Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-08


lions and escaped the edge OF the sword.
IL Is as needful today as it was then.
"Faith is the living power from heaven
Which grasps the promise God has given.
Faith finds in Christ what ere we need
To save and strengthe en-, guide and feed
such faith in us. God implant
And, TO our prayers Thy power grant"
But faith without works is dead. OF
what use would ties on completed
roadbed be without rails stretching
over them? Faith in Christ, and work
for Christ must go hand in hand. As
the ties settle into the roadbed beneath
the rails, so our faith must be settled in
the roadbed of Christs eternal sacrifice,
and then good works will stretch out
over it and the gospel railroad will,
through us, become blessing to
humanity.
In using this illustration the rails
suggest to my mind the good works OF
the Christian. May the good works OF
our lives be like the rails on a railroad,
continuing in an unbroken stretch, un-
til we reach our final destination.
Spikes and fsh-plates are necessary
things in railroad building. Indeed,
right of way, with constructed road
bed and plenty OF ties and rails would
be OF little use without spikes to hold
the rails on the ties, and tish-plates to
make the Joints safe. These little
things have an equivalent in the gospel
railroad, and that is prayer. We cannot
ers are the spikes by which the deeds OF
mans life are fastened to his faith. 1t
takes a large quantity of spikes for
railroad, and we ought to have large
amount of prayer in the gospel road;
upravar ie tho Cbisfian,s wi fol hraaf fh
The Christians native air:
His watchword at the gates of death;
He enters heaven with prayer"
While the illustration of railroad is
before us l wish to utter word of
warning: Beware of side tracks The
main track on this Highway of Holiness
is safe, it is clear. But, oh how many
travellers have been side tracked. Some
of you will remember an old lady who
had lost her mind, and she went into
side track over here, and thought she
was going to San Francisco, and when
we went in to get her she said: "We
are running like everything-will be in
San Francisco soon!' but the car had
not moved for several days. 1t was on
side track. There are men and women
on side tracks today who have not moved
foot toward the kingdom in years.
The side track of divine healing is
crowded with persons who fail to ap
preciate the real value of other equally
important truths. Many of these dear
people never get back on the main track
again. All Bible scholars must accept
the second coming of Christ as another
important truth, but some of our good
friends have made side track of it for
their own special benefit, and there they
c+a nd fodov 7 mint yponfinn
or more, OF these side tracks but will
not. However, let me beg OF you that
no matter how dear to you some let
fancy, or real Scriptural truth, may be,
do not side track yourself and your in
huence upon it. Everybody knows that
there is vast difference between fanata-
cism and religion, and l know of no
better way to become a useless yet
troublesome fanatic than to sidetrack
yourself upon some one idea, either
scriptural or fancied, and everlastingly
harp that one idea to everybody until
friends are disgusted and strangers re-
PEELED. If you have a surplus of sym
pathy for which you can find no use,
just pour it out on these poor side
tracked persons all about us, for they
need it. Beware of sidetracks Keep
on the main road!
No one is debarred from this highway
of holiness. 1t was constructed for the
ransomed of the Lord. l have known
men to travel upon it who in previous
years had been "hard cases." Men
into whose lives sin had wormed itself
in every conceivable manner. The
power of bad habits, evil associates and
vile resorts had robbed them of their
manhood, and they were miserable
in their wickedness; but they
heard the voice of God call
ing them to this highway and
they heard voice from within saying:
This is the way, walk ye in it, and as
they took their stand upon the roadbed
OF the kings highway, with their faces
turned toward eternal light and happi-
ness, they became new creatures. New
impulses seized them, new hopes in
splred them, new friends stood about
them and new spirit was given to
them. Pleasures they once loved grew
harmless, and habits that once held
them as in iron chains grew powerless,
and in the Joy of their new-found freedom
they have run, and are still running
good race ON this highway of holiness, or
as we may term it, this Gospel rail-
road" No sincerely penitent one has
ever been turned away, and that infinite
fatherly love which purchased the right
of way has made it possible for us all to
run upon it. In loving tones He urges
you to travel by this route. The begin
ming of this route is right where you are
tonight, the roadbed has been graded
right up to you, and if you will accept
the terms OF the right of way, this route
will land'you safely within the gates
where every traveller will be
WELCOMED at the pearly portal,
Evermore welcomed guest
Welcome to the life immortal,
In the mansions of the biest"