Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-11-15
Taking Goo at His Word.

,
Taking Goo at His Word.
A LECTURE-ROOM TALK, FRIDAY, OCT. %.
have letter from friend who wants
advice. He says: Il am in charge of {
Sunday school among the freedmen, but |
can only say 60, when | should say come.
| have prayed hard for the forgiveness Of
my sins; | know Gods power; but praying
seems to avail nothing. | have always de-
sired to be Christian, but | know | am
as great sinner as the vilest | believe
that God is able to fulfill all His promises,
and cannot believe that | am an excep-
ton" The writer of this letter is not an
exceptional individual he is an example
Of a large class of persons in every commu-
nifty. In the first place there is a vague
but universal impression that when men
are received into Gods favor, they will
have some kind of illumination that will
make them certain of it. ] believe that
when there is a spiritual change, there Is
some conscious evidence of it, but believe |
too. that when a mans heart is changed, !
the change does not always take place in
such a way as to disclose to the man the |
whole work on the other hand he may
be $ II in the dark after the day has be-
gun 10 dawn for him, and this for various
reasons. After man has come to a clear
conviction of his sinfulness, and has decid-
ed that he needs the cleansing influence
Of the Spirit of God when he feels that
his own efforts cannot save him: that he
needs divine pity. succor, forgiveness;
when he is able to say, 81 am willing to
do Gods will, - and honestly say it, then
he has a right to say. 81 am forgiven"
Here are a score of young fellows who
trespass on my grounds: have secured
evidence against them; it Is in my power
to give them into the hands of the law. |
say: Now | have good chance to give
these boys start in life. They know
that they are wrong; they are full of fear "
So send a message to them. offer full
forgiveness to all who will frankly own
up, and promise to trespass no more. |
tell them that they need not fear, | will
give them no further trouble One after
another comes to me and confesses that he
was in the scrape, and says that he is
ashamed of it, and will be honest in fu-
ture. That ends the matter offer con-
ditions, they accept; the fact of their com
plying evidences my forgiveness. They
say He said he would forgive us, and
that is settled \ great burden is rolled
off their minds. The offense belongs to
the past.
Now we live in this world more an ami
5 NAL life than a spiritual; pride and self
l ishness have control over us, we are out of
! sympathy with God, and largely with our
? selves. The word comes from above, that
| we are under the curse of the law and
5 there is but one remedy-amnesty. Who
| ever confesses his sins and forsakes them,
!, whoever gets his will on his side 50 that
| he can honestly say, Il will obey" has a
: right to take God at his word. This Is
| Just where men don't have faith. Christ
y told the lame man to take up his bed and
Y walk. If he could walk, he was we'll II
a he bad waited for some tickling in his
G limbs he would have been like those who
2 expect an embarrassment when they re
y pent. Il mean" says a man, ''to live &
e better life" Then live it-walk. After
d you make the resolve to live this new life
= and throw yourself on the promises O
n God, you have still the fight before you
II you cannot cure pride and selfshness il
e an hour. To be converted is to make
If beginning in Christ's school; you hav,
3; got to be educated; you have got worl
5 enough on hand for the rest of your life
y You will often 90 to the Lord and say,
= don't keep the promises that make-sel
S runs away with me. He replies; 1T i
true; without Me We can do nothing.
Lean on me- If bear with you and b
patient with you, can you not be patien
I | Al i II
1t patience of the great heart of Christ =
" Don't wait to be convicted any more.
Or you feel that you are sinner, the frs
IN step is one of will, of endeavor to over
ID come; you accept the Word of God, an
III you resolve to do your whole duty. 70
Id might as well take your conviction grad
ID ually. Nothing convicts man so deepl
S. as trying to live by the criterion of God
e, Word. When man who has hoped hin
ut self up a little, tries to live strictly b
he Gods commands, he will feel that tt
nj devil has got into every one Of his facu
ce ties. Don't stop to see how you feel Tai
re. up your bed and walk, you have been Ii
" zy long enough. Don't be ashamed to l.
IL your companions see that you have star
)w ed, you are not much of a traveller, b.
he you have made start. DO not be di
it couraged because you break your resol
De- tons. You are not to say, ''if God wi
ert forgive me, will not do so again" Y,
tut are a fool to promise. Of course you W
Ice break your promise. You should say tn
Ike you will try. You are sinner. Chr
nat takes you as sinner if He takes you
ore all, and until He lifts you out of the ri
ng er of death, you will need to say at eve
ord step-"By the grace Of God | am what
as am by Rey. Henry Ward Beecher
I'd, --~-
ere Atheism.
ion What can be more foolish than to thi
in that all this rare fabric of the heaven a
arm earth could come by chance, when all t
IN /: skill of art is not able to make an oyste
.ify To see rare effects, and no cause; Il