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XXI THE THIRD MARK
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The horror of darkness.

Have you ever stopped to think how terrible it would be if we had no Guide to show us the way of eternal life? Do you think you can imagine the bitter disappointment of those who have sought a guide and have failed to find it? We may now pass over lightly some of the more serious questions of life; we may even at times reject the teachings of our instructors1 as unnecessary. But there is a fixed2 fact which all the world has come to recognize—one that sooner or later confronts every individual. It is that the greatest thing in life after all is the knowledge of God and the satisfaction of having found the way of eternal life. The disappointment that follows the failure to find that way is expressed in words of beauty and childlike simplicity3 by an Indian. In 1832 a chief of the Flatheads, with some of his associates sought the wigwams of the white man in quest of the Way of life. This is what the chief of the Flatheads said when he turned to go back to his people:

The speech of an Indian chief.

"I came to you over a trail of many moons, from the setting sun. You were the friends of my fathers, who have all gone the long way, I came with an Indian an eye partly open for my people, who sit in darkness. I go back with both eyes closed. How can I go back blind to my blind people? I made my way to you, with strong arms, through my enemies, and strange lands, that I might carry back much to them. I go back with both arms broken and {160} empty. Two fathers came with us. They were the braves of many winters and wars. We leave them asleep here by your great water and wigwams. They were tired with many moons (of journeying) and their moccasins were worn out (on the trail).

"My people sent me to get the 'White Man's Book of Heaven.' You took me to where you allow your women to dance as we do not ours, and the book was not there. You took me to where they worship the Great Spirit with candles, and the book was not there. You showed me images of the great spirits and pictures of the good land beyond, but the book was not among them to show us the way. I am going back the long, sad trail to my people, in the dark land. You make my feet heavy with gifts and my moccasins will grow old in carrying them, yet the book is not among them. When I tell my poor, blind people after one more snow, in the big council, that I did not bring the book, no word will be spoken by our old men, or by our young braves. One by one they will rise up and go out in silence. My people will die in darkness, and they will go a long path to other hunting grounds. No white man will go with them, and no White Man's Book to make the way plain. I have no more words."

It will be difficult to find in modern literature words more pathetic than these. Yet, how vividly4 and impressively they describe the condition that exists in the Christian5 world. The Indian came out of a land of darkness to seek Light, and finds only a world of darkness. He seeks a guide, a book that shall point the way to heaven; he finds grossness, and a worship of the {161} flesh-pots of Egypt. He must of necessity enter alone upon the long journey to the happy hunting grounds. It will be his great adventure.

The figure of the architect again.

And so it should be with all of us, were it not for the fact that to us God has revealed the "Book of Heaven." In the preceding lesson we used the figure of the architect superintending the erection of a large building. Let us continue that figure briefly6. Naturally, the architect cannot be in every part of the building at the same time. While he is directing workmen in the basement, men laying up the wall of the second story must get along without him. But how shall they know, in the architect's absence, that they are doing the work right?

The answer is not hard to find. The foremen and the workmen have access to plans and specifications7. The plans are minute, and the specifications in detail. The workmen may then see for themselves how the building is to be erected8. If only they read right, and interpret correctly, they may go ahead indefinitely. It is because they are prone9 to misinterpret, and sometimes tempted10 to defraud11 the owners, that the architect has to make his regular rounds and watch carefully.

The plan of eternal life.

It is just so with those who are building life eternal. The Indian chief was right. He was looking for the plans and specifications of eternal life, furnished by the Great Architect. The Indian chief did not find them. He did not enquire12 at the right wigwam. The plans and specifications of eternal life constitute the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The presence and the practice of that Gospel—in fulness and in simplicity—in the {162} Church of Christ, form the third mark of its divine authority.

The necessity of plans.

Why are plans and specifications necessary? Ordinary plans and specifications accomplish three very important things. First, they direct what is to be done and how it is to be done. Secondly13, they furnish a basis of judgment14 whereby to determine whether or not the work of the contractors15 fulfills17 the terms of agreement. Thirdly, they furnish a standard of judgment whereby to determine whether or not the materials used, the proportions mixed, the measurements taken, and all else, are of the quality and fulness required by the builder, and agreed to by the contractor16.

