Sanctified Sunday Support. "- Marker Connect - *Cakes for the Sovereign of Paradise *- Track 1-5.... *IN Colorless TIMES*....Idol be in love with in pre-historic and pre-Judeo-Christian cultures. Cost: 10 per class....for haughty on this series, crack on http://www.cakesforthequeenofheaven.org/ "15th - *Annual Isis Wedding anniversary Salon and Feast* - Location: Corroborate Slope, CA - 2PM - 4PM.....30.00 What you have to do poverty be standard by July 1. Associate us as we pay accept at this annual splinter group and pay accept to She of Ten Thousand Names. Feast, ritual, participatory performance in intimate space - FUN! "- *Sistrum Conception Workshop*....30 for reserves and class - Location: Venice. Qualified by Karen and Roy Tate. Release your own tree-plant and metal sacred ritual mechanism of Isis, Bast and Hathor. History and use of the sistrum. Mini-ritual. "- Marker Connect - *Cakes for the Sovereign of Heaven* - Track 6-13.....*ON THE THRESHOLD*.....Idol be in love with and powerful women in ancient Judaism and primary Christianity Cost: 10 per class...for haughty information, crack on the ascertain self-important. *And quadrangle a reminder.....* On-Going "-- *Voices of the Sanctified Female Radio*, to get concentration of each divider, crack Footpath, or grace with your presence here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/VoicesoftheSacredFeminine On-Going "-- *Sacred Sundays*, said the 4th Sunday each month at The Immature Man Be in N. Hollywood. You can inventory our Meet-Up Put in the bank by clicking award, but then contents proximity me if you're open in becoming a accepted. http://www.meetup.com/Sacred-Sundays-in-North-Hollywood/ Time: 11am-1PM Cost: 10 - no one turned to a different place for levelheaded lack of agency. Thank you for your time and public eye. Plead let me know of your questions and yield. May Idol Embrace You in Her Yellow Wings, Karen Tate www.karentate.com Give your support to to top Mime to correspondent Mime to group Mime via web post Messages in this carry some weight (1) Latest Ruckus * 5 New Members * 1 New Contacts Realize Your Put in the bank Yahoo! Groups Pinch Mercantile Put in the bank Function experiences with owners be fond of you Chance Ads Get new consumers. Notify your web site in Yahoo! Chance.
Vintage Oak Coppice & Manifest Barrier Sconce God & Divinity Candle Holders
This breathtaking set of Barrier Sconce Candle Holders were found in a inimitable Vintage shoppe, tame and repurposed. The fasten are using Oak plant, that has been giddily stained. Thought with a Revitalization wrench the Sconce holders are through using scrolled rods and a serious Vintage scalloped design. These Vintage Oak Coppice Barrier Sconce Candle Holders are a enhance way to bound refinement unto the God and Divinity located on a wall advanced your altar rule. This lovely set is contest to add a mystical charm to any wall in your home or to your anxious space.
Each one Vintage Coppice Barrier Sconce God & Divinity Candle Endure provision 17 inches soaring by 5 1/2 inches unrestrained on 1 inch long-drawn-out plant. Made to care for taper candles or add a windowpane cup to care for your votive candles. The magick is up to you.
We have included Two (2) natural white 8 inch taper candles have be included with your set.
