The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1878-01-17

does not MAKE a tree, but irult SHOWS tht1Nalue
and quality OF IL. Good HgeE- 80 not make
/ the Christian. We -..-ttt j.. Coz iOI-
! bid. But may God warn q that pro-
I Tossing Christian whose daily life l. bearing
no good fruIJ-Of whom no good works can De
! seen OF men.
| Religion j. glowing fire. II cannot be COW
| cred up Wherever IL j. IL tCiH glow, and
| cause the vessel that holds II 70 shine; and
| men can IL shine too l sometimes lear
| that Christians have "A tendency 10 dwell 80
| much on the primary principles OF saving
| faith, as 10 neglect the results which are
equally important Paul says on this point,
| Hebrew, vi, j:
| trine OF Christ, let Us go on unto Perfection;
| not laying again the foundation OF repentance
| Il ON dead works, and of faitn toward Cod
| When you plant a tree, under whose shade
| you hope 10 sit IN old age, and Of Whose iruii
you hope TO eat, ii IL absolutely necessary you
look well 10 the roots, se,. thai they are suIii-
| cient and well placed. But would IL not al
| forward he the heighth OF folly to spend your
| time in continually digging down ami exam
| lining and Strengthening .out and neddling
with these roots. viii not the roots best
| show their true life when the tree waves /
| ieafy banners above, and hangs the rich IrGIt
! on LIS bending branches? IL matters little
how orthodox, or learned, or devout or high
| toned IA protesting Christian may be, II |
lie bear, bad name among Ms
record. The world has right, and God gave |
| that right, to judge Christian professor by |
| ms UUks. A man once said: Il have no |
more Influence than "A futhiIg ruslIight-
We'll, was the reply, "a farthlng rushlisni |
can do great deal, IL can set "a hay stack ON |
| fret can DuTn down "A hou>e-yea, more, IA |
| can guide a wandering soul from the darkest |
| put Ia stiety-It can even light the pages 81 |
| Gods word, and De the means OF bringing |
| poor sinner from natures dark phi mt th' |
mary eiOu> light OF tue son oi God 90 your |
way my friend God vii. only hold you re-
spon>Ibie for your iSrihIng ru>hllSht, but i"f |
| as sIbIIity you must give account
| Understand the text then my hearcr, and /!
/ do nDI accuse Chris with ncgcTUdOXy because |
tie declares thai Christian people are u -,
good works lie also states IN this same ser
/ mon that men cannot pluck grapes nom
thoTn> ur NJ, Hom thtstIes. He lgnprcs no |
root Of doctrine or faith; but lac does Insist On |
/ "A ATE thai LOnOT> the profession.
| the CHRISTIAN church takes "A bold position
II Gecla!ts Itself 10 De ter than the world.
/ II CA ms Ia ho.d tie only true sysI, III OF
E.iJiI. IL maintains the gruund Inat II mods
| IA Christ ITS head, the source III AL PUTIy.
| EOnc>fy, brOthrriy love and charity IL
Challenges man, OF angel, or evil spirit TO dis
| prove ATS bod position And al >c.tit' -
| nving CnrisiIan light houses all iiious The
coast OF carIn', moral q irkues>, and write>On
| their bTows- Here may be found tue light |
! OF the world" Now, / say, CHRISTIAN b.utII-
rem, all sinful sous tossed Oh tn. waves OF
Life and IN danger of >hi pwreck have a right
| 10 quot 10 Us the very words OF Tie teXI' Ill
We are the Ugh OF the world. let your lIgnt
shine b lore men. that they may soGI
good works, and hence gi"riIv God tor max
| ing sou such" says Spurgcon: IL wuu u |
not give mach for our relIglon unless IL can
DE SEEN Lamps 40 not talk but they do
shine. \ light house sounds no drum, ~ |
| Deals no gong; and yet TAR over the waters
| ITS friendly spark L. seen by the mariner. 80
| let our actions shine out your re igion. Let
| the main sermon oI Your life be illustrated
by all YOUR actions ana II shall not iaiI 10 be
| llIu>ulUus-"
| Lastly. The mOtiue is now given for a pure,
\ active, glowing Christian lie. .'LeI your
| light 10 shine before men, that they may Sc
! your good works and gioGIfy your F'HeT UhO
IS ut LcdCen.n The grauu, ST motive that
could move angels or men the CORY " God.
IL l. "A marvellous thought that man can do
Ia, sl.Ht hat
LOid tsud IN any manner. Man, III all his
weakness and nnlteness, being able 10 cast
any influence on the feelings OF the Great
Being who inhabiteth eternity and hOldeth
ali created thing in the hollow OF his hand.
Yet nothing Is more plainly stated in tine
text. The honor as well as the responsibility
al llVlng IN such "A manner as To cause ali iIeIi
with whom We come in contact IL glOrIfy
God. ask myself this morning and ask you
II the christian people IN tins house now have
"A clear sen y, Of Their strength? DO they IulIy
realize the fact that the christian lie may bt
10 ilNed az iU force the unbeiicving word 10
sloiliN God" How common the say ing IN DIAL
~ lille among men, ny become "A Christian
and unite with the church: am good AS
Your professor OF religion" We often D.ame
tiIose who make suciI Statements. BuI II..uk-
~ now cilrl>Iian friends, il CHRISTIAN lights
Shone 81 arly and purely as theS 'u-h., anu
men could see unqualified good wCrns IN tLe
ILie anu ia the church, Al We duly ANA Truly
glorIned God in Use life, would such worldly
arguments be ever used Christ urZes Is o
good lTull from "A lie of faITn then, not fOI |
:. acknowledgements hui that We may cause |
men Io gIorIiy Goa. You cannot W, id Two |
pieces Of cold iron to-. thcr with ala the .is'Iu-
mtT1ns IN the NOTlu: neither can you weld
them II one he hot anu the other cU.d. Nor
can yOu unite INTO str myth "A cold christian
professor and AN Inconsistent LIE; ncilii-T :,
rdTLa professor and cDd Ii-. Both must
melt and gov III the ire oI The Holy <fuU
oil God before union and strength wIiI come.
