The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-01-07
Cheap Religion.

lHlngS lndI are exceedingly cheap
are often cheat. The best fabrics re-
quire skilled labor, and that which costs
but little is apt to be worth but little.
A character that will stand the wash
and the wear of this world, and be the
passport to better world, is not to be
had for nothing. The very word " free
grace " may be misleading. Because
our divine Redeemer gave himself vol
UNFAIRLY to his great work of purchas-
ing our ransom by his precious blood,
aud because he offers salvation to all
" without money and without price,
it does not follow that holy character,
and heaven, too, are to be had for
nothing. Jesus likened the kingdom
of heaven to a" treasure hid in field"
aud to a "goodly pearl" Neither of
them were to be got without paying a
round price for them. The mer-
chant who wanted the precious pearl
went and sold all that he had in order
to secure it. In like manner those who
would secure the treasure of spiritual
blessings in Christ must part with
everything that would shut Christ out
of the heart. 1t is the wretched mis-
take of many people that they seek
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well-meaning ministers declare that it is
just the easiest thing in the world
to become a Christian" They talked
as if gracious God had provided
free gospel train, by which everybody
who chose to come aboard could be
transported on comfortable cushions
as " dead-heads " to the celestial city,
Such cologne-water preachers utterly
ignore that solemn declaration of our
Lord: " Whosoever will rot take up
his cross and follow me can not be my
disciple" They make no allowance
either for the stubborn depravity of
the human heart or for the temptations
of the devil or the sin-poisoned atmos-
phere through which every Christian
must fight his way TO the prize of his
high calling. "Strive to enter into
the straight gate" is the invitation of
our Master. He knows what it costs.
Pungently but truly did grand old
Samuel Rutherford say: Many peo-
pie only play with Christianity, and
take Christ for almost nothing. | pray
you to make the seeking of salvation
your daily work. If we never had a
sick night and panied soul for sin, We
have not yet lighted upon Christ. Look
to the right marks; if we love your Savior
better than the the world, and would quit
all the world for him, then that proveth
that the work is sound. 1.-THE very first
step toward genuine solid Christian
tian character is repentance of sin.
The keynote of Christ's ministry was
repent There was a logical neces-
sity in this, for no man can cleave to
his sins and lay hold of Christ with the
same hand. | doubt whether any per-
son ever makes a strong grip on the
Lord Jesus until he feels the need of
one who can save him from his sins.
No one takes medicine until he realizes
that he is sick. When David's eyes
had been opened to behold the loath-
some depravity of his own conduct, he
was not content with any cheap compro-
mise; he cried out with intense ear
nestness, Wash me thoroughly from
my iniquity." He was ready to be
thrown, ike filthy garment, into the
cleansing vat, and to be rubbed and
pounded until the frightful black spots
were washed out of the very fabric
of his heart. Thorough repentance is
proved by thorough reformation of both
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we are, and the other is what we do.
Cheap conversions make cheap Chris
tians. The shallow conversions -
that are the outcome of shallow, sensa-
tional preaching commonly end in
very shallow and short-lived religion.
Bad habits are not pulled up. Old
haunts are not forsaken. The new
emotion dies out, but it does not leave
new man. The Holy Spirit has no
hand in such conversions; they are a
delusion, and end in bitter disappoint-
ments; the plant that is set out in the
church, -" having no depth of root, soon
withers away" We ministers can not
be too urgent in exhorting sinners to
flee speedily from their sins to the
Savior, but we also can not be too
careful in admitting persons into the
church. Thorough sub soil CONVEX.
sions make solid Christians; cheap and
easy conversions end in hollowness OF
heart and hypocrisy of life.-Rev, T.
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