The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-03-02

Believe me, young people, there are times when
that little monosyllable mo" becomes the most
eloquent word Of human speech, because In IL
you hear the deep voiced utterance OF moral
manhood.
o, dear young people, pride and hope of SO
many hearts, with all the warmth ana tender
ness of a young mans sympathy, and WIN d
love for your souls, and yearning sollcltuuet
for your future happiness, earnestly en' ITO
you to pause before you stake the nrst s,tp m nv
the sinners's way Keep that path sn s'u rI
scorning to do the first mean act by sFG;tnths ne
with all the indignity of true many ;,n;rad
first solicitation to evil. Manhood % bp"Id r.
conscience uudefiled, hold it up, hgn u o,,J
up, between you M~ht am unon it, and Gods truth
Within II and Gods spirit baptizlng IL, let &c
never torch the poluting stream whlch nows
beneath. : re- d,,onds ether cons;d
arat;ons than those which relate to time and
personal purity and honor Life has its social
responsibilities. We must influence others,
and this influence, like everything else on earth,
is imperishable Sin like the soul has immor-
tally stamped upon it and woven through it.
Once done it never can be undone. Even the
sins of a redeemed and sanctiied man are i'm
perishable as to consequences and irrecoverate
as to influence.
A young man may in after life turn away
from his evil course, bnt he leaves the corrupt
ed youth whom, consciously or nnconsciously.
he first tempted and seduced, to go foating
down the DARK stream into the pit from the
depths of which they shall cry out against him
forever.
One other consideration must present. IL is
this. Character is the index of destiny. 1t
| doth hot yet appear what we shall be, but this
we know, all that we shall be in the future life
IN the present Very inconsistent are
those who tell us that law is irfiex-
able and therefore miracles impossible
and there is no place for a vicariOuS atonement,
and yet tell us that this law OF sin, obtaining
sway over man in youth, steadily strengthen
ing and tightening its grasp upon him as he adj
vances into manhood and old age, will uncOil at
death or sometime after death unbinding the
| soul and giving it freedom. Friends let me
warn you against SUCH There is no freedom
| for the soul from this Saw of sin and death"
| save through the interposition of higher law,
''the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus,
and God has most plainly and positively de-
| clared that the operation OF that law IS limited
| to the life that now is
Here then is the end of the whole matter
Submit to God, to His will, His law, the plan
of salvation which he has provided. So shall
| vour choice of life be true and honorable, so
Shall you dwell in safety. your days shall be full
| of peace, your lite shall be crowned with glory
and honor, your path shall Re sas the shining
light that shneth more aud more unto the per
feet day."
|
The pastor, Dr. Smaller, preached an argu-
| mentative discourse from 1. Timothy, l., Is,
'sThs is faithful saying and worthy of all
acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners
We have here the grand theme of the gospel.
| Christ Jesus came into our world, and came to
save sinners. Take these truths from the gos-
pei and its substance will be gone. For
around them cluster in beautiful harmony the
sublime doctrines, the pure precepts, the pow
erful motives, which the gospel contains. The
text is common one, SO common that its full
significance is apt to be overlooked. The
great apostle at every stage of his advancement
loved to recur to the truths of Christianity
| which first challenged his belief. 1t was this
fact, rather than any logical connection of the
subject, that led to the utterance of these
words. This is faithful saying, and wor-
| thy of al! acceptation, that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners" The OBJ
ject of the discourse is to show why the propo-
| sition that Christ Jesus came into the world to
| save sinners. is worthy the acceptance of all.
| 1. Because it is true proposition. But all
propositions which are equally true are not
| equally worthy of acceptance Our minds
should be open to the reception of truth from
| whatever source it comes But not all are
equally important to us. When, however,
| proposition is laid before us which pertains to
our temporal and eternal inter- SITS, if true, we
| find in that fact reason for its acceptance.
That the scriptures assert this proposition there
can be no question; Jesus, himself, asserted it.
THE son of man is come to seek and to save
| that which was LOST
q The proposition is worthy of acceptance,
because sinners need a Saviour. There are but
| two methods revealed to mankind by which
they eau be saved. One is by keeping the law
of God perfectly, and the other is, through the
pable of moral action have sinned They can
| not, therefore, save themselves, on the ground
of works-and are in need of Saviour.
g. The proposition is worthy Of acceptance,
| ed to the sinners need, 1t might be true, that
He came to save sinners, and that they were in
need of Saviour, but if he were not adapted to
their necessities, it would avail little, We
sacrifice, and we learn something of His adapt
edness to the exigeLcies Of the case, and then
| He is set forth as mediator between God
and ma To- mediate between swe part.sz i
| ing and understanding fully all the facts and
| circumstances, and results upon either side
! Christ Jesus is presented as Being, svmpa-
| thizing with our humanity as Brother, and at
| the same time comprehendIng the infinite as
God.
T. The proposition is worthy of acceptance,
because upon our acceptatlon OF 1T our salvation
depends. And to accept as the apostle used
| the term means something more than our as
| sent to the proposition as being true 1t inn
plies the cordial and hearty reception of Him
| as our Saviour. .rs.r
| 3. The proposition is worthy of acceptance
because of the comprehensive meaning of
that term sauod.- Who of us ever realized the
fulness and richness of that term? 1t implies
| salvation from all that is embraced in that
| word Dissatisfaction from the love, the prac-
| tice, the dominion and the consequences of sin.
A soul lost and soul saved! How wide the
| difference! How sublime the work of saliva
| ton! Christ Jesus came into our world to ac-
| complish this work came ssto save Sinners
Such trnth! How worthy of our aeceptation
| and the acceptatiOn of all. III
Some practical remarks by way of applica
| ton closed t discourse.