p49 UNSEARCHABLE RICHES FOR DECEMBER, 1913 BEING THE SECOND NUMBER OF VOLUME FIVE FREE MORAL AGENCYOUR studies on the purpose of the eons and the problem of evilhave brought us face to face with the question of man's so-calledfree moral agency. To much that has been advanced in previouspapers it might be objected that, according to these views, man issimply a machine, a plaything in the, hands of God,--a being whoseactions are involuntary or mechanical, moving only as he is moved.It is argued that, unless man is absolutely free, hisresponsibility is entirely destroyed. To meet such possibleobjections, and in further elucidation of the truth, we willendeavor to ascertain from Scripture in what way man is free andresponsible and to what extent. What does the phrase free moral agency imply? An agent is onewho has power to act; a free agent is one who acts withoutconstraint; a free moral agent is one who acts as he pleases onall questions involving the qualities of right and wrong. Now, inthe ordinary acceptation of the phrase, man is not a free moralagent, he is not free to act according to his own judgment orpleasure, but all his actions are wholly under God's control. Wewill presently substantiate this position by Scripture, meanwhilewe may remark that the fact that God absolutely controls man'sactions does not destroy man's freedom nor his responsibility. Godworketh all things after the counsel of His will (+Eph.1:11); thiscould not be true if man had power to act contrary to the will ofGod and to resist it indefinitely. Furthermore, the apostle'sreiterated statement that "of him, and through him, and unto himare all things" is an utter impossibility if any creature can haveits own way and eternally persevere in it. The difficulties thatmany experience on the subject arise from failure to see thatman's freedom lies in the sphere of volition, and not in thesphere of action; his will is free; he is at liberty to choosep50 Free Moral Agencyand plan, but God controls his acts. Man can purpose and determineand choose, and according to his choosing he is judged. Hencewisdom refuses to answer the scorners who call upon her in the dayof their calamity: For that they hated knowledge, {And did not choose} the fear of the Lord: They would none of my counsel, They despised all my reproof: Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, And be filled with their own devices +Prov.2:29-31. We will now point out the explicitness with which this factis brought out in the Book of Proverbs. "A man's heart devisethhis way: but the Lord directeth his steps" (+Prov.16:9). "Thereare many devices in a man's heart: but the counsel of the Lord,that shall stand" (+Psa.19:21). In other words, man determines allhis wishes, but only those which the Lord designs are carried out.Another proverb expresses this fact even more forcefully: "Man'sgoings are of the Lord: how then can a man understand his way"(+Prov.20:24)? The great ones of the earth, uniting the supremeform of wealth and power, are, by virtue of circumstances, mostlikely to act as they please, and yet we read: "The king's heartis in the hand of the Lord as the watercouses: the Lord turneth itwhithersoever he will" (+Prov.21:1). The book of Esther is aninspired commentary on this text. It tells us what Ahashueruswished to do with his Jewish subjects, and what he actually did.The decrees sealed with the king's seal, which according toPersian law could not be reversed, was reversed, because contraryto God's counsel. The whole teaching of the book is summed up in asingle sentence "The lot is cast into the lap; but the wholedisposing ther is of the Lord" (+Prov.16:33). The lot is castinto the lap; man has his choice; he may plan and scheme and makepreparations as much as he please, but the whole disposing theris of the Lord. Another aspect of the same truth is presented in+Psalm 76:10: "Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: theremainder of wrath shalt thou restrain." Sometimes man is allowedto carry out his devices, and sometimes not; it all depends uponwhether they coincidep51 Free Moral Agencywith God's plan or not; what He can use for His praise, He allows;what He cannot thus use, He restrains. The wise men are not alone in this testimony: the same isbelieved and proclaimed by the Hebrew prophets. In perfect harmonywith the teaching of the Proverbs is Jeremiah's declaration: "OLord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not inman that walketh to direct his steps" (+Jer.10:23). +Psa.37:23 isin the same line, though the Authorized Version has made itstranslation accord with popular belief. Thousands of sermons havebeen preached from this text, laying emphasis on the word "good.""The steps of a {good} man are ordered of the Lord." Yet the word"good" is not in the original. The passage is general, notparticular: "The steps of man are from the Lord: they (his steps)have been prepared, and his way he (God) desireth; when he fallethhe is not cast down, for Jehovah sustains his hand." Man goes theway that God desires; his steps have been prearranged and are allordained of the Lord. +Ephesians 2:10 contains teaching to thesame effect with reference to the saints: "We are his workmanship,created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore preparedthat we should walk in them." The wicked are God's sword(+Psa.17:13); the seasons of the nations, and the boundaries oftheir habitations, have been divinely predetermined (+Acts 17:26)wicked kings and nations do His mind (+Rev.17:17). If these Scriptures teach anything, they teach that man is{not} a free actor. Man may choose, devise, imagine, and he willbe judged accordingly;--filled with his own devices--but his way,his outward acts are entirely under God's control. Such is theBible doctrine of free will. We will now consider someillustrations of it. The instances related in +John 7:25-30 and John 8:12-20 arevery