The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-02-11
Love of Christ.


LIBERTY.
The following sermon was recently de-
livered at the Proctor Academy Hail.
Provo City, Utah, by Rev. Frank 5.
Forbes:
Il came that they may have life and may
have it more abundantly.' John, X, 10.
This short sentence is an echo of all the
teachings OF Christ. He came to impart
life. Christianity itself is life. What
ever form of religious belief gives to this
life a more abundant development is
Christian Whatever form tends to de
prive humanity of its true life is anti
Christian. HE that hath the Son hath
the life, and he that hath not the Son of
God hath not the life.
Christ imparts his life to the character
of the believer. AS the soil imparts life
t. the tree. as food imparts strength to
the body, 50 Christ imparts his spirit. his
love, and his life to every soul that enters
into sympathetic relations with him.
There is no true life apart from Christ
Without his spirit the souls of men are
dead. dead as the whitening branch cut
from the tree, dead rs the root extracted
from the soil. dead in trespasses and SIM
dead to morality and virtue, dead i'll
everything that is noble and true: to re
ceiye life the new branch Of holiness must
be grated into the odd stock. the root of
faith must be implanted i'll the nourishing
soil of Christian love. Divinity and hu-
manity must min@le in the life OF every
true Christian, the human must become
favored with the divine. 1t is the privi-
lege OF every heart to receive the impaired
life of Christ. and receiving it, to re
tain it, TO trust in it, that so living
and trusting. the character under His
guidance may be able to attain that
perfection. which otherwise is far beyond
the reach of human power. Whenever
the spirit of Christ touches the human
heart, the soul enters upon a new exper-
fence, new growth and a new life, this is
the beginning of eternal life. ''ThiS is life
eternal to know Thee the only true God.
and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. -
The Christian life means more than
theological belief. Jesus Christ spent no
time splitting hairs on the great questions
of the soul. He was broader than any
disciple he ever had, broader than any
church creed ever written. All he re-
quires is an obedient heart. willing and
ready to receive his love He calls him
leaves the ninety and nine safely within
tiiS l'i't, eliNI e.ES wy uAlGi wy WY
that is lost His only object is to find
that sheep and bring it back safely to the
fold .'The Son of Man is come to seek
and save that which is lost" Every soul
living under the curse of sin is lost: and
the Son OF Man is going to seek after that
soul until he finds it. and finding it. he
will knock for an entrance at the door of
tie heart. Ii the heart opens to receive
his spirit. it will enter in. and abide for
ever We are sometimes inclined to lay
too much emphasis upon mere theological
belief. 1t is the spirit OF the Plarisee.
and moi IT the Christian. which would ex
rlule from the Kingdom OF heaven those
who may differ with us i'm their RELIGIONS
beliefs: whoever has the spirit If Christ in
his heart is already in the Kingdom Of
heaven. and all powers uI earth cannot
,}rprivt. that sotll OF its blessinu II is
natural for PEOPLE to differ in their relip-
j0us views Isae's RELIGIONS belief de
uendS much ul,Dn his early trajnino and
surroundings A"ain. impressions are
made upolI the heart according to exrer-
fence: and yery few people have the same
experience. Three people are sick. eacl,
is restored bv the use of a different remedy
and tim, il is perfprtly natural for each ia
think his remedy the best. 1t makes but
little difference the means used since the
result is the same IN each case. One soul
NAV find its WAY to Christ throuuh the
church Of Rome: another in the warmth