Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-09-22

that seemeth right unto man, but the end
thereof Is death" Without holiness no
man shall see the Lord; and II you have
any idea that you can carry along your
sins, your lusts, your worldliness. and yet
get TO the end OF the Christian race you
are so awfully mistaken that, In the name
Of God. this morning shatter the delu-
sion.
Still further, the road spoken Of is
plain road. THE wayfaring men, though
fools, shall not err therein"-that is, II a
man is three-fourths an idiot he can find
this road just as wen as II he were a phi
losopher. The imbecile boy, the laughing
stock of the street, and followed by mob
hooting at him, has only to knock once at
the gate Of heaven and ii swings open,
while there has been many a man who can
lecture about pneumatics and chemistry,
and tell the story of Faraday's theory OF
electrical polarization, and yet has been
shut out of heaven. There has been many
a man who stood in an observatory and
swept the heavens with his telescope, and
yet he has not been able to see the Morn
ing Star.
Many a man has been familiar with oil!
the higher branches of mathematics, and
yet could not do the simple sum, "What
shall it profit man IL he gain the whole
world and lose his own soul" Many a
man has been a fine reader of tragedies and
poems, and yet could not. read his title
clear to mansions In the skies" Many a
man has botanized across the continent,
and yet did not know the Rose of Sharon
and the Lily of the Valley" But If one
shall come in the right spirit, asking the
way to heaven, he will find it plain way.
The pardon is plain. The peace is plain.
Everything is plain.
HOW TO GET ON.
He who tries to get on the road to heaven
through the New Testament teaching will
get on beautifully. He who goes through
philosophical discussion will not get on at
all. Christ says, "Come to me and I will
take all your sins away, and will take oil
your troubles away" Now what is the
use of my discussing it any moreS Is not
that plains If you wanted to go to Lon
don and pointed you out highway thor,
oughly laid out, would be wise in detain-
ing you by a geological discussion about
the gravel you will pass over, or physio,
logical discussion about the muscles you
will have to bring into playe No. After
this Bible has pointed you the way to
heaven is it wise for me to detain you with
any discussion about the nature of the hui
man will, or whether the atonement is linn
tied or unlimited9 There is the road-go
on it. 1t is plain way.
"This is faithful saying, and worthy Of
all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came in
to the world to save sinners" And that
is you, and that is me. Any little child
here can understand this as well as can,
"Unless you become as little child, you
cannot see the kingdom of God" If you
are saved it will not be as a philosopher, it
will be as little child. "Of such is the
kingdom of heaven" Unless you get the
spirit of little children you will never
come out at their glorious destiny.
Still further; this road to heaven is a
safe road. Sometimes the traveller in those
ancient highways would think himself
perfectly secure, not knowing there was a
lion by the way burying his head deep be-
tween his paws, and then when the right
moment came, under the fearful spring
the mans life was gone and there was
mauled carcass by the roadside. But, says
my text, mo lion shall be there" wish
/ could make you feel this morning your
entire security. tell you plainly that
one minute after man has become child
of God he is as safe as though he had been
ten thousand years in heaven. He may
slip; he may slide; he may stumble; but he
cannot be destroyed. Kept by the power
CT God, through faith unto complete sal
walton. Everlastingly safe.
REWARDS OF CHRISTIANITY.
The severest trial to which you can sub
ject Christian man is to kill him, and
that is glory. In other words, the worst
thing that can happen a child of God is
heaven. The body is only the old slippers
that he throws aside just before putting on
the sandals of light. His soul, you cannot
hurt it. No fires can consume it. No
foods can drown it. No devils can cap,
ture it.
Firm and unmoved are they
Who rest their souls on God;
Fixed as the ground where David stood,
Or where the ark abode.
His soul is safe. His reputation is SAFE
Everything is safe. But" you say. sup
pose his store burns up5" Why, then, it
will only be change of investments from
earthly to heavenly securities. "But," you
say, suppose his name goes down under
the hoof of scorn and contempt?" The
name will be so much brighter in glory.
Suppose his physical health fails?" God
will pour into him the foods of everlasting
health, and it will not make any difference.
Earthly subtraction is heavenly addition.
The tears of earth are the crystals of
heaven. AS they take rags and tatters and
put them through the paper mill, and they
come out beautiful white sheets of paper,
so often the rags of earthly destitution,
under the cylinders of death, come out
white scroll upon which shall be written
eternal emancipation.
There was one passage of Scripture the
force of which l never understood until
one day at Chamounix, with Mont Blanc
on one side and Montanvent on the other,
opened my Bible and read, GAS the
mountains are around about Jerusalem,
so the Lord is around about them that
fear him." The surroundings were an
omnipotent commentary.
Though troubles assail, and dangers alright;
Though friends should all fail and foes all
unite;
Yet one thing secures us, whatever betide,
The Scriptures assure us the Lord will provide.
A PLEASANT PATH.
Still further, the road spoken of is
pleasant road. God gives bond of in
demnity against all evil to every man that
treads it. "All things work together for
good to those who love God" No weapon
formed against them can prosper. That is
the bond, signed, sealed and delivered by
the president of the universe. What is the
use of your fretting, o child of God, about
food2 Behold the fowls of the air; for
they SOW not, neither do they reap, nor
gather into barns; yet your heavenly
father feedeth them" And will he take
care of the sparrow, will he take care of the
hawk, and let you die9 What is the use of
your fretting about clothes? Consider
the lilies of the field. Shall he not much
more clothe you, o ye of little faithP"
What is the use of worrying for fear some
thing will hanDen tn vour homa9 HHe