"It is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence; and he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame. Rom.9:33.

When Paul and Barnabas, sent out on their first missionary journey, came to Antioch of Pisidia, they entered the Jewish synagogue, as their custom was, and sat down. After the other exercises were over, the rules of the synagogue invited them to speak, and Paul reasoned with them from the scriptures, beginning with the history of the Egyptian Bondage and leading their thoughts onward to the promise of remission of sins through Jesus Christ, the Messiah. After his speech the synagogue was dismissed, but the people were so interested that they sought to hear these words again; therefore Paul and Barnabas urged them to continue in the Grace of God, Acts 13:13-43. Even though they did not accept the Gospel immediately, their interest and desire to know more about the Truth, marked them as following in Divine Grace. Nevertheless, one week later, their jealousy of the apostles when great crowds assembled to hear their teaching, caused the majority of the Jews to forsake the Grace of God in which they had walked; then Jesus became to them "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence."

With sufficient knowledge comes full responsibility. "The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent," Acts 17:30. In the fullness of time God brings to light His Will. True it is that we of today have that will complete in the Bible. Nevertheless how often men read over much truth and do not understand until "in the fullness of time," the true meaning is grasped. And too often when the Truth begins to dawn upon men, it becomes to them "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence."

One of the strange contingencies of religious reform is the partial acceptance and partial rejection of the truth of the Gospel. Most of the reformers have accepted some great truths but rejected others. Perhaps their rejection has been due to ignorance or incomplete knowledge of testimony; wherefore we should be indeed foolish not to accept the greater light when it comes to us, and doubly foolish should we be caused to stumble at the saving grace of the knowledge of God.

Martin Luther took a long stride in the right direction, accepting much truth and rejecting much error, before he stumbled at giving up the doctrine of transubstantiation. Now his followers have so cluttered up, with human traditions, the light accepted by Luther that they have rejected the true Grace of God. John Knox accepted Truth along other lines but destroyed the personal responsibility of many of his hearers through his erroneous doctrine regarding predestination. The Wesleys taught much truth and made steps in advance of their predecessors regarding the clergy, but stopped short of the goal of bringing to light the true pattern of the New Testament Church. Each reformer made one step in the right direction, but the followers have added so many human traditions and humanly devised practices to the order left, that the labors of the reformers themselves have been to the generations that followed them practically vain

Soon arose such great men as Alexander Campbell, David King and others, who upheld the true name and order of entrance into the kingdom of Christ, but their religious inheritors have ruined their forbears efforts by accepting and imposing such errors as instrumental music in the assembly, humanly devised societies, Sunday Schools, breads, cups, etc., until we look in amazement at the destruction of Truth by its professed followers.

When Jesus came in the flesh, He found the true religion rendered vain by sects and their practices sprung up in the very sanctuary of the Lord. What will He find when He comes again?

At His first coming a few were willing to accept Him—a few, for the most part of humble, despised workmen. The great religious leaders were His most bitter enemies. What will He find when He comes again?

A few have come out beyond the pale of some human traditions not destroyed by the late restorers. Are we going to stop short of perfection or shall we continue in the Grace of God to learn more of the Great Light, The Divine Truth, the Noble Heritage of Righteousness that is ours if we will seek after it? The maximum of achievement in humbly following our Guiding Star in the meekness of His Spirit; this is the true Grace of God, stand ye fast therein, I Peter 5:12

.The faithful of old died in this grace. They lived up to the light they had, eagerly seeking for more light, even Daniel (12 :8-13), and Others, I Peter 1:10-12, etc.; therefore they died in the Grace of God. Others of our time have followed in their footsteps and have passed on in that glorious state of grace that leads to grace unending, though to the utmost here, impervious. Let us follow them not in the letter but in the spirit, not satisfied with the knowledge of the Truth they had attained to, but eager for more light on things here and hereafter. Let us be ever ready as were they before us, to accept each new truth learned, and to practice it faithfully. Then when we lay down the armor others may take it up, and in the Last Great Day, we shall know as we are known. Wherefore continue ye in the Grace of God until it is said, "passed on." Grace be with you all.