Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1877-01-11

NAu lld> IL bttii p'SoibiN - -lbu I
lear The wGrd preached? Could Won hay
been in Bible class? Are YOU able {
take religious paper or magazine? Hav
YOU had the opportunity of hearing MI
Moody or other evangcli>iS or more all
md as Cody meng Then. ms exercise
for these are necessary Ia healthy ,lrvel
opment, what cnuld we have done 10 max
our Chrlsiian lil,. more visor MS We Il,
not inquire : Int has rccn done hpi wha
has been i'm cur power Ia do this pas
year Here let me say the Nnpsriuniiie,
neglected Will be 10 iiHS, us in the lns
day. If TIER have been disciples sick an,
m prism whom we have not visited: i
some have been thirsty and we have net
sivcn them drink; hungry. and we hav,
! given M bread all lhrSe ihEg~ will bc
, ngains. us Our Savior will say. You had
The opportunity la 60 rood, which would
! have seen cnunietl as favor Ia NO: Int
ynu would mot make use Of. il. | have
asked and ursed vpu in many VANS tn
show your love for me. b YOU refused 20
10 1t. We are TO bar these things in
| mind The faithful Shepherd is 10 lea |
| his Hook To the ceeD stream and To the
~ en- pastures. but he can not drink nor
e'li for the flock. The sheer must take
the water and the grass. So the !aithfnl
pastor should prepare good sermons. and
preach them la all who will come; but he
can not occupy the pews for the conere
cation. nor hear for them lie may tell
them of he sick ant. dcsiiiu'c, hut he can
NOT give the ere and bread which they
need. and have it credited in God 5 book
In the members uf his Congregation. He
may tell ol the wants of the heather and
what is being done To evange.iZc them.
an give the church the opportunity once
month Ia give Tor missionary lahprS !:
but he can not put his fingers in their
purses aud lake out what he thinks they
ought To give.
This preaching. this private information.
this soliciting fur church work in the dcs-
tiiute portions of our land and in heather
lancs. this in short. telling how men can
do for Christ ard enrich themselves with
His blessings. and secure his promises. is
like leading he sheep 10 The fountain and
To he pasture. and giving them The oppor-
tunity to eat and drink. God knows |
have not doac this work 50 well as
might, my hearers but | ask does he not
also know that you have refused Ia drink
a I'll eat? Am Ia blame wholly for all
lis lcanness Of soul?
And one word la those who are not
Christians: Has it been nece 'Sary for
you to live this entire year without being
rcconcilcd to God through Christ? Sup
posing | could take YOU To an immense
book containing the names of all in this
earth. We should find the EaneS written
IL two columns under these two heads:
Recohcilcd 10 God 10y Christ" or Tn
recnnciled; or. perhas under these
heading: Saved and :. Not Saved =
Looking over the year 1876, ne should
see some names in the column marked
saved" and see after their names. .Ianu-
AIRY 1st or 10Th. or some date OF February
or March. and SD on To December 3lst.
Should you ask what these dates mean.
the Recording Angel would say. they mean
these persons were converted al these
dates Then they passed from death 10
life; and he would point. also, II little
star marks opposite the naiiics of older
Christians, and say. these persons led
them Ia Christ: and he would turn to
other books, which describ; their work,
whether it was "A PRAYER, a personal inter
view, godly lite, dollar in the mission
AIRY box. or something else. which led tie
sinner la linn who il able ro forgive sins
The Angel would gladly talk of nil names
Ia that column, tor there Is joy in heaven
when one sinner repenteth
But the other column: All the names
written down rs mot saved" he wonld
not be so glad 10 speak about. But i'm
agine. IT asked. Could not these have re-
pented during the past ycary lie would
Say. They might have done so; they were
urged To do So by Christian ,riend-: they
were urged h. do so by The Shirt OF t,nd:
but They refused the offer ii salvation;
they were unwilling To he saved by Christ.
What! unwilling Ia be saved: Yes, I'M
wiling Ia he slvcSl in the appoi ted way
There Is but one offer of salvation, and
whoever accepts il. must have Christ ms
his Savior aud teacher and the Holy
Ghost as The sanctifed of his spirit" There
l. none other name under heaven. given
among men. whereby. we must be saved"
Acts. iv.-12 A great many would be vii
ling Ia bc saved. il their good works could
save thcm--and still more, ifno change
was required in their hearts and lives -
II permitted To love sinful world and lis
ways. You remember it reads. 'ThcIe-
fore. il any IN IN be in Christ. he is new
creature. 2nd Cor. v. IL, which means that
a great change must take place in man.
So. That old things are passed away. and,
behold all things are become new that
Is, lac Is 80 changed that the same
things appear differently. Christ is made
a loving Saviour. worship and praise be-
come pleasant. death is robbed largely of
lis terror, and will he completely. AS the
chtngc begun. goes on to perfection New
persons are unwilling la be saved. If they
must thus be changed-if they cannot he
redeemed without becoming Christians,
they prefer Ia perish. This is the reason
why these names stay i'm this column
They are unwilling 10 begin life which
shall becomc less sinful, and more holy.
which is one of warfare through life. but
becomes per ect when the sinful flesh dies
and the soul escapes from il Ia God.
My impenilent friends. suspose this is
The reason why your names have been IN
that column almost TO the end fthis year
You could have repentcd. you could have
sought God IN prayer, you cnuld have
studied your bibles, yon could have asked
the prayers of christians | am sure
should base been glad la have helped any
one of you by prayer or conversation. 10
seek Christ, and | promise la come Ia any
on. who would have me tell the WY of
srlvat'0n. or to help any person in my
study, IN gn from the darkness q. doubt
and sin into the light vt tie gospel |
gladly make this offer OF help and there
are others who will let their names be
given as helpers tn all who would find
Christ. But | repeat, nothing but your
to become christians con.
ilnucs your names in the long list of The
OH must Il ever be thus
There are some hours yet of 1876 In these
hours some will be changed, aud theil
names written among the saved.
entreat YOU this day, while the old
yer remains IL let Chris: in his and The
Fathers appointed way, save you Let
Him forgive your sins and renew your
spirits. and do you trust HIM with your
souls. and give unto MIN, the service of your
lives.
Very briefly, let me put one one more
inquiry. This is il, what is the fruit of
what we have done? When remember
these things, said DAVID, WHAT thingsg |
Ills good deeds perhaps. His decided pity |
when "A young man. His refusal To take |
the life OF Saul. because he was The Lords /
His frequent inquiries OF God, !
he should go 10 battle with his |
enemies. His Psalms and his prayers
He remembered these things. aud their
fruifs His Good life had horne pood frnit |