The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-02-05
THE PULPIT.
A Sermon by the Rev. q. Butford, Of
Calvsry I hnrel..
Reward for Opening the me.rt to Christ.

Reward for Opening tlse Heart to Christ.
any manshear my voice md open the doer, l will
come in TO him, and will cup With him, and he
with me.'-Rev. iii, 30
tried, on last Sunday, to show you how eager
30 to speak. Christ is TO occupy the heart OF
| that every ono has he'd God to strive with his
eonsoiepcs and The Holy Spirit b awaken him to
the Lesl Of Saviour. | want to- il can, to in-
oite you to abandon your Tbs inate resist tanos by
holding out The rewards which will foil the t1n-
boltiug Of the door of The heart and admitting
Christ to take posse ssOn Of It, In plaiuer Words
dropping all metHphor-L wish 10 convince you
that to repent and love God il productive Of peace
and happiness ,rds all amp g reward. "If
any man hear my voice will otme Ill
TO him"
| II may be that such words have but title
weight with many persons pi espnt but llttls in
dnCernent and 90 not stir ihem half so much as
would 81 letter or note atintun ing the intended
visit Of a friend or relative. hlen are So much
engrossed with common duties OF getting and
dGiug that the consideration of the gIny which
awaits the child Of God in thi4 world in he
eternal void, has butiitto influence. There cRu
| be no stronger evidence that mon hrs not
| as God made fhom. when they hre 0grslt 81 md
Indifferent about having Him tp dwell in lheir
hearts They have no taste for religious gor-
| ship. Praise and prayer Hfs not enjoyed by
then aud all this clearly shows that they eis GER
thDly not prepared to eueE iato GODS rcs9Dce
and join II The great work OF Gdpliug Him foF-
ever III hcayeu.
just bete desire TO arrest your spscihl attsD-
ton. Ii unwilling to engage IN religious
| duty here, how can you hops to take up these
things, where buying, selling, trading and mere
pleasure seeking Are uuhnUWn-whers spiritual
| eKeTgtsea VII bD the chief employ melt of time.
his ought 10 star 10 yoi from your impeuitenoe.
| Even though it were possible for an 1ngodly and
| untepentant man to reach heaven--is could not
be q congsnial place for him. Heaven can only
be enjoyed by those who are heavenly minded
being uuit Tor heavenly delights poa how could
| we hope to leap at once from state Of hardness.
eo1doess and einfulness, into that holy throag
| who have bad their hearts softened, warmed and
oleansed by the Saviour. How is il possible for
men TO begin The Worship OF G1d in heaven who
took no delight in it here.
The truth is that il an ubforsiven and impsn-
tent sinner should be suddenly translated To
heaven he would be toreiented by bis knowledge
| Of unitnsss for tits purltss and Joys would
| fiUd no echo in his own btsom-its songs and
happiness would bs unegngenial TO his sinful and
nuwssbsd soul. Ii we do not love God now, how
CAN We hope to love Him then2 It He lie n vt all in
all to us here oau He be the highest and most
glorious Of sl btings, when we mset nim face
10 face We must first have had loving thoughts
of Him like the Psalmst :" Whom have l in
heaven bnt Thee. and there is none upon earth
that desire ip comparison OF Thee.'
know full well that there are many excellent
people who like TO hear of heaven, who like to
sipg Of heaven, like to read and hear desorip-
tiyns Of heaven but how many Of them have q
true longing for its bsrps OF gold and It's ever.
lasting songs Of praise Is 1t not too often the
case with such perfons, whose hearts are not set
on heavenly tbings, that they consider oil these
poems, aongs aud speeches abont heaven ss
merely misty and ideal eoncep:io OF that glo-
rious world. Who say, ss the Jews did TO Ezs-
kiel: "Ah Lord God, doth he not Sneak parables2
Do the descriptions, given in the Bible OF heaven
give you the idea Of it's being dull place IL so,
can you hope that You wou'd join in its rapture
with auy satisfaction II heaven is dull, whsre
eonld such q soul find fit dwelling place. II
| ought to prove sou CO Of alarm 10 any one who
secs nothing to be wished for hoped for in this
promise. 10 say that Christ promises me His
presence, and yet my soul has no longing for snch
companiopsbip, this surely ought to startle me
and wake me up TO my danger. When Christ
| from my iniquities, and yet i arn 80 dull 10 all
spiritual impressions as to go on unhs eding
either thrsatenings or promses this is TO be in q
most unsafe eondit on.
II we had son or daughter who had gone
astray by dispbeying our parental commands
who stunned I'll intercourse with the homestead,
who was found in company with those who were
the pronounced enemies Of cur family, and We
sent word to The erriDg child that II he or she
would but como back home all would be forgiven,
and yet they spurned the invitation and laughed
at tho promise Of pardon, our indignation
would only be leas than the p in inflicted, But.
| il We RhouId be- 50 iul Of love and anxiety as TO
make us 20 to thg dwelling place OF that ungrate-
| Iul and prodigsl Child, and ass to be admitted to
their abode, promising an entire forgiveness il
they would let u In, and the door should re-
main shut, bar eI, locked aud bOlted, aud We
compelled t, turn away-what kind OF punish
ment would be inflicted; how keen tho paDg
which would enter the parental cart. Alb, be-
loved, il we have no desire to euj0V the promises
| God has made to hose who love HIM, We are in
| q fearful state, and this Goldness should alarm
| US and seud Us to plead tor q tender and u feel
ing heart-plead with him for c0ntrte heart.
I sometimes think there is moro hope Of saliva
| ton for the bold and unb1shing sinner than for
the person, who while good enough to be strictly
o moral mhn, has no place in his soul for Obrist
who has no apparent love Tor his commands and
promises, who is such n good man that every
body likes him, honors him and trusts him. Why,
beloved, such man, il he continues in his cold
moss and Indifference docs much harm. BY his
staying ont OF the church, abstailiing from the
gacraments, he closes the door of his heart
against Christ, and s Satisfied with his own
| righteousness, snd i action teaches young
people the doctrine that the church is onIy for
very wicked geOpie--that, as for them%tlyes, they
can get along well enough 0uthlde Of the
family OF Chist-;hey need no forgiveness
| or adoption or blessed cCnmuuion with
| Christ. It is truly sad state for any t0ul
| when its prsmiseB are pogerless TO awaken any
desire to have them fulfilled in tho Persons
lie. II any man will open l will come into
him and sup with him. Tell me II you can how
can man be much worse who has no relish for
ana or all the pro mises Of Christ his Saviour If
person OF well-known integrity and financial abil-
ly should II at your office tomorrow morning
and desire to talk with you, your attention would
be given. II he should present scheme oHspec-
uation, which he promises shall yield you thou.
sands in return for all he asks you to invest, it
requires bu5 little time for You to enter into cloae
relationship with him. If another, leader in
the bean moEde, invites you to q Iscene which
promises great p'easurs, you are ready
TO accept the offer. II d well-known
and trusted friend should knock at cur
door at the dead hour OF night aud ask for adj
mission, telling us in advance he had in his arms
bags Of gold TO Freely give us, the doors would
turn quickly upon their hinges, and the n essen
ger be admitted as o. most welcome guest. Tell
me which Of the greatest value, The gold which
cannot buy home in heaven, or the gold Of His
promises-the gold OF His avor-hsving the
blessing Of the life that now is and CT that which
is to come; the gold OF full and free forgiveness