Mexico weekly ledger., 1885-12-24
GOSPEL LESSONS.
No. 9.

Inat those VINO nave honestiy ana |
sincerely obeyed this law are in the |
kingdom of Christ on earth and that |
those who have not done so are not |
in the kingdom. Now this position
is either true or false; there is no
ground. This Iredicates the
whole scheme of salvation on obe-
dience. Jesus said, "Come unto me
all ye that labor and are heavy laden
and 1 will give you rest" This CON-
ing must be according to his plan.
That plan is the obedient one, what
ever that implies. Men may differ
as to the meaning of words and
phrases but to the honest inquirer
after truth the book called The Acts
of Apostles is plain one. On the
subject of conversion, pardon, remis-
sion of sins and admission into the
kingdom this book makes it SO plain
that it is within the comprehension of
a child. and but for the mystic veil
thrown over the plain teachings of
inspiration by would-be theologians
the subject would be as easily under
stood as the fundamental rules of
arithmetic. We are proud to be-
lieve that the day is dawning and
the age of darkness and superstition
Is fleeing away before the supreme
light of Gods eternal truth, and that
the time is not far distant when the
masses will read and interpret the
bible for themselves, receive its
GRIND and sublime truths, and even
Sam Jones will learn his duty and in-
stead Of saying, ''Lord. what wilt
thou have me to do,' teach his vast
auditors as Peter did on Pentecost,
''to repent and be immersed for the
remission of SINS" AS the case now
stands his inquiry proves that he
neither knows what way to go himself
nor how to direct those whom he pre-
tends to teach. Religion is irrational
something. Itcame from the Creator
of all things and was made to sub
serve the benevolent purposes OF
God and meet the wants of weak,
perishing humanity. And if it fail
in this it is because He who created
man was incapable of giving him s
plan of salvation. To say that the
plan giver is inadequate and incapa
BILE of being understood by account
able rational intelligence is to i'm
peach the goodness of the Deity
But no such result obtains anon,
sensible people. The trouble lies no
in any defect in the revealed plan o
salvation but it IN the traditions O
men fabricated in the fertile brain
of some would-be human philoso
pliers who have sought to ingraf
their dogmas upon the plain teach
ings of Holy Writ. To this end sys
tens of religion have been made wit
with scarcely a scintilla of divin
teaching in them. Instead of takini
the word of God as tie emily infalla
bic rule of faith and practice men
designing men-have added to O
taken from the bible such points a
they deemed necessary to formulat
their peculiar notions. This has le'
to the organization of a counties
number of sects and parties as antae
onistic to each other as the Jews an
/. Samaritans were in their day. Thes
sects and parties have not differed s
much about what Is in the bible a
/. what is not in it. Trinity an
unity, total depravity, free will, ur
conditional election and reprobatiol
j. Abstract operations of the spiri
: ETC., have been themes of endles
contention, not one of which nor a
combined constitutes under the Chri
tian dlspensation ar article of faitl
They are properly matters Of opinio
but salvation is not predicated upo
faith in any or all Of them. Neith'
does mans condemnation rest 9
them. But salvation IS predicate
upon faith in Jesus the Christ al
obedience to his gospel, and conder
nation depends upon the rejection
; Christ aud Noncompliance with Il
gospel. The want of common sens
growing out of the fact that m,
i. have looked upon the teachings
inspired men as dark mystery, h
done much to bew.lder the masses
humanity. If men would only app
the same rules of reason to the su
ject of religion that they employ
It. tbeil daily business transactio
u nearly all the darkness would at on
be dispelled and the plain fundame
tai teachings of scripture would
4 received into good and honest hear
an bring forth much fruit. Tia
for instance the parable of the sow
The seed is the word of God. T
wayside and all other classes repl
sent hearers. Now as the word
d. truly sown and heard and receiv
and acted on just in such proporti
will fruits result. But If not heal
received and acted on of course
l. good can come OF it. The same co
mon sense that applies to sowi
grain will apply with equal force
the seed which is the word of |
living God. But theology interpos
H. and spreads its mystifying We
over It and preyents the mind fir