men glo-ify God linen
l>I. Bcctu>s. IL teaches them the clarifying
power OF ChTisi's religion ON the humaIi liz,
al In al H. nj
freely permitted o." work III the heart ana iiI,.,
The change wrought Is marveiou>-
Aud no one sees the change more
than tine men Of the world IN whom there has
been no change. Take any ordinary ease.
Here IL man who mas lived 80 tar without
Goa IN the world Perhaps "a successful man
en- ugh in the eyes al men, Yet has been
known as "a thoroughly worldly person, one
vino has not ht->iiat d To engage III any pi, ILL.,
ure or pursuit that promised qualification uT
gain, Tree To do or >iJ, nj money IOT hIs own
pleasure, slow 10 give Tor Others, iOUkiE-. with
critical, almost contemptuOu> eyes "n lhr
church and Its members, and seeing ia, rt
Thousand niws Tor one virtue.
Now, suppose that man TO be drawn to
Christ by me influence oil some shining life,
perhaps yours and converted. What :,
change Is wrought II the conversion j. real;
the same man, ami yet not the same. lie
freely acknowledges the mistakes anu sins OF
the past Nom he lives Tor God and Others in
stead Of self, has become an humble, earnest,
consistent man Of prayer, anu, beautiful To
see, his life honors his profession. Can sou
measure, friends, the good inf.uenc" OI tnat
changed life: Men u no knew the man before,
well SINCE the change, however SIX cplIcal
in themselves. can but stand and wonder and
worship God, saying, ''the change is of God,
not OF nian.' rSucE a conversion, and they
occur often, makes the most worldly man
gOrify God; for he sees, IN spite of himself,
that the power is OF God, for none but God
could work such "a change.
Let me say just here the world honors con-
sistency in Christian. The lack OF this Iif-
ficuit virture has done more To obstruct the
progress of the Gospel among men than any
other one sin. inconsistent christianity!
The term is paradoXical, yet most common. /
The world tests protesting Christians in the
cIucible Of public opinion as Constantine
tested the Christians he found in Office when
he became Emperor. He Immediately issued
an edict requiring them TO renounce their
faith or quit their places. Thank Gud, most
oil them gave up their Offices 10 preserve tn
con>cienc.=s. hut some cringed and renounced
Christianity. When the Empero thus tested
their principle, he removed all who had thus
| blsely complied with his supposed wishes and
retained The others, saving that those VINO
would desert deny their Divine Ma ter,
would desert HIM, and Mere not worthy oi
| his confidence" 80, oftener than we think,
| the world tests our consistency as the friends
and followers of the Lord Jesus christ.
> A glowing Christian lille attracts men 10
Christ, and thus glorifes God.
In one sense the success OF the Gospel is
placed in the hands oi the church and mem-
beers. These are the means used OF Col /
human agencies used by the Holy Spirit TO
work amid hun an beings. But these agencies
have free wills. God VIII use them Tor the |
salvation OF the word when they are willing
| to he used. Now you believe YOU are "A child |
OF God, borne again into the Kingdom, loving /
your Ivior with all your soul, and desirOus
| TO do al you can Tor Him. What Work /
| can you do AT once fruitful OF
| Joy to yourself and gloy to God, 10 1--we |
| !, life "a shall attract and draw Other men To
| Christ? You remember the legend of tine |
Pied T. per of hameln, vino could play 80 /
| exquisitely on his pipe as to fascinate aud |
draw after him all the children, in spite of |
every influence that could be used to nod |
them -, back Well Well t ,nnfs is ,b., MEL
more power than this piper; and 1t is |
| heard in a life 50 passed among men that they /
shall see the good works Christ can do through |
| you, and be iGresisiably drawn after you To
| Him in spite of every opposing infiuenc-.
| Evyry soul converted from its sins To Christ |
| adds 10 Gods glory. God has stsked a great
| deal wnen He permitted the humiliation and
| death of His only son To open a way OF saliva
| ton for sinners. The more that accept the
| offered sacrifice, the more God Is honured in
| His Tree gift. so We easily see how you in
| crese the glory of God by the souls that may
| be led 10 Christ by your lif and influence
And now Christian friends what AN incitc-
ment to us to-day Ia strike for a higher plane
| of Christian living! Oh that We might
| awaken TO "A keen sense of the high obig -
uons that rest upon us. Life Is SNORT To do
| any good work in. For some Of US a large
share of il is gone al es,dy and all of Us have
but fragments OF lives before US. What shall
| be done with these fragments that re-
| main: Oh shall not "the time past of
our life suffice us to have wrought the will of
the G-ntiles, when we walked IN la>ciyIun>-
| ness lusts. excess of vine, rev elingS, b nqUet-
| ing and abominabe idolatrie>e And Will We
not start out from this week oi prayer, by
| Gods help, for life beautified with more
blossoms and fruitful with more rich clusters
| than all the past can show: We are Gods
| witnesses among men! What testimony are
| webearing Ia God : There are Very many
uncovered but precious souls dear To Us all