Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-11-06
Mr.. Moody at Burlington,
WHAT is GRACE?

WhAI Is GRACE?
Many do not understand what grace
means, and would do well to look nm
the word in their dictionary. 7 had
been partaker of the grace Of God ten
years before I knew what it meant.
Grace means "unmerited mercy, unde-
served favor" 1t has nothing to do
with worthiness. Christ came to call
the unworthy. The trouble with too
many men is that they are going about
to establish their own righteousness,
and are not ready to accept unmerited
mercy. John tells us that 'the law
was given by Moses but grace and truth
came by Jesus Christ" We get moth
ing from God except through his Son.
We read in the fifth chapter of Romans:
IF through the offence of one many be
dead, much more the grace of God and
| gift by grace which is by one man, Je-
sus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
* But where sin abounded grace
did much more abound that as sin
hath reigned unto death, even SO might
grace reign, through righteousness unto
eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord"
Christ is thus revealed as the source of
all these blessed gifts. He is the God
of all grace. The world knows nothing
about grace. When man betrays his
trust, as so many are doing, and falls,
the world jump on him and keep him
down. The bank may give me what it
calls three days of grace" on my note !;
but it makes me pay the interest on
them, and if fail to pay every dollar it
will sell me out. God treats us diffe.
rently. He sent his Son to help us up.
Mr.. Moody read from I. Timothyi: 9,
and Ephesians ii: 8, showing that grace
is not of mans works or efforts. These
'ssel-made men" who are always tell
ing US how they have got along by their
own help, are dIsagreeable enough here
below. There will be no such Roasting
in Heaven. How could the man who
got there by his own efforts sing the
song of Redemption with the rest ?. He
would have to have corner by hirflself,
where he could tune his harp to his
own praise. OF course men must work,
but it is because they are saved, and not
in order to save themselves. They must
work from the cross, not to the cross.
Paul tells us, grace is no more of works.
But if you ask if we are not told to
'Nwork out our own salvation ?' Yes !;
but we can't work it cut till we get it.
When first went to Boston, I found
myself without money or acquaintance
in great city. I went auxiously to the
post-office several times day, hoping
to get a remittance. I was very hard
up, when at last got letter, and it
warnings to me to beware of pickpock-
its did not fear the pickpockets for
there was nothing for them to work on
about me. A man can't work out re-
suits in his garden till he has a garden
to work in. Men must work out their
! new life. If they have not salvation,
, how are they to work =? We are to be
saved by grace, not by works. It is
the gift of God. Will you take it
There is no merit in groaning, and ago
ny, and hanging back, when Christ in
! vites us to come.
FAITH EXEMPLIFIED.
} Why can't we initiate the simple faith
of tn men of old? There was Zacche-
|-us, the chief publican of Jericho-about
the worst man in all that city. Christ
t passed by and saw him up the tree. and
r said to him: "Come down." and Luke
8 says Zaccheus made haste, and came
e rightdown and received.C Christ ioXt,1zly
' Take God at his word. If he offers me
e salvation and eternal life, free, I will
: take it. Let us initiate the humility OF
f the Syrophenician woman. She was
not angry when she was!called gentle
!, dog. Eyes, Lord" was her meek re.
ply, "but the dogs eat of the children's
e crumbs;" and she got the blessing.
s The devil was cast out of her daughter.
' The centurion, as the Jews said, was
: worthy" and had "built synagogue
t but Christ would not help him for that
j. When the centurion sent to him in hui
: mility, saying that he was not worthy
al 80 l. IL
e his servant was healed. The man who
Z goes around clustering that he is better
d than these church members will get
e nothing from God. The Lord gives his
: grace to the unworthy. Christ told the
8 Pharisees that the publicans and harlots
: should enter his kingdom before them
We often say of some influential man
;. some eminent lawyer, perhaps-if such
2 a man was only converted. how much
e he could do for religion. But God can
J., pick up drunkard from the gutter,
d and make of him a more useful man
than he.
8 DEGREES OF SIN.
OF course, there are degrees in sin,
and there may be degrees in the tor
ment of the lost. Doubtless, it is better
to be moral than immoral, better to be
t temperate than drunkard but yet all
are sinners, and no one can see Gods
kingdom unless saved by grace. Some
worthless apple trees produce less bad
fruit than others but it does not make
/; them good trees. In your state prison
+: some were sentenced for greater crimes
than others; but all are criminals alike
They had reform in Chicago, under
which no man was to have an appoint.
+ ment on the police without recommen-
: dations of good character and who was
] not of a certain height, and many an
applicant who prided himself on his ex.
cellent recommendations was found
] wanting when he was measured. These
sinners who like to say that they are as
good as church members, better wait till
they are measured Those who fall 6
] little short of the standard will be reject.
ed as sure IS those who come short by a
good deal. Take Gods perfect law fol
the standard, and you will all find you
D come short. If you have broken one
command you are sinner. If Adam
was driven out of Eden for one sin,
] how can you get into heaven with ten
r thousand sins unforgiven
SIN UNIVERSAL.
Mr.. Moody read part of the third
; chapter of Romans. and took for his text
the twenty-third verse of the chapter
For all have sInned and come short oil
| the plOrv Of God ~ T am anazed cold