Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1886-04-24

the Savior only and that to every pen
itent and obedient soul He is Saw
Jour to the nttermost, both now and
forever The cross, as the symbol
of mans need and Gods mercy, must
always be presented TO our hearers /;
aud no man should ever be allowed
to depart in forgetfulness Of his
guilt. or in ignorance of Christ's
willingness to save.
To the means already alluded to
we should add earnest personal pri
vate appeals. Il is indeed written
that 1t pleased God BY the foolish
ness Of preaching 70 save them that
believe but the preaching which
eniightens the mind. awakens fear,
encourages hop9 and confirms faith
can be done in the workshop, the
Office or by the fireside as we'll as
from the pulpit. TO fire at long
range is better than not to fire at all;
but that minister does better who
from his pulpit goes to the mansion
OF the extortioner Zaccbeus and
breaches restitution, who makes Felix
tremble on his throne; or, like Ma
than, follows the wicked king 10 his
very palace and there says to him,
"Fhou art the manu- The captives
of the Lord are the most numerous,
and are most thoroughly untitled for
all future service of the enemy, when
Christ's soldiers go into hand. to-
hand combat, and leave no foe until
they have deprived him of bis chos-
en- weapons, and received his oath of
allegiance to King Jesus.
Again in this great work | think
we should be careful to demand
nothing more than is essential to u
proper confessing OF Christ. AS
men we have our constitutional PEE
culiarities, we have preiudices, we
have likes and dislikes, and, more
fully than we perceive it, we desire
others to think as we think and do
as we do. Are we not more ready
to believe him renewed man who
on seeking admission to the church
fully accepts our opinions and prac-
tees than we are one who receives
Christ but follows not MS? Tor ex1
ample, may | expect a man who con-
fesses Christ to henceforth forsake
his old political party and vote the
ticket which | support Shall my
pulpit utterances make it understood
that there is no salvation out Of
Christ and the Republican party2
Because was John Brown aboli
ZIONIST should require man to take
a Harper's Ferry pike in one hand as
soon as he takes tho cross of Christ
in the other When convert comes
into the church may I tell him he
must at once come ont of all secret
societies. because "We do not be-
long to any," Shall / demand Of
him that he shall confess Christ BY
putting on peculiar garment, by
adopting a peculiar style Of speech,
and by varying his diet according to
my calendar
What is essential in confessing
Christ Shall we demand anything
moro than the Apostle did OH the day
of Pentecost, than Peter required OF
Cornelius, than Philip Taught the Eu
much, and Paul and Silas asked of the
jailor? Let us remember that while
there is no salvation out of Christ
there is full salvation to oil who are
in Him, even though they live in Sa
maria and we in Jerusalem, and
our Abraham be ignorant of them
and eur Israel acknowledge them not.
And, lastly, is there anything let
ter for rs to do in our efforts to per
suade mon to confess Christ than TO
fervently invoke and confidently to
expect the aid of the Holy Spirit?
He has given us all our fitness for
this work, and called rs to enter up
on it. Our efficiency is entirely from
Him. His sword is our chief weapon.
His guidance is infallible. When lie
gives utterance, the truth penetrates
the aAstontest mail and reaches the
hardest heart. He alone renews and
sanctifes and keeps unto eternal life
We ourselves are made evident as
ambassadors of Christ only by the
Comforter who abides with us; and
as to our converts, if any man of
them has not the Spirit of Christ he
Ia mona NJ hie