Nevada County picayune., 1889-09-11
RELIGIOUS COLUMN.
Edited bv GEO. A. GARDNER.
THE WAY OF LIFE.
And highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness Isa. Xxxy, \.


 present day says: "There is but one moral road in the universe that the good are travelling on thls road to heaven, and the bad are travelling on it in the opposite direction to hell ;' but in direct opposition to the asser- ton of this dogmatist, the Bible de- clares plainly that there are two ways, each of which is distinct from the other: Broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat; because strait is the gate and narrow Is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. " Here it is explicitly declared by our Savior himself that there are two ways; and, lest there should be some mistake. in distin- gushing them, He sketches in simple language two plain and prominent points of difference between these ways: The ray of l1e is narroW, and fe,c are found therein; whereas, the way of destruction or death Is broad, and many are found therein. As it is of the utmost importance that no mistate should be made on this subject, in reference to the Way of Life, and the Way of Death, we proceed to note other characterics of these ways, which the pen of inspira- ton has sketched for our instruction.
 The way of life is called the 'eay of holiness by Isaiah, the way of the spirit by Paul, the way of wisdom by solomon, and the way everlasting by David. It is the way of self-denial and cross s-bearing, of peace of righteousness, and the end thereof is everlasting.
 On the other hand, the way of death is way of darkness and cruelty, of selfishness and pride, of ease and lust, of vanity and disap pointment, and the end thereof is destruction without remedy. One of the most expressive methods em- ployed to distinguish these ways is set forth in the following: "The path of the just is shining light, which shineth moro and more unto the per feet day" Outside of this path is darkness, gloom and uncertainty, and certain fearful looking for judgment and indignation which shall devOur the adversaries. Life, all radiant with hope, and exultant with anticipation of Heaven, invests the pathway of the Christian; while darkness and desolation and death settle like an impenetrable pail upon the wicked as they descend the broad and frequented road to ruin and destruction. Itis strange, pass ing strange, that rational beings should prefer the ways of sin and death to the ways of peace and ever lasting happiness. Our Savior says: "Ic will not come to me. that Ye might have life" and there is no other name given under Heaven whereby we must he saved.
 Christian Science, falsely so called, will not save you; philosophy, with all of it's attractive and glittering speculatons, cannot accomplish this wondrous work; spiritualism, with its bewildering phenomena and weird incantations, offers no power adequate to the mighty work; nor ality merely furnishes de- ceptive vencering to the outward man. while the inner man Is full of rottenncss and uncleanness all other forms of religion of mans devising, fall short of accomplishing the neces- sary inner puritication, without which no one can be saved and the world. with all its wisdom and ingenuity and science, has never discovered the true elixir of life.
 The Gospel of the Son of God reveals the plan, marks out the road. and furnishes the power by which the glorious result alone can be sccured "bclieve on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. These things are hid from the wise and prudent, and revealed unto babes; and unless we descend from the heights of pride to the humility and simplicity of little children, we can in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven,
 Religion is more a matter of the heart than the head; hence the supreme importance of the injunc- tion, keep thy heart with all dili- gence. for out of it are the issues of liI.. ], tII,. .l,.iA.. Al. .., lA..-,.-.I