The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1893-03-30

zus..Ao..a...us-
ent views and ideas they have made
OF what should be the easiest and
most simple question in existence the
most perplexing and hardest to nm
derstand
Some tell us, once in grace, always
in grace; others say, now, when you
get religion the very first thing you
do get Yourself rough-shod and pre-
pare for the steep hill and. the slip
perry road back which thousands have
Sudden; others preach the doctrine
Of the special elect, after the order OF
New York's "four hundred" 1t is
useless, even if the writer was capa-
bic of doing SO, to SO on and give the
many different views Of soul saliva
ton on which so many place their
hopes of future happiness.
AS 10 the matter of once in grace
always IN grace, 1t Is by no means a
safe belief, although thousands who
+! lived and died in that belief pre- to-
dav doubtless, shouting anthems OF
glory before a slitterins throne IN
the New Jerusalem.
The especial elect well yes
right here, in connection with TINS
doctrine, the writer always felt that
If, under any circumstances, ne gould
6ud anv special use for that old ana
tiuc,worn Pharisaical prayer it w'H
right in connecticut with this thought,
and always felt relieved after repeat
ing "thank God, ] am not az one OF
these" No doubt many of them
reach the heavenly shore bNt. with
|
this belief, I'd Just let the world wae
as it would and I'd wag with her,
feeling could do nothing to change
my destiny.
Others tell us we can do nothing
within ourselves; that it's all with
Cod and at the same time advise us
to repent and believe. They teach
AS that there is an incomprchcnslhle
! and anyAie mysterious mystery CON
nected with the nlAfteg Of "sett'ne
religion" that is beyond iln>paH RA,
Danation. They say the way Is
clear and at the same time point II
out to the fsAisent sinner through
thicklv smoked glass. They try t'
make him expect something wonder
full something out Of the ordinary
he must feel that God is acting
/ strictly and directly upon his person
al and individual soul, and unless
this wonderful and aniracN9ors .eX-
pcriencc does take place there Gun Ut
no hope for future salvation. " he
knows how many poor souls are to-
day writhing in the agon'es OF end
less pcr,litiom because of this eH'
pectancy during life of nomet'llna
that never came.
WHY don't the leaders iii this
great cn;,se work more Yin harmony
will, each othcf? Why don't they
simply tell the sinnce that Jesus
Christ is the greatest friend they
have ever had, and that they have
done him great wrong by SHINING
against Him, and If they will only
ronnut and ask His forgiveness on
the same principle and alter the
manner they would ask the forgive
ness of an earthly friend whom they
had wronged, that the forgiveness fof
which they seek is already granted.
Others tell us about special prov
licences. One of the favoritc stories
told by the sensational ministers OF
the day is the one where the young
man comes staggering out OF the
bar room, recklcSsly mounts his
horse and inquiries of a passing min-
lister. "Mr.. how far is it to hell?''
daShcs off down street, and on turn
inf corner his horse stumbies,
the young man was thrown oft and
his neck was broken. Now, if this
incident ever occurred. (which is
somewhat mixed among the doubts J
did God kill the young man because
he asked the minister how far it was
to hell No; the young man was
kille,l-or rather killed himself
simply because he had transgrcssed
the laws of safety and precantlon
and would have been killed just the
n, .I +l ,,;n;ctor a