The application.

So also, the teachings of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ are necessary to man for very important reasons. It is through the Gospel, that we learn of God and His work—to bring to pass the immortality18 and eternal life of man. It is through the Gospel that we learn of Christ's wonderful atoning19 sacrifice. It is through the Gospel that we learn to know what is man's duty to God, and man's duty to man. The Gospel, too, then directs men what to do and how to do it. It furnishes a basis of judgment whereby to determine whether a man's actions are good or bad. It furnishes a standard of judgment whereby to determine the true and exact quality of the structure of eternal life which he has built up.

The principles of the Gospel.

It is not the purpose of this lesson to review all the principles of the Gospel. Faith, repentance20, baptism by immersion21, by one holding authority from God, the {163} conferring of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands of men holding authority, are fundamental principles and initiatory22 rites23. All the teachings contained in this little book, and many more besides, belong to the Gospel of Jesus. The true Church of Christ must hold strictly24 to all that Jesus taught. "After that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God."

Men judged by the Gospel.

Of the Gospel—the plan of eternal life—the Great Architect was jealous. "He that rejecteth me," asserted Jesus, "and receiveth not my words, hath One that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day," And the end can not come till all have heard the plans and specifications of eternal life. Said Jesus again, "This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."

The three marks.

Like the chieftain of the Flatheads, others, too, may come over a trail of many moons, from the setting sun. They may come from a land of darkness, in search of Light. They may need the Book of Heaven to make the way of eternal life plain. Surely, the scroll25 may be found in only one place—The Church of Jesus Christ. It is founded upon the rock of revelation; it is ribbed by the quorums of the priesthood of Aaron and of Melchizedek; and it is clothed in the teachings of Jesus—the Gospel of the Son of God.

These are the three never-failing marks of the Church of Christ.
{164} THE REFERENCES

Mark 1:14, 15. John 12:48-50.

