The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1889-02-01

trlneS OF Christian churches as aDSuru, ury
and inexplicable technicalities There Is
your doctrine of the Trinity, they say "Ab-
surd beyond all bounds The idea that there
is God in three persons. Impossible. II 1t
is one God he can't be three, and If there are
three they can't be one" At the same time
all of us-they with us-acknowledge trini-
ties all around us. Trinity in our own make
up-body, mind, soul. Body with which we
move, mind with which we think, soul with
which we love. Three, yet one man. Trinity
in the alright, heat, moisture-yet one at
mosphere Trinity In the court room-three
judges on the bench, but ono court. Trini-
ties all around about us, in earthly govern
ment and in nature. OF course, all the
illustrations are defective for the reason that
the natural cannot fully illustrate the spirit
ual. But suppose an ignorant man should
come up to chemist and say: ~ deny what
you say about the water and about the air {;
they are not made Of different parts The
air Is one, breathe 1t every day. The water
Is one, drink it every day. You can't de-
ceive me about the elements that go to make
up the air and the water" The chemist
would say: "You come up into my labora-
tory and ! will demonstrate this whole thing
to you" The ignorant man goes into the
chemists laboratory, and sees for himself. He
learns that the water is one and the air is one,
but they are made up Of different parts. So
here is q man who says: II can't understand
the doctrine of the Trinity" God says: "You
come up here into the laboratory after your
death, and you will see-you will see 1t ex-
planned, you will see 1t demonstrated" The
ignorant man cannot understand the chem
istry of the water and the air until he goes
into tho laboratory, and We will never under
stand the Trinity until We go into heaven.
The ignorance of the man who cannot under
stand the chemistry Of the air and water does
not change the fact in regard to the compo-
sition of air and water. Because we cannot
understand the Trinity, does that change the
facti
"And there is your absurd doctrine about
justification by faith" say these antago-
nists who have chewed up the little
book of evangelism, and have the consequent
embittered stomach-"justifcatio by faith;
you can't explain it." can explain it 1t is
simply this: when q man takes the Lord
the offender off. Just as you have a differ
ence with some one, he has injured you, he
apologies, or he makes reparation, you say:
NO", luaI AAbhC, Oil
Justification by faith is this: a man takes
Jesus Christ as his Saviour, and God says to
the man: Now it was all wrong before, but
it Is all right now; it is all right" That was
what made Martin Luther what he was.
Justification by faith, it Is going to conquer
all nations.
"There Is your absurd doctrine about re-
generation" these antagonists Of evangelism
say. What is regeneration Why, regen-
GRAFTON is reconstruction. Anybody can I'M
derstand that Have you not seen people
who are all made over again by some won
derful influenced In other words, they are
just as different now from what they used to
be as possible. The old Constellation, man.
of-war, lay down here at the Brooklyn navy
yard. Famine came to Ireland The old
Constellation was fitted up, and though it
had been carrying gunpowder and bullets, 1t
took bread to Ireland You remember the
enthusiasm as the old Constellation went out
Of our harbor, and with what joy it was
greeted by the furnishing nation on the other
side the sea. That is regeneration. A man
loaded up with sin and death loaded up with
life Refitted. Your observation has been
very small, indeed, If you have not seen
changes in character as radical as that
AN ILLUSTRATION WITH MORAL.
A man came into this church one night,
and he was intoxicated, and at an utterance Of
the pulpit he said In a subdued tone, That's
lei" An officer Of the church tapped
him on the shoulder and said, "You must be
silent, or you must 60 out" The next night
that stranger came and he was converted to
God. He was In the liquor business. He re-
signed the business. The next day he sent
back the samples that had Just been sent him.
He began to love that which he hated.
baptized him by immersion in the baptistry
under this platform A large salary was Of.
fered him if he would return to his former
business. He declined it. He would rather
suffer with Jesus Christ than be prospered In
the world He wrote home a letter to his
Christian mother. The Christians mother
wrote back, congratulating him, and said
"If in the change of your business you have
lack Of means, come home; you are always
welcome home" He told Of his conversion
to dissolute companion. The dissolute com
panion said: "Well, II you have become q
Christian, you had better 60 over and talk tc
that dying girl She is dying with quick con.
sumption in that house" The new convert
went there. AL the surroundings were dis
solute. He told the dying girl that Jesus
would Save her. "Oh," said she, that cant
be, that can't bel What makes you
think sor 81 have it here in g
book in my pocket" he replied. He
pulled out New Testament. She said
"Show it to me; if can be saved show it tc
me in that book" He said: II have neg
lected this book as you have neglected it fol
many years, and don't know where to FIND
it; but know it is somewhere between the
lids" Then he began to turn over the leaves
and strange aud beautiful to say, his eye
struck upon this passage: Neither do con
denim thee; go and sin no more" She said: III
isn't possible that Is there!" eyes, he said
that is there" He held it up before her dying
eyes, and she said: "Oh, yes, see it for my
self; accept the promise: Neither do con
denim thee; go and sin no more" In a few
hours her spirit sped away to the Lord that
gave it, and the new convert preached tn,
funeral sermon. The man who few day
before had been a blasphemer and adrunkarG
and hater of all that was good, he preached
the sermon. That is regeneration, that 4
regeneration If there are any dry husks d
technicality in that, where are theya Al
made over again by the power of the grace
of God
A few years ago a ship captain came il
here and sat yonder under the gallery. Fl,
came In with a contempt for the church o.
God and with an especial dislike for Tai
mage. When an opportunity was given b,
arose for prayer, and as he was more thai
six feet high, when he arose for prayer NJ
one doubted that he arose That hour he be
came Christian. He went out and told tn,
ship owners and the ship commanders wha
a great change had been wrought in him
and scores and scores have been brought tt
God through his instrumentality.
A little while after his conversion he wa!
on ship off Cape Hatteras in a thick ant
prolonged fog, and they were at their wits
ends and knew not what to do, the ship drift
ing about hither and thither, and they los
their bearings; and the converted sea captain
went to his room and asked God for the sal
walton of the ship, and God revealed it t.
him while he was on his knees that at "a Ger
tain hour, only little way off, the fog wou!c
lift; and the converted sea captain came ou
on the deck and told how God heard hi
prayers He said: 1T Is all right, boys, very
soon now the fog will lift" mentioning tn,
hour. A man who stood there laughed alouc
in derision at the idea that God would
answer prayer; but at just the hour wheI
God had assured the captain the fog would
lift there came a flash Of lightning through
the fog, and the man who had jeered anc
laughed was stunned and fell to the deck
The fog lifted. Yonder was Cape Hattera
lighthouse. The ship was put on the RICH
course, and sailed on to the harbor of safety
A REGENERATION DEvoUTLY TO BE WISHED
FOR
When in seaport the captain spends mos
of his time in evangelical work. He kneel
down by one who had been helpless N tn,
bed for many months, and the next day sh,
walks forth in the streets well. He kneel
beside one who has long been decrepit, ant
he resigns the crutches He kneels beside on,
who had not seen enough to be able to reaC
for ten years. and she reads the Bible tina
day. Consumptions go away, and those wh'
had diseases that were appalling to behold
come up to rapid convalescence and to com
plete health. lam not telling you anything
second handed have had the story from