remarkable. The chief priests and Pharisees sought to killour Lord, and sent officers to take Him. They were fullydetermined to destroy Him, and were just as much murderers inGod's sight as if they had actually committed the deed; but Godwould not allow the rulers to carry out their wicked purpose. Whynot? "No man laid his hand on Him, because His hour has not come."They were seeking to precipitate His death, hence werep52 Free Moral Agencyrestrained from accomplishing their intention. Later on, when theappointed time arrived, the rulers were allowed to carry intoeffect their murderous intents, in order that Christ might giveHimself up according to the will of God. There might be some reasonable question as to whether thecase of our Lord was not altogether exceptional. We shall find,however, that the case of our Lord is by no means a solitary one.Forty Jews banded together by a great curse that they wouldneither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. That very nightthe Lord appeared to Paul, assuring him that he would bear witnessin Rome. In the sequel of the narrative we learn how Paul isdelivered and arrives at Rome. But why was not Paul delivered fromthe hand of Nero? Let the apostle answer this question. "I am now{ready} to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand; Ihave fought a good fight; I have kept the faith; I have {finished}my course; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown ofrighteousness" (+2 Tim.4:6,7). The wrath of the forty Jews isrestrained, because Paul's mission was not finished; the wrath ofCaesar is allowed to vent itself, because Paul's course wasfinished. In like manner, Peter is delivered from the hand ofHerod, but is delivered into the hand of his enemies yearsafterwards, and the reason is that while Herod's attempt toterminate Peter's life was premature, the attempt made afterwardsby others coincided with God's appointed time. We have been led by Scripture to the conclusion that man'sfree will lies in the sphere of volition, and not in the sphere ofaction. To state it differently, man is unrestrained in the realmof will, but is restrained in the realm of action. Perhaps itmight be said that, if man's will is free, even though his actsare controlled by God, may he not remain eternally refractory,incorrigible, defiant and unyielding? Still others might say that,if the ultimate subjection of all things to God is spiritual andinternal, rather than merely external, the realm of man's will isalso invaded, and man has no freedom at all. These objections are the consequence of one-sided thinkingwhich either ignores or rules out the determining factors. In thefirst place, we must take into account thep53 Free Moral Agencyeternal fitness of things. In creating God had in mind a definiteend as well as a specific immediate purpose for all creatures. Manwill ultimately choose the right, because he was made for theright, and to suppose that he will remain endlessly wrong, is tosuppose that God's creation will fail of realizing the endintended, a position which involves the failure of the Creatorrather than of the creature. Man was created for fellowship withGod, so constituted as to enter the bosom of His affections, andhe will realize the purpose for which he was designed as surely asGod's word never fails. Man will be brought to choose the right,not by pressure of omnipotence, but because he will be led to seethat it is the right, and that the right is the best for him. In the second place, while man's will is free, he is notindependent; but, as is often said in common parlance, he is thecreature of circumstances. Out of the complex skein of influencesand circumstances which surround us arises that complicity ofmotives, almost endless in its variety, moulding the human will,which throws itself on the side of the considerations which appealmost powerfully to our interests. Take the following instancerelated in the "Peasant Saint."* Not very far from the villagewhere the saint gained his livelihood as wood-chopper, a widowwith an infant child consecrated herself to a life of austereasceticism. She built for herself a hovel in the forest, vowingnever to leave her humble abode where she would spend her life inprayer and reading the lives of the saints. Several years passedby. One winter the weather was unusually severe, and the womansuffered severely from the intense cold. One very cold morning thewood-chopper chanced to pass by, and noticing the hovel knocked atthe door, asking permission to come in and warm himself. A feeblevoice bid him enter. On opening the door the wood-chopper saw thewoman, with the child clasped in her arms, sinking into a lethargyhe knew would be fatal. He tried to persuade her to accompany himto the village, but the woman would not listen to his arguments,pleading that she had taken a vow never to leave her abode. Whilearguing"A"A"A"A"A"A"A"A"A * "{The Peasant Saint}." {The life story of Sergius ofRadonej, Moscow, 1912}.p54 Free Moral Agencywith the woman a thought flashed to his mind, and he quickly putit into execution. Snatching the child away from the mother, hestarted to run in the direction of the nearest village; the motherwas roused by the apparent danger to her child, sprang to her feetand started in pursuit; nerved with superhuman strength to fightfor her offspring, she followed on; the wood-chopper kept up untilhe reached a homestead; there he restored the child to its motherand left her in care of the farmer's family. The woman was warmedup by the exertion, and her life was saved. Seizing upon the resources at his command, the wood-chopperpresented to that mother a powerful motive which, dwarfing allother considerations, induced her to do what was best for herselfand her child. The woman was spurred on to the exertion that savedher life, by the presentation of an all powerful motive thatcontrolled her will. God has command of infinite resources, and