Page:The rock of wisdom.djvu/55

 are according to his pure will: and if we have followed the ways of truth, throwing from us. ail injustice, iniquity, contention, malice, fraud, whispering, envying, hatred to God, pride, bearing vain glory, ambition, for those who do these are abominations to God; and not only those who do them, but those who consent to them, "because the carnal mind is enmity against God." Rom. 8 c. 7 v. Now, be it known to all that the great conflict must first commence with our own hearts before we can rally around the blood stained banner of Christ, for the defence of his church, and that only begins when in the day of God's power the sinner's eyes are opened, and he turned from darkness to light, and from the power of sin and satan unto the living God, that he may, by a spiritual arm and divine assistance, combat his own corruption and fight the good fight of faith in the presence of the Lord. Only those persons then, truly and experimentally acquainted with Christ, can take an effectual share in this conflict of the church, under her great captain; and all those who do endure manfully to the end, shall overcome the enemies of Christ, in their desperate attempt against his church, and in due time shall eat of the tree of life, in which the tree in Eden was only the type from which Adam was prevented to eat after the fall, by his being banished out of paradise. It was customary with the ancient Hebrews and many of the eastern nations, to term every thing very beautiful, salutary or glorious, a tree of life; but here it seems to convey the peculiarity of immortality, in a state of innocence and fruition of God, of which our first parents is only a figure. According to the scripture of the Percians, the tree of life grows in the midst of the fountains of immortality upon the holy mount, right in the centre of the world, the sun is at its meridian; he scatters his array from east to west, from north to south, in order that all the sons of God may meet together on the square of justice and part on the level of truth. Here is the mother of rivers from whence this heavenly element extends itself frequently with the germ of life, for plants, trees animals and men, over all the earth. This tree of life is. no doubt, a symbol of Jesus Christ, and of the blessed effects of his redemption to man. See Jon. 6 c. 33—53. By these verses a man may see his duty to God and to