The Russellville Democrat., 1889-09-12

rises in the balances. It does not make any difference about your magnificent machinery. A Church is built for one thing-to save souls. If it saves few souls when it might have saved @ multi tude of souls God will spew it out of His mouth. Weighed and found wanting So God estimates nations. How many times He has put the Spanish monarchy into the scales and found it insufficient and condemned it. The French Empire was placed on one side the scales, and God weighed the French Empire, and Napoleon said:
 ''Have I not enlarged the bouleyardsi Did not kindle the glories of the Champs Elysees? Have I not adorned the Tuil- cries? Have l not built the gilded pera-houseW
 Then God weighed the nation, and He put on one side the scales the Emperor, and the boulevards, and the Tuileries, and the Champs Elysees, and the gilled opera house, and on the other side He puts that mans abominations, that mans libertinism, that mans selfishness, that mans goddess ambition. This last came down, and all the brilliancy of the scene vanished. What is that voice coming up from Sedan? Weighed and found want ing
 But must becom more individual and more personal in my address. Some people say they do not think clergymen ought to be personal in their religious address, but ought to deal with subjects in the abstract do not think that way. What would you think of 0 hunter who should go to the Adirondacks to shoot gJaa ,,,+ o1,s A !, Ia de the gun, he puts the butt of it against the breast, he runs his eye along the barrel, he takes sure aim, and then crash go the antlers on the rocks. And so, if we want to be hunters for the Lord, we must take sure aim and fire. Not in the abstract are we to treat things in religious discus- sions. If C physician comes into sick room, does he treat disease in the ab- stract? No; he feels the pulse, takes tho diagnosis; then he makes the prescrip- ton. And if we want to heal souls for this life and the life to come, we do not want to treat them in the abstract. The fact is, you and have a malady which, if uncured by grace. will kill us forever. Now, want no abstraction. Where is the balm? Where is the physician
 People say there is day of judgment M of judgment and you and to day are be- ing canvassed, inspected, weighed. Here are the balances of the sanctuary. They are lifted, and we must all be weighed. Who will come and be weighed frstS Here is moralist who volunteers. He is one of the most upright men in the coun- try. He comes. Well, my brother, get in-get into the balances now, and be t1f hae tc n n I say:
 ''What is that bundle you have along with youS'
 'Oh," he says, that is my reputation for goodness, and kindness, and charity, and generosity and kindness generally"
 "Oh," my brother we can not weigh that; we are going to weigh you-you. Now, stand in the scales--you the mor- alist. Paid your debts?"
 "Yes," you say, paid all my debts."
 Have you acted in an upright way in the community"
 "Yes, yes."
 ''Have you been kind to the poor' Are you faithful in thousand relations in lifes"
 "Yes','
 ''So far, so good. But now, before you
  two or three questions. Have your thoughts always been rightp
 "No." you say mo"
 Put down one mark.
 "Haye you loved the Lord with all your heart, and soul, and mind, and strengthW
 "No," you say. Make another mark.
 "Come, now, be frank, and confess that in ten thousand things you have oo,,,a ghort-hava vau nnfYD
 "Yes."
 Make ten thousand marks. Come, now, get me book large enough to make the record of that moralist's deficits. My brother, stand in the scales, do not fly away from them. put on your side of the scales all the good deeds you ever did, all the kind words you ever uttered; but on the other side the scales put this weight which God says I must put there -on the other side the scales and op- posite to yours I put this weight: By the deeds of the law shall no flesh living be justified" Weighed and found want ing.
 Still, the balance of the sanctuary are suspended and we are ready to weigh any who come. Who shall be tho nexts Well, here is a formalist. He comes and he gets into the balances, and as he gets in see that all his religion is in genu- hexions and in outward observances. As he gets into the scales l say:
 "What is that you have in this pocket?"
 "Ohl" he says, that is the Westmin- ster Assembly Catechism."
 I say: "Very good. What have you in the other pocket"
 "ohp he says, that is the Heidelberg catechism."
 "Very good. What is that you have under your arm, standing in this balance of the sanctuaryW
 "ohW he says, ''that is church rec ord"
 "Very good. What are these books on your side the balances?"
 "Ohp he says, those are 'Calvin's In- stitutes.'"
 My brother, we are not weighing books, we are weighing you. It can not be that you are depending for your salva- tion upon your orthodoxy. Do you not know that the creeds and Ithe forms of religion are merely the scaffolding for the bui'dingY You certainly are not going to mistake the scaffolding for the temple. Do you not know that men have gone to perditien with a catechism in their pocket?"
 But" says the man, q cross myself often"
 "Ahl that will not save you"
 But" says the man, 'I am sympa- thetic for tAe poor"
 That win not save you"
 Says the taan: q sat at the communion table," That will not save you.
 But, " sayS the man, q have had my name on the church record.n
 That will not save you"
 But have bnen professor of religion forty years"
 "That will not save you. Stand there on you side the balances, and 1 will give you the advantageI will lot you have all the creeds, all the church records, all the Christian conventions that were ever held, all the communion tables that were ever built on your side the balances On the other side the balances must put what God says l must put there. I put this million pound weight on the othar qf1e ina baIaueas. fTavfpr. tba