The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-10-30
SABBATH SERVICES.
Why We Are Not ALI Translated Sin
Has Done Its Deadly Work; But
the Goodness Of God Lsadeth
Unto Repentance.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

here a. Gods goodness, (2) its object, (3)
its method of accomplishing it's obj ct.
l. Gods goodness, Like all the
other divine attributes this is infinite.
Shakespeare's words in Romeo and
Juliet" are applicable here:
"My bounty lie as boundless as tho sea,
My love as great,
The more / give to thee the more l have,
For both are Infinite g..
Astronomers have calculated that in
in order t o reach the sun the inhabitaLt is
of this planet would be obliged to travel
at the rate of 80 miles an hour, day and
night, for ITO years. They also tell us
that in order to reach the nearest fixed
star we must travel at the same rate of
speed fifty millions of years. In the
light of these facts what a depth and
height of meaning there is in the Sacred
Psalmist's inspired words: "As the
heaven is high above the earth SO great
is His mercy towards them that fear
Him." No wonder the christian Cowper
sings:
"When all thy mcrcies, o my God,
My rising soul surveys,
Transported with the view I'm tosl
In WONDER, love and praise.
And all the goodness of God to this
ruined race eliminates and centers In
Him
eighteen hundred years ago was nailed,
For our advantage, on the bitter cross"
Do we understand this as well as
Isaac, who writes:
"See from his heaH his hands, his feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet
Or thorEs compose SO rich a CROWN"
2. But Gods unmeasured goodness
has for its object the leading of you and
me to repentance, says st. Paul.
What is repentance? Not what you
sometimes think it is. 1t is not mental
agony, it is not s~elf-torture. 1t is not
moaning or mourning over past sins.
Some one or more of these exercises of
the mind may or may not accompany
true repentance according to the tenn
permanent of the individual. No two
persons have the same spiritual history
or the same Christian experience. Some
are converted as suddenly as a heavy
bag of sand can be dropped from a
mans back. Into others hearts the
light of divine truth makes it's way as
gradually as the morning dawn drives
away the shadows of the night, or as
imperceptibly as the bag, just men
toned, is lightened OF it's contents when
the sand runs ont through a small hole
in the bottom. Do not be frightened,
by the word repentance. 1t denotes a
change, such a change as a sensible man
man makes when he is convinced that "A
certain course of conduct and life he is
persuing is wrong. He drops the
wrong and chooses the right for ever
more. Repentance unto life is a saving
grace whereby a sinner out of a true
sense of bis sin and apprehension of the
mercy Of God in Christ, doth, with grief
and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto
God with full purpose of and endeavor
after, new obedience"
3. And all Gods mercies. life. health,
home, friends, books, schools, the land Of
light and liberty in which you live, the
countless opportunities you have for
self-development and for we'll doing, the
word of God, the great salvation brought
SO near to you, all these are designed in
gentleness and love by Him who leads
and never drives to bring you to such
an abandonment Of sin and such an &C.
c~eptance of the Divine Redeemer. Can
anyone 'despise the riches of such good
ness and forbearance and long suffer
ing?"
NJ. e. HuRCH
Sabbath morning sermon Subject,
"Elijah's Translation" Text, III Kings,
Eli.
L. The spectacle. 1t is believed that
God had given Elijah some previous in
timation that he should escape death.
Il Kings, 1913, ~ He is. nov conscious
that the time of his departure is at
hand" He goes from Gilgal to Bethel,
from Bethel to Jericho, thence to Jor-
dan, and beyond. Elisha is determined
to accompany him, and his purpose pre-
walls. He is encouraged TO ask for some
thing from his spiritual father, and
wisely chooses "a double portion of thy
spirit" Elijah answers, "thou hast
asked a hard thing: nevertheless, il
thou see me when l am taken up from
thee, it shall be SO unto thee" Then,
while they were talking .there appeared
q chariot Of fire, and horses Of fire
and Elijah went up by a whirl-
wind into heaven" There is a.
great lesson here in angelic ministration
The bible does not teach that the spirits
Of our departed friends hover around as;
but it does teach that ale shall give
his angels charge over thee, TO keep thee
In all thy ways" II teaches distinctly
concerning angels, that they are TALL
ministering spirits<etc.' Heb. 1:14) 1t
also teaches that, "Behold, He shall