The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-07-11

theory. The doctrines of mans de.
pravity and Christ's atonement and
Gods sovereignty are theoretically re.
ceived by them. But alasI there they
stop. 1t is only the she'll OF Christian.
ity, containing no evangelical life
They stand looking over into Heaven
and admire its beauty and its song, and
are so pleased with the looks from
the outside that they can not be in.
duced to enter. They could make o
better argument for the truth than TO-.
900 Christians who have in their hearts
received it II syllogisms and dilem-
mas and sound propositions and logical
deductions could save their souls
they would be among the best
Of Christians. They could correct
ly define repentance and faith and
the atonement. while they have never
felt one sorrow for sin nor exercised .
moments confidence in the great sac
riice. They are almost immovable in
their position. We can not present any
thing about the religion of Christ that
they do not know. The Saviour de-
scribed the fate of such one in His
parable: Sand that servant which
knew his Lords will and prepaid not
himself neither did according to His
will, shall be beaten with many
stripes" Theories in religion have .
beauty of their own, but if they result
in no warmth of Christian life it is
the beauty of born blende and feldspar.
Do not call such GOODNESS and hardness
religion. The river of life never freezes
Icicles never hang on the caves of
Heaven. Soundness of intellectual be-
lief is beautiful cloak. well woven and
we'll cut but in the hour when God
shall demand our souls it will not of
itself be sufficient to hide our iniquities
My friends, can ii be that have been
unkind. and torn from you some hope
upon which you were resting for time
and eternity? Verify, 1 would be I'M
kind if, having taken away your cloak,
l did not offer you something better
This is cold world and you want some
thing to wrap around your spirit. Christ
offers you robe to-day. He wove it
Himself and He will now with His own
The righteousness He offers is like the
coat He used to wear about Judes, with
out seam from top to bottom. There is
day of doom. Coward would be il 1
did not dare to tell you this. 1t shall
be day of unutterable disappointment
to those who have trusted in their Off
cial dignity, in their elegant manners,
in their outward morality. in their sound
ness Of intellectual belief. But I see
soul standing before God who once was
thoroughly defiled. Yet look at him
and you can not find single transgres-
sion anywhere about him. How is this?
you ask. Was he not once Sabbath
breaker, blasphemer, robber, per-
jurer, thief, murderer? Yes, but
Christ hath cleansed him, Christ hath
lifted him ups Christ hath rent off his
rags Christ hath clothed him in
spotless robe of righteousness. That is
the reason why you can not see his
former degradation. This glorious
hope in Christ's name is proffered to-
day. Wandering and hayward soul, is
not this salvation worth coming for,
worth striving for? Do you wonder that
so many with bitter weeping have be-
sought it and with very enthusiasm of
sorrow cried for divine compassion!
Do you wonder at the earnestness Of
those who stand in pulpits beseeching
men to be reconciled to God? Nay, do
you wonder at the importantly of the
Holy Ghost who now striveth with thy
soul? In many of the palaces of Europe
the walls are mosaic. Fragments Of
shells and glass are arranged by artists
and aggregated into pictorial splendor.
What made out of broken shells and
broken glassl o, yes; God grant that
by the Transforming power of His spirit
we may all be made part of the eternal
palaces, our broken and fragmentary
natures polished and shaped and lifted
up to make part of the everlasting
splendors Of the heavenly temple!
For sinners, Lord. Thou cam'st to bleed,
And Pm a sinner vile indeed.
Lord, 1 believe Thy grace Is free;
., magnify Thy grace in me.