The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-02-25
For the REDWOOD GAxRrTB. ~ = !,
Christ Is q Foundation Of Relixioa.
By W. II. MAcARnx

~ BY W. H. MAcARxY. .:
BY turning to the third chapter and
eleventh verse Of arst Cor. we read that
other foundation can no man lay, than that
which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Reader
turn nov, to your Bible aud read this por-
ton Of Scripture carefully, and while you
ponder it in your mind read as sincere
inquirer the chapter keeping before your
mind the fact, that Christ is the only foun-
dation Of salvation. feel quite certain
that yop will feel the force Of this chapter,
lespecial the eleventh verse, by thus care
fully reading and thinking over it. ~ y You
need not tell mo that you care nothing
about religion for you know, I know, and
God knows that you have often thought
seriously over the matter. Do you ask me
when you were concerned about your soul,
AhI Twill remind you Of the time. Do
you remen Der the time that You stood by
the bedside Of dying friend, it may have
been an associate, a sister, = brother, \
father or mother. You looked in their
face while life vas ching away, it grew very
pale, their lips quivered, their eyes grew
dim, the pulse weak. the breath short,
while you imagined the soul trembled
between time and eternity, until At last the
lamp Of life went out. Oh! the feelings Of
awe, the anxiety Of soul you felt and how
much you desired to lift the curtains and
see where your loved one had gone. never
can describe in your heart, you said, what
an awful thing it must be to die. Then
do not tell me that you have not desired
salvation for cannot believe you 50. void
Of understanding As all this. D.
But in order to satisfy that burning anxi-
ETY. many ways Of salvation have been i'm
agined and many foundations have been
laid in the sand, but of all the sandy foun-
dations ever heard of inddelity is the
most dctious for it does not give single
ray Of hope to its posessor, for an example
l refer the reader to = National convention
of infidels held in New York City in the
fall Of 1873, in this convention seventeen
resolutions Of faith were passed by the del
egates and they invariably began, resolved
that We do not believe &c. venture my
reputation as theologio, that the above
is fair sample Of inddel faith or rather
antifaith. Does believing in infdelity do a
man any good is a fair yet vital question
I leave this for the reader to answer in
their own heart.
But there is a foundation offered to US
that seems more Plausible than infidelity,
it is called moralism. If 60 to moralist
and ask him to be christian he turns tri-
umphantly and asks, do l not deal as hon
estly as your church members. Many
times must answer yes. Again they ask,
do not give TO the poor, to charitable in
stitutions and to the church as much as the
average of your church members? an
swer yes. He then tells me that he does
not swear or drink liquor and in fact he is
free from all low and demoralizing habits.
And now simply because we cannot stigma
tie them with crime they conclude that
they are good enough and will get to heav-
en- on their morality. If such . man as
this should read these lines. would like
to exhort him to read thestext of scripture
referred to in the commencement ''For
other foundation can no man lay than that
which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" Then
let him ask himsel: this question, will my
morality save met 1t Is certain that NOR
atty is good thing and il commendable
to all men, but it should be remembered
that morality is not sufficient foundations
for religion, but the christian religion is .
never failing foundation Of morals. Then
let It be borne in mind that do not find
fault with morality, but to speak my senti-
ment it would be to say that morality with
out religion is just about what steam To-
connective would be without a track to run
on. Then let me exhort you to bring all
the morality you can get and place It with
yourself on the alter of Christ's atonement
which is the only true foundation Of relig.
ion. II you will do this, Iassure you al
will be we'll. = -