Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-09-15

! Published In connection with sermons by Els
worth pastors
I Luke NVI-26. lind beside all this,
/ bef'eeem as aud you there is great gnlj
.7Jsd 50 nat they 'rhich ,could pass from,
hence % you cannot, neither can they pass
r. as Mdf 'r0uld came from thence"
The Bible is the only chart we have OF
the future world. All We know about that
world We have learned from the Bible. -
either directly or indirectly That is our
only source OF knowledge; and there is no
promise Of any other source In this world.
Eighteen hundred wears have come and
gone since the last words Of revelation
were written, and during ali that time no
word has come TO Us from the unseen land.
We touch hands with the apostles as they
begin the preaching OF the gospel Their
knowledge is our knowledge. They knew
as much as we know, and all the sources
Of information that were open to them are
open TO Us. Christ came not TO teach a
few, but TO teach the whole world and
His lessons were written for our nstruc-
tion and guidance. He speaks TO US to-day
just as He spoke TO His disciples when lie
was upon the earth. We read here the
words of such fitful meaning and such
tremendous importance. aud too often
they influence Us no more than they did
the careless multitude who followed Him
from place to place. impstiently waiting
for Him TO do some strange and startling
thing, instead Of tressuring up the gracious
words which fell from Hts lips.
And during all these eighteen hundred
years men have had the opportunity of
reading this parable in Its present form
II has been read TO, and by, nations noted
for scholarship, and nations only one re-
move from bsrbarism. by rich and poor.
by white and blsck, by the minister in his
study and by the peasant at hi, freside.
In Greek. in Hebrew, in Arabic, in Latin.
in German, in English, in French and
Spanish, and in all the other languages
there has ever appeared this startling
sentence And beside all this, between
Us aud you there Is great gulf fixed so
that they which would pass from hence to
you cannot; neither can they pass 10 Us
that would come from thence"
II is possible to read into this parable a
great many things that do not belong to it.
II is possible 10 make 1t teach or not TO
teach this or thst doctrine. But there are
some few things that cannot be read out
OF the parable no matter how hard we try /;
and some doctrines that We may rest abso-
lutely on the truths which it contains.
The obvious truth taught by the text can
not be set aside By any possible interpreta-
tion. II has no place in the parable unless
on the characters of the men who play
the chief roles in II nor as in any way
explanatory of things pertaining TO this
world. II is put in as a distinct assertion !;
ii is given as an llsufficient reason why
the request Of the rich msn cannot be
granted; and 1t is SO convincing to the one
who is chiefly concerned that he gives up
his plea for himself, and does not mention
it again.
We are come to a time when We put too
little emphasis on this verse. We insist
with the greater force on the other lessons
which are taught In the parable but We
may not be right in this course no matter
how confidently we may pursue it. The
solvent that removes the warnings Of the
penalties Of sin, removes at the same time
the promises of salvation. The law that has
no penalties Can have no rewards. The law
that does not punish sin cannot reward
righteousness. This trying to explain away
and tone down certain parts of the Bible
| 50 as to make them teach something differ
ent from what has been held for hundred:
| Of years by men who have been the mos
careful students Of the Bible, and whos'
hearts have been most thoroughly imbuet
by the Spirit of God,-in order to CRAFTY
the whims Of the careless, and quiet thu
conscience Of guilty men,-is most crue
thing! 1t is like removing dangersignal
because they disturb US; 1t is like putin:
out the light of the sun because it is try
ing to certain complexlons!
1t is like this: Here is an officer In tn
photographic office; he is about to send
chart to the commanding officer Of som
vessel on the other side Of the globe; q
he runs his eye over it, noting the intri
cate channels, the treacherous currents
and the sunken reefs, he says with an al
of conviction: II don't believe 1t Is
bad as that" then he proceeds to max
the chart tell a better story, and when b
gets through it shows q coast with fewe
dangers, and with harbors free from OF
structions.
1, is like a man asking the distance
the town towards which he is bending hi
weary steps, and on being told that 1t
nine miles, saying: II am very tirec
couldn't you say it was seven miles just :
oblige me2'
1t is IS II the keeper of some great ligh'
ss he sees dangers heaped on danger
within the first five miles Of the range
his light, and notes the perfect safety o'
vond that point, should decide that In hl
opinion there is no need of frightenin
peopIe. and should say to himself ~
tnrn the light down little, and then u
vessels as they go by won't see it. The
= are safe enough until they get great de'
nearer the rocks, and why should tney
warned at thirty miles, when warning
| -. -.slas "a mite anff1ci0ntW