The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-09-11
PULPIT PR0CLAMATIONs.
Regeneration q Necessity of Law and Cor
respondenoe The Church Gods Ship
of Safety-Men and Women
For the Times.
M. e. CHURCH.

cept he be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God" st. John, 3;3. The
doctrine of the New Birth, never has
been, and perhaps never will be, popular.
Individuals, and even so-called religious
societies, argue, or declare, against the
necessity OF it. They do SO either
through an improper conception oil what
is or because they are too peryerse to
seek it. The necessity of it remains un-
changed and lis apparent under two con-
siderations:
|. The necessity OF law. Inexorable,
unalterable, universal law. Our text is
Consider the speaker, the
person addressed, the doctrine involved,
ana the emphasis with which the words
are uttered. In this text, all lines OF
moral and religious obligations focus
from it all radiate. It is not a law OF
caprice, a within, or freak, or fancy, as
Ahasueras' to STAY the Jews, or Nebu-
c~hanezzar's to burn the worthless, or
Herod's to slaughter the innocents. 1t
is natural law, or necessary law In the
nature of the case. Drummond holds
that natural law is continued into the
spiritual kingdom. Who can prove
otherwise? Law is good. Paul says
"holy, just and good" What could we
do without gravitation, friction, resist
ance, inertia, cohesion, etc. Law is good
because we can depend upon it. With
out it, ~forecasting would be impossible.
We could not tell the moment OF sunrise
or sunset to-morrow. Astronomers,
me~teorologists, mariners, and all scien-
lists, and everybody depend upon law.
Only within the reign OF law ID order,
safety and comfort. Because evil eff
fects come from wilful or even ignorant
violation OF law is no argument against
it's being good. Law in nature Is Gods
must for the highest good OF all; and
| Gods must ia grace, is Gods law for
the highest good of all. Ii to ignore the
axistance of one is folly ind sure
fatality, so the other-"Ye must be born
again"
9. The necessity of correspondence.
| A fourth kingdom is referred to here
the kingdom OF God. Heaven is a pre-
pared place, for a prepared people. We
believe in a hereafter. In spite of our
selves, we do. Believing 10 a hereafter.
we believe in a heaven. A place oil
purity. Nothing unclean can enter.
The atmosphere, environments, associa.
tions, occupations, and regalia OF heaven
and the redeemed could not be appreci.
ated or enjoyed by US il we could enter
unregenerated.
"Since from Thee in heart estrauged,
II this instant, 1. unchanged,
Were in Heaven, Thon, God dost know,
Highest Heaven were deepest woe,
/, and it, are variant So"
We must have onr name in the book
of life, and this can only be secured by
the new birth. To charge God with
cruel injustice in shutting you out Of
heaven if you appear before him unpre
pared is as absurd as TO charge him with
starving and killing you, when you re-
fuse to eat. YOU violate, or neglect tt
recognize a law, and must endure the
consequences.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
Text: Acts 2T:31,> Except these abide
in the ship We cannot be saved"
These were the words of st. Paul t.
the Centurion when the sailors of ths
Inflated ship which bore them to Rom,
was being wrecked off the coast of Malt,
in the Mediterranean sea. The sailor
had basely planned to desert the ship
but Paul anticipated their cowardly act
1t had previously been promised him il
Ia vision that all should be saved, ant
hence his words: Except these abide il
the ship ye cannot be saved.." The sol
diers cut adrift the small boat and tn
sailors were kept on board.
In the woIds OF the text we have th
human side of one of the most profoun'
and yet one OF the most practical doc
trines OF Gods Word. Gods purpose a
announced to St. Paul was to save ever
soul on board that storm tossed shil
But in the carrying out of this purpos
i human agents were to be used. God OF
; dams certain events. But He also OF
dams the means of their accomplishment
God plans. But responsible men an
women in the exercise of their free ager
cy and in the use OF their natural power
of mind and body are to be instrument,
in carrying out that plan. God provide
the ship, but you and / must man an
worf it. To illustrate: God has prom
: ised that so long as the earth remainetl
" seed time and harvest shall not fail. TIL
is His plan for providing for the necess
ties OF His creatures. But it is also trt
!, that He has said to ,"By the sweat
thy brow shalt thou eat bread" He
we have Gods plan and man engaged
! carry out the plan. So we may be su
that God will always do His part towal
: giving the farmer a harvest His to
- IN .ll d. a