News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-07-10

and sound propositions and logical de-
auctions could save their souls they
would be among the best of
Christians. They could correctly de-
fine repentance and faith and
the atonement while they have
never felt one sorrow for sin nor ex-
ercised moments confidence in
the great sacrifice They are almost
immovable in their position. We can
not present anything a.bout the religion
of Christ that they do not know. The
Saviour described the fate OF such
one in his parable: 'And that servant
which knew his Lords will, and pre-
pared not himself, neither did accord
ing to his will, shall be beaten with
many stripes. Theories in religion
have a beauty of their own, but if they
result in no warmth of Christian life it
is the beauty of hornblende and field
spar. Do not call such GOODNESS and
hardness religion. The river CT life
never freezes over Icicles never hang
on the caves of heaven. Soundness Of
intellectual belief is beautiful cloak,
well woven and well cut, but in the
hour when God shall demand our souls
it will not of itself be sufficient to hide
our iniquities.
BETTER THAN A CLOAK.
Ny friends, can it be that have been
unkind, and torn from you some hope
upon which you were resting for time
and eternity? Verify, | would be I'M
kind if, having taken away your cloak,
l did not offer you something better.
This is a cold world and you want
something to wrap around your spirit.
Christ offers you a robe today. He
wove it himself, and he will now with
his own hand prepare it just to fit your
soul. The righteousness he offers is
like the coat he used to wear about
Judea, without seam from top to bot
tom. There is day of doom. Cow
ard would l bskdid not dare tell
you this 1t shall be a day of unutter-
able disappointment to those who have
trusted in their official dignity, in their
elegant manners, in their outward
morality, in their soundness of intellect
ual belief.
But l see a soul standing before God
who once was thoroughly defiled. Yet
look at him and you cannot find sim
gle transgression anywhere about him.
How is this? you ask. Was he not
once a Sabbath breaker, a blasphemer,
a robber, a perjurer, thief, a muir
derer? Yes, but Christ hath cleansed
him. Christ hath lifted him up. Christ
hath rent off his rags. Christ hath
clothed him in spotless Tobe OF
righteousness. That is the reason why
you cannot sec his former degradation.
This glorious hope in Christ's name is
proffered today Wandering and way
ward soul, is not this salvation worth
coming for, worth striving for2 Do
you wonder that SO many with bitter
weeping have besought it, and with
very enthusiasm of sorrow cried for
divine compassiOn2 Do you wonder
at the earnestness of those who stand
in pulpits beseeching men to be recon-
ciied 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 a pictorial splendor.
What! Made out of broken shells and
broken glass2 Oh, yes. God grant
that by the transforming power of his
spirit we may all be made a part of the
eternal palaces, our broken and frag-
mentary natures polished and shaped
and lifted up to make a part of the
everlasting splendors of the heavenly
temple!
For sinners, Lord, thou cam'st to bleed,
And I'm sinner vile indeed.
Lord believe thy grace is free;
Oh, magnify thy grace in me.