Matt. 24:14.
THE QUESTIONS

1. What is the significance of the speech of the Flathead chief?

2. Why does an architect prepare plans and specifications for a proposed building?

3. How is the Gospel like such plans and specifications?

4. What is the Gospel?

5. How did Jesus show His great concern for the Gospel?

6. What are the three never-failing marks of the Church of Christ?

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1 instructors 5ea75ff41aa7350c0e6ef0bd07031aa4     
指导者,教师( instructor的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The instructors were slacking on the job. 教员们对工作松松垮垮。
  • He was invited to sit on the rostrum as a representative of extramural instructors. 他以校外辅导员身份,被邀请到主席台上。
2 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
3 simplicity Vryyv     
n.简单,简易;朴素;直率,单纯
参考例句:
  • She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
  • The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。
4 vividly tebzrE     
adv.清楚地,鲜明地,生动地
参考例句:
  • The speaker pictured the suffering of the poor vividly.演讲者很生动地描述了穷人的生活。
  • The characters in the book are vividly presented.这本书里的人物写得栩栩如生。
5 Christian KVByl     
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒
参考例句:
  • They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
  • His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。
6 briefly 9Styo     
adv.简单地,简短地
参考例句:
  • I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
  • He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。
7 specifications f3453ce44685398a83b7fe3902d2b90c     
n.规格;载明;详述;(产品等的)说明书;说明书( specification的名词复数 );详细的计划书;载明;详述
参考例句:
  • Our work must answer the specifications laid down. 我们的工作应符合所定的规范。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • This sketch does not conform with the specifications. 图文不符。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
8 ERECTED ERECTED     
adj. 直立的,竖立的,笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立,建立
参考例句:
  • A monument to him was erected in St Paul's Cathedral. 在圣保罗大教堂为他修了一座纪念碑。
  • A monument was erected to the memory of that great scientist. 树立了一块纪念碑纪念那位伟大的科学家。
9 prone 50bzu     
adj.(to)易于…的,很可能…的;俯卧的
参考例句:
  • Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
  • He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。
10 tempted b0182e969d369add1b9ce2353d3c6ad6     
v.怂恿(某人)干不正当的事;冒…的险(tempt的过去分词)
参考例句:
  • I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚,但还是没开口。
  • I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。
11 defraud Em9zu     
vt.欺骗,欺诈
参考例句:
  • He passed himself off as the managing director to defraud the bank.他假冒总经理的名义诈骗银行。
  • He is implicated in the scheme to defraud the government.他卷入了这起欺骗政府的阴谋。
12 enquire 2j5zK     
v.打听,询问;调查,查问
参考例句:
  • She wrote to enquire the cause of the delay.她只得写信去询问拖延的理由。
  • We will enquire into the matter.我们将调查这事。
13 secondly cjazXx     
adv.第二,其次
参考例句:
  • Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二,动脑筋提出自己的见解。
  • Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次,需要确定所作用的载荷。
14 judgment e3xxC     
n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见
参考例句:
  • The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
  • He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。
15 contractors afd5c0fd2ee43e4ecee8159c7a7c63e4     
n.(建筑、监造中的)承包人( contractor的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后,接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》
16 contractor GnZyO     
n.订约人,承包人,收缩肌
参考例句:
  • The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
  • The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样,有几分要看地势而定。
17 fulfills 192c9e43c3273d87e5e92f3b1994933e     
v.履行(诺言等)( fulfill的第三人称单数 );执行(命令等);达到(目的);使结束
参考例句:
  • He always fulfills his promises. 他总是履行自己的诺言。 来自辞典例句
  • His own work amply fulfills this robust claim. 他自己的作品在很大程度上实现了这一正确主张。 来自辞典例句
18 immortality hkuys     
n.不死,不朽
参考例句:
  • belief in the immortality of the soul 灵魂不灭的信念
  • It was like having immortality while you were still alive. 仿佛是当你仍然活着的时候就得到了永生。
19 atoning 0d625a69f2d0eee5ccc6413a89aa5db3     
v.补偿,赎(罪)( atone的现在分词 );补偿,弥补,赎回
参考例句:
  • A legacy from Mrs. Jennings, was the easiest means of atoning for his own neglect. 詹宁斯太太的遗赠,是弥补他自己的失职的最简单、最容易的方法。 来自辞典例句
  • Their sins are washed away by Christ's atoning sacrifice. 耶稣为世人赎罪作出的牺牲,洗去了他们的罪过。 来自互联网
20 repentance ZCnyS     
n.懊悔
参考例句:
  • He shows no repentance for what he has done.他对他的所作所为一点也不懊悔。
  • Christ is inviting sinners to repentance.基督正在敦请有罪的人悔悟。
21 immersion baIxf     
n.沉浸;专心
参考例句:
  • The dirt on the bottom of the bath didn't encourage total immersion.浴缸底有污垢,不宜全身浸泡于其中。
  • The wood had become swollen from prolonged immersion.因长时间浸泡,木头发胀了。
22 initiatory 9fbf23a909e1c077400b40a6d4d07b12     
adj.开始的;创始的;入会的;入社的
参考例句:
  • Conclusion Chemokine MCP-1 might play an initiatory role in the course of EAN. 结论MCP-1可能对EAN发病起始动作用。 来自互联网
  • It was an initiatory 'mystery religion, ' passed from initiate to initiate, like the Eleusinian Mysteries. 它是一个入会的“神秘宗教”,经历了由传授到传授,就像古代希腊Eleusis市的神秘主义。 来自互联网
23 rites 5026f3cfef698ee535d713fec44bcf27     
仪式,典礼( rite的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • to administer the last rites to sb 给某人举行临终圣事
  • He is interested in mystic rites and ceremonies. 他对神秘的仪式感兴趣。
24 strictly GtNwe     
adv.严厉地,严格地;严密地
参考例句:
  • His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
  • The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。
25 scroll kD3z9     
n.卷轴,纸卷;(石刻上的)漩涡
参考例句:
  • As I opened the scroll,a panorama of the Yellow River unfolded.我打开卷轴时,黄河的景象展现在眼前。
  • He was presented with a scroll commemorating his achievements.他被授予一幅卷轴,以表彰其所做出的成就。


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