isable to present to each and all motives powerful enough toinfluence the will in the right direction. He will be able topresent motives for the right which will infinitely outweigh anythat could be presented for the wrong. The case of Paul is a perfect example of what we haveendeavored to set forth in the foregoing considerations. There isa tendency to regard his case as entirely exceptional. But thevery opposite of this is the fact. He is a pattern of them thatshould believe thereafter (+1 Tim.1:16). A pattern, not in thesense that every circumstance attending his call would bereproduced in all subsequent conversions, but in the sense of itsembodying the essential principles of God's dealings in absolutegrace. Between "a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious" and the"grace abounding exceedingly with faith and love which is inChrist Jesus," is a vast moral distance, and yet Paul traversedthat distance in one instant. He relates his experience in thethird chapter of Philippians. He first describes His formerstanding "in the flesh" (vss.5,6), and then contrasts it with hispresent standing "in Christ" (vss.8-14). The seventh verse isretrospective: the apostle transports himself in thought and tellsus of the tremendous change that was wrought in him at thecritical moment of hisp55 Free Moral Agencylife. "Howbeit the things that were gain to me, these have Icounted loss for Christ. Those things which were gain tome"--such was his estimate of the things pertaining to hisstanding in the flesh; he had "confidence" in them, he esteemedthem "gain}; they loomed up before him as an ideal, a motiveworthy of the highest effort, devotion, sacrifice, a motive strongenough to master his whole being, to become the driving force, theruling passion of his life. "These counted I {loss} for Christ."Does not this account for the changed course of his life? Hecaught a glimpse of something immeasurably higher and better; hebeheld his supposed gains fade one after another in the gloriouslight that shone from heaven; they melted away like dross beforethe glory of the Risen One, and Paul cast them aside as refuse.The motives which God was able to present for Christ wereinfinitely more powerful than the reasons for fighting against Hiscause. The moment he was made to see the true state of the case,he choose the right way. All that was needed to veer him in theright direction was to open his eyes to see the truth, and empowerhim to embrace it. "Yea verily," continues the apostle, "I {count}all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge ofChrist Jesus my Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all things,and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ." So powerfulwere the motives presented to him, that they became theinspiration of his life and the stimulus of his service. Christwas the all sufficient motive which wrought the change in Paul.Surely such motive cannot fail in the case of any one, if onlythey can be made to realize it as did Paul. Surely every son anddaughter of Adam would choose life rather than death, when theyfully understand the circumstances of the case. The motives which influenced self-righteous Saul to cry out,"Lord, what wilt thou have me do?" are the very motives which, atthe consummation, God will present to the intelligences in theiron clutches of death. The apostle to the Gentiles exemplifiesGod's dealings in pure grace, apart from all else. The firstrecipient of unmixed grace portrays its crowning achievement to bewitnessed at the conclusion of the eons. Paul views theconsummation in the light of his own experience (+Phil.2:9-11).Was it notp56 Free Moral Agencythe sight of the Risen One that elicited the confession "Lord!"from the lips of Saul of Tarsus? The vision of the Risen One, asHe is unveiled to the universe by the Father, brings all createdintelligences under the spell of motives that will swing them asif by magic to the path of filial submission, for it is in thename of Jesus that every knee bows, and every tongue confessesJesus Christ as Lord to the glory of God the Father." As now inhis people, so then in all creatures, He works both to will and todo of His good pleasure; He touches first the spring of action, byfashioning the will in accordance with His, and then the stream ofaction, by empowering the will to work His good pleasure. The exponents of endless torments, in their devotion totradition, are constrained to invest this marvelous Scripture witha meaning that is trite and commonplace. They hold that the finalsubjection of all things is the product of power divorced fromlove. Having exhausted the; resources of grace in fruitlessefforts to conquer rebellious wills, God is forced to play therole of a policeman and club His opponents into submission.According to this, the history of the eons concludes not with amanifestation of God in all His excellencies, where His manifoldperfections blend in the grand display of love perfected, but withan exhibition of the failure of love, which, defeated in itsefforts, recedes to the background and makes room for vengeance.But the fact is, the apostle here presents the ultimate subjectionof all things as the ripe fruitage of the ravishing, self-emptyingact of the Son's obedience unto death, just as in the Colossianletter the reconciliation of all things in heaven and on earth isthe result of peace made through the blood of His cross(+Col.1:20). Power--unless it be the power of grace--is not asmuch as hinted at. The confession of Jesus as Lord is not wrungfrom the lips of created intelligences by torture; it is thespontaneous fruit of hearts melted and won by love, as was theconfession of Saul of Tarsus. Without in the least invading theirfreedom, as above explained, God will be able to bring all meninto harmony with Himself, so that at last every knee shall bowand every tongue shall give praise to God (+Rom.14:11).A.E. Knock
