The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-10-13

chief glory OF the gospel of Christ; one
proof that IL Is of divine origin: Its uni
versatility, its adaptedness to all. While
other religions are designed and framed
for the peoufiarities and needs of GER
tain races and localities, Christianity
recognizes no limits. Its doors are
thrown wide open to every child of
Adam. This Is u truth which the Scrip
lures. with the usual foresight, and an
ticipatlng no doubt the controversies
and theological discussions that would
arise In the future over such questions
as election, Reproduction. Gods SOW
ereignty, mans freedom, ETC., bring be-
fore us with great clearness and em-
phasis.
Its Invitations are: Look unto me
aud he we saved all the ends of the
earth. Ho,. every one that thirsteth,
come we to the waters. Incline your
ear and come unto me; hear and your
soul shall live. Come unto me all ye
that labor and are heavy laden, and |
will give you rest. Behold, | stand ut
the door and knock. Ii any man hear
my voice and open the door, | viii come
to MIN. WhOsOever will, let him take
the water of life freely. such are few
of the blessed, Unrestricted invitations
with which the Scriptures abound, but
while they are designed for all and ex-
tended to all, no man can expect to be
protited by them, no man can look for
the salvation they offer, until he first
recognizes and feels the need of being
saved through Christ. his Is the In
dlsputable condition upon which they
are based. so long MS u man looks upon
himself with complacenCy ana thinks
he is ON the whole good enough; so long
as he concludes, In comparing himself
with others, that lie is up TO the
average; makes us fair an appearance MS
most good men, and lives as consistent
~ us many so-Ualled Christian, 50 long
we say as he does this, 50 long will he
iail to receive any benefit from The offers
Of the gospel; 70 long VIII lie continue
in state oil Indifference and irTeigIon.
rUr all means, lOr all " no leel their need,
not for those VINO are satisfied with
themselves and think thar God ought TO
he satisfied with them. It's the hungry
man thar seeks food, the sick man That
calls for his phJ siclan. The paraly lio
was brought 10 Christ and the bind beg
gar cried, called cut for Jesus Oi Nazareth
| want, lies at the foundation OF true re-
HglUn; the only way of access into the
neaft Ot him who comes into the world
10 save sinners. Ii is II cry to which the
son of God never turns II deaf ear. Only
eel IA man become conscious ot MS need;
iet him utter that cry, let him realize his
is sinner or even us Paul here does, The
chef OF sinners, and 1t matters not what
| us past may have been; what the char
| acter of his transgressions, how far he
may have advanced In iniqulty, or what
| lhe extent of his guilt; he may have
| violated every law of God and man, and
| yet that man is In a hopeful state; u con-
| dition to be saved. Too vile or too
abandoned 10 hope for parGon, an ex-
fnn haf 10 not In . ha al
| Of God, that does not belong to the re-
| igion of Christ. Man may tell us that
We are past reclamation, but omnipo-
| tence and love, the two great factors In
| connection, were. God does not Tecog-
nize any such teachings, and 1t Is for this
very reason that Paul here adds the
words: "Of whom 1 am Christi How
De 1t for this cause | obtained mercy,
| that in me first. /. o., in me this first, or
| chiefof sinners, Jesus Christ might show
| forth all long suffering tor u pat .ern to
them which should hereafter believe
on Him to life OVERLAPPING. 1t was TO
settle forever the questions that the
| greatest of sinners might be pardoned;
| thar there Is no limit to Gods forgiving
| love; that no sinner should despair OF
mercy; no one ever say that lie Is so
| great sinner that he cannot be for
| given. The only requisite is, save Lord
| or perish, and If Paul, the chief of sim
ners, was forgiven, why not WEI With
such an example of Gods grace before
us, we certainly have no reason for
anxiety. Though your sins be as scar
let, they shall be as white as snow,
though they be red like crimson they
| shall be MS wool. 1t Is not the humble
| penitent, but the smooth seli-suilicient,
selt-satisiied, half indolent, complacent,
inflated boaster, clothed IN the sleek
| garments of his own righteousness that
mas any reason to fear. Such a man
Is out OF Gods reach, and the reason is
that he will not own the fact that he is
| a sinner.
The third point to be noticed is that
salvation is TO be sought, and sought
| Ia Christ, in the way here laid down,
through Christ Jesus.
The mere fact that thin q has been
| provided for our use, does not necesss-
rily imply that We are TO come into pos
| session VI 1t, or that we are TO refrain
| from making proper efforts to secure it,,
| As rule, what is worth having, is worth
| seeking, ana the greater the value OF the
| object sought, the more vigorous and
| persistent are our efforts to obtain 1t.
1 his Is principle that governs us in all
our pursuits, and the only principle that
| gives us success. For example we know
| that there are certain plants, possessed
OF medicinal properties thar Will prove
Useful To us in diseases; we know that
,nere are beds OF coal in the earth to
iced our furnaces; we know that there
are trees III our forests to supply us with
DuiluIng material; Out we know, too, AT
tue same time that We must gel our ex-
traci from Tue plant, slnA our mines, put
nur uxes 10 the roots Of The trees; " G
| must search, boil, ulg, cut before We can
make any vi these available, and just So
is IL III the matter OF our salvation. God
nas maize ample provision for IL, Christ
las made the Necessary atOnement Tor
our Sins, All proper means to secure II
nave been placed al our disposal, and
Enough We are told that God Will have
ali men 10 be saved and 10 come unto the
knowledge Of the truth, IL Is not until
We put forth the effort for ourselves, not
until we strive TO bring our viii into
harmony with his will, not until we con-
sent to place ourselves under the infiu-
ences OF ais spirit; in II word, until we
combine and work together with Hin
Tor our salvation that we shall ever come
10 the knowledge of the truth. The
mere fact that IL is provided Will never
secure 1t for us, else why are we not all
saved as well MS provided for. | will
arise and go to my Father,must enter at
factor INTO the process. True, God
wills that we should be saved; not that
he exerts his absolute power to save as
when he willed the creation of the world
for he is dealing with moral beings, free
agents, but thar he wishes and earnest
ly desires TO save. IL Is in accordance