The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-01-22
BALLOON RELIGION.


tiny alone.
BALLOON RELIGION.
A SERMON BY THE REV. IRVING A. sEARLEs OF
CHICAGO.
He took Peter and j lmes and John and went
up into a mountain to pray; and as He prayed
the fashion of His cOunJenance was altered and
His raiment was white and glisten;ng.-Lukelx,
%, %.
From the mount OF TRANSPORTATION
come some of the most precious truths
and practical lessons of the Christian
system. This sublime scene throws
light upon the doctrine of the recogni-
ton OF friends in the life to come.
"And behold there talked with Him
two men, Moses and Elias, who appear
ed in glory" While Christ and the
three deciples are on this mountain
there appear among them these two
visitors from the unseen world. Moses,
the great lawgiver, had been gone fif-
teen hundred years, aid nine centuries
had rolled away since the voice of Elias,
the prophet, had been heard by the
children of Abraham. Though so long
absent from earth, the three disciples
are able to recognize the one as Moses
the other as Elias. Notwithstanding
they appeared in glory" they are
identified as the two men who once
stood foremost IN the Hebrew nation.
The saints of all ages "shall appear in
glory" in robes outshining the sun In
its MONDAY splendor, but that does not
imply such change that friend cannot
recognize friend. If Moses and Elias
could be recognized after so long an
absence from this world, may you not
recognize that loved one when you En-
ter that life to Gomez
This transaction teaches US that
Christ, not Moses, is now to be heard.
''And then came voice out of the
clouds saying, THIS is My beloved Son !;
hear Him; and when the voice was
passed Jesus was found alone" The
Hebrew people had heretofore heard
Moses. He was their lawgiver. The
Jew who wished to know the will OF
God concerning him went to Moses for
instruction. This was proper. But q
new dispensation is now to be inaugu-
rated, and another lswgiver announced
to the world. The voice from the IN
Rff% 96G56it SFlJh sttHb is Elias hear
but these two characters are removed
from view, and as Jesus remains alone
in supernatural splendor the heavens
break silence with the utterance "This
is My beloved Son; hear Him."
Notwithstanding this plain statement,
it is not uncommon to find religious
teachers still calling upon the world to
hear Moses instead of hearing Christ.
Those seeking the terms of salvation
to-day are told to read the Old Testa-
ment. would In no sense depreciate
that portion of GODS word. 1t IS val
liable for Its history, for its types, for
ts delineation of human character, and
for its practical lessons. But it is not
that part of revealed truth which tells
you and me in this age of the world
what we must do to be saved. Christ,
not Moses, now announces the terms
of pardon. In the last chapter of the
last book of the Old Testament is this
statement: Remember ye the law of
Moses, My servant, which l command
ed unto him in Horeb for all Israel. !"
1t was the law of Moses, not the law
of Christ. 1t was for all Israel, not for
all the world. The New Testament
contains not the law of Moses, but the
law of Christ. 1t is not for all Israel
only, but reads, ''Go ye unto all the
world and preach the gospel to every
creature"
Travellers down the ST. Croix river,
as they reach the line between the
United States aud Canada, find mon
ument upon one side of which are the
words, "The United States" and
upon the other side the inscription,
''The Dominion of Canada" While
they read, United States, they know
that they are under the laws of this
country, but after they have passed
along until they read 1.-The Dominion
of Canada" they know that they are
then under another form of govern
ment. Upon thu line between the
Old and New Testament towers as q
monument the cross upon which the
Messiah died. Upon one side of that
monument is the word Moses" upon
the other side the word "Christ." For
centuries the nations coming down the
stream of time read ''Moses." Then
they were under the law of Moses
But by aud by the law between the
TWO great dispensatIons is crossed, and
now we read the word 'sChrist."
Erroneous is the teaching that would
hurl back the development of the flow
of salvation until the world shall read
"Moses" sgaln. Such teaching is
eighteen hundred and seventy mine
years behind the times. Send not the
inquiring sinner to the "Old Tesla
ment, but to the New.
From this incident we learn that
some are very selfish in religious mat
tiers. "Peter said unto Jesus, Master,
it is good for US to be here, and let US
make three tabernacles, one for Thee,
one for Moses, and one for Eiias.n Let
us put up three tents, and we six can
have q heaven all to ourselves. Peter
forgot the other disciples, the great
world beneath, and the generations
yet to come. he was willing to have
heaven that would contain only a
half dozen persons, provided he could
be one of the half dozen. How mar
row and insignificant this proposed
heaven compared with the one that the
Petmos exile saw, wherein was gath
cred multitude that no man could
number" But Peter is not the only
follower of Christ who wuuld be salts
fed with = little three-tent heaven.
Call on some people to help IN preach
ing the gospel, and they say We expect
to reach heaven ourselves. and what
care We for the rest of mankind In
fact, II not professedly, this is the feel
ing Of many. Such spirit is the death
warrant of all missionary enterprise.
It Is the spirit that says;
o Lord, bsess ne and NJ wife,
Brother John ard his wife,
Us four and no more.
One winters evening mother and
four little children, in sleigh, were
passing through one Of the dense for
4 eska Of Russia They have bean visit