The Red Cloud chief., 1889-08-09

you, you are % far beneath ma" That
manner always dis2usts. always drives
men away from the kingdom OF Jesus
Christ instead Of bringing them in.
When I was . lad / was one day In .
village store and there WAS . large group
Of young men there full Of rollicking and
fun, ana . Christian man came in, and
without any introductiGn OF the subject
and while they were in great hilarity said
to ono of them: 'George, what 10 the
first step Of wisdOm:" George looked up
and said: "Every man to mind his own
business" Well, il was . very rough
answer. but il was provoked. Rel g.On
had been hurled in there a. though it were
q bomhsheil We must be adroit In the
presentation Of religion to the world.
Do you suppose that Mary in her con.
versation with Christ lost her simplicity?
or that Paul, laundering from Mars Hill
tool the pulpit tone2 Why is it people
can not talk as naturally in prayer meet.
ing and on reliGi, Us subjects ~ they doin
worldly circles: For no one ever succeeds
in any kin Of Christian work m ess no
works naturally. We want to initiate the
Lord Jesus Christ, who plucked . poem
from the grass Of the field. We all want
to initiate Him who taxed with farmers
about them man who wont forth to SOW. and
talked with the fishermen about the
drawn net that brought in fish OF all sorts,
and talked with the vine dresser
about the idler in the vineyard.
and talked with those newly an.
anced about the marriage supper. and
talked with tho man cramped in
money matters about the two debt.
ors, and talked with tho women about
the yeast that leavened the whole lump.
and talked with he shepherd about the
lost sheep. O, we might gather even the
stars Of the sky and twist them like for
get-me-nots in the garland Of jesus We
must bring every thing to Him-the wealth
Of language, the tenderness Of sentiment,
the delicacy Of morning dew. the saffron
Of floating cloud. The tangled surf OF the
tossing sea. the bursting thunder guns of
the siOrm's bombardment Yes, every
star must point down TO Him, every hello
trope must breathe His praise. every drop
in the summer shower must fash His
glory, all the tree branches Of tho forest
nus thrum their music in the grand
march which shall celebrate . world re.
deemed.
Now, all this being 80. what is tbs com.
mon sense thing for you and for ms to do?
What we do l think will depend upon three
great facts. The first fact that sin has
ruined US 1t has blasted boly. mind and
soul We wan, no Bible to prove that We
are sinnera Any man who 10 not willing
to acknowledge himself as imperfec, and
q sinful being is simp y a fool and not to
be argued with. We all feel that sin has
d'sorganized u entire nature. That IL
one fact Another fact il that Christ
came to reconstruct. to restore. TO revise.
to correct, to redeem. hiatt il . second fact.
The third fact 10 hat the only time W are
sure Christ will pardon Us is the present
Now, what 10 the common sense thing
for US to do in view Of these three fac, -
You will agree with me to quit sin, take
Christ and take Him now. Suppose some
business man in whose skill you hal per.
feet confidence should tell you that to-
morrow Monday morning between
eleven and twelve O'Clock you could bv .
certain financial transaction make 5000,
but that on Tuesday perhaps You might
make it but there would not be any pos
itiveness about II, and ON Wednesday
there would not DO % much, md Thurs
dav less. and Friday less, and 50 on less
and less-when would you attend
to the matter: Why. yeur COM
mon sense would dictate: 'Imm.di.
ately / will at snd to that matter
between eleven and twelve O'Clock to-mor.
row (Mondsy) morning. for then I can
surely acccmplish il. but on Tuesday I
may not and on Wednesday there is less
prospect I will attend to it Tomorrow"
Nov. let us bring u common sense in
this matter OF religion. Here are the
hopes Of the Gospel We may get them
now. To-norr w We may got them and
We may not N. It dav We may and Wa
may not The prospect less and less and
less and less.
Tho only sure time now-now. I would
not talk to you in this way if i did not
know that Christ was able to save all the
people, and saw thou ands As easily as
save one. would not 60 into . hospital
and tear oY the bandages from the wounds
il I had no balm to apply. would not
have the face to tell . man he is . sinner
unless l had at tho same time the author
ity OF saving he may b saved. Suppose
in Venice there 10 . Raphael, . faded
picture. Il 10 nearly faded away. Y,u
say: ~. what . pity that so wonderful . (
picture by Raphael should b nearly de-
facedi" After . while . man comes up
very unskillful in art and he proposes to
retouch it You say: Stand OF! I would
have it just - 1t Is; you will only |
make il worse"
After . while there comes IN artist who |
was the equal Of Raphael He says: II
will etou that ricturs and bring out all |
its original power" You have full con- !
hdenes in his abi iity. He & uchss il here
ami there. Feature after feature comes
forth and whom h. 10 done with the pict. |
urs IL 10 complete in all its original power. |
Now God Impressed HE image on our
race. but that image has been dsfaced for
and for thousands Of ysar4
fainter and faintsr. Here comes
mp . divine Raphael He says: II can
restore that pc ure" He has all power
in Heaven and ON earth. He II the equal
Of b Ono who made tho picture. the
image Of God in our soul. He touches this
sin and IL J. gone. hat transgression and
Il d sappears and all the defacement van.
and 'whsre sin sbounded grace
doth much more abound" Will you ave
defac. m mt or will you have the res-
toratiou: ! am we'll ~persuadsd that II !
could BY . touch of Heavenly pathos In
w m mites put before y. uwhat . been
o t. save your soul here would b an
motional 'ide overwhelming. Mamma"
,AsA 1stA1A ~hs11 g. -. ~mNeh~D