Democratic messenger., 1894-09-08

trust in? No man would think of ven
turing his life on q vessel going out to
sea that had never been inspected.
No; you must have the certificate
hung amidships, telling how many tons
it carries, and how long ago it was
built, and who built it, and all about il.
And You cannot expect me to risk the
cargo of my immortal interests on board
any craft till YOU tell me what it is
made of. and where il was made, and
what il is.
The DIVINE Character.
When, then. ask you who this is
you want me to trust in, you tell me he
is very attractive person. Contcm.
porary writers describe his whole ap.
pearancc as being resplendent. There
was no need for Christ to tell the chill.
dren to come to him. Suffer little
children to come unto me" was not
spoken to the children. Ii was spoken
to the disciples. The children came read
lily enough without any invitation. Nc
sooner did Jesus appear than the little
ones jumped from their mothers arms,
an avalanche of beauty and love. into
his lap Christ did not ask John to put
his head down on his bosom. John
could not help but put his head there.
l suppose look at Christ was just tc
love him. How attractive his manner!
Why. when they saw Christ coming
along the street, they ran into their
houses. and they wrapped up their in
valids rs quick as they could and
brought them ont that he might look at
them. Oh, there was something SC
pleasant. so inviting, so cheering III ev-
erything he did. in his very look. When
these sick ones We're brought out, did he
say: do not bring before me these
Sores Do not trouble me with these
leprosies:" No, no; there was kind
look; there was u gentle word; there
was healing touch. They could not
keep away from him.
/ think there are many under the iIi-
fluencc of the Spirit of God who are
saying, ~ will trust him if you will
only tell me how" And the great ques-
tion asked by many is, How, how"
And while | answer your question look
mp and utter the prayer which Rowland
Hill so often uttered in the midst of his
sermons, Master, hclp!" How are you
to trust in Christ:
Perfect Confidence.
Just as you trust any one You trust
your partner in business with important
things. If commercial house gives you
note payable three months hence. you
expect the payment of that note at the
end of three months. You have perfect
confidence in their word and III their
ability. Or, again, You go home today.
You expect there will be food on the
table. Yo.: have confidence in that.
Now, ask you to have the same conf
dencc in the Lord Jesus Christ. He says,
"You believe; take away your sins.
and they are all taken away. "What!'
you say, before pray any more? Be-
fore read my Bible any more? Before
cry over my sins any more:" Yes. this
moment. Believe with all your heart,
and you are saved. Why. Christ is only
waiting to- get from you what you give
to scores of people every day. What is
that? Confidence. If these people whom
you trust day by day are more worthy
than Christ, if they are more faithful
than Christ, if they have done more
than Christ ever did. then give them the
preference, but if you really think that
Christ is as trustworthy as they are then
deal with him as fairly.
"Oh, says some one III light way,
81 believe that Christ was born i'll Beth
lehem. and believe that he died on the
cross !" Do YOU believe it with your
head or your heart? Twill illustrate the
difference. You are i'll your own house.
In the morning you open newspaper,
and you read how Captain Braveheart
ton of his passengers. You say: What
q grand fellow he must have been! His
family deserves very well of the coun-
try You fold the newspaper and sit
down at the table and perhaps do not
think of that incident again. That is
historical faith
saved by Faith.
But now YOU are on the sea, and it Is
night. and you are asleep. and You are
awakened by the shrek of Fire. You
rush ont on the deck. You hear. amid
the wringing of the hands and the faint
ing, the cry: mo hope, no hope! We
are lost, we are LOST" The sail puts out
its wing of fire, the ropes make burn
ing ladder i'll the night heavens. the
spirit of wrecks misses in the wave. and
OIL the hurricane deck shakes out its ban
ner of smoke and darkness. Down
with the lifeboats" cries the captain.
Down with the lifeboatsr People rush
into them. The boats are about full.
Hoom only for one more man. You are
standing on the deck beside the captain.
Who shall it be-: You or the captain:
The captain says, You" You jump
and are saved. He stands there and dies.
Now, you believe that Captain Brave
heart sacrificed himself for his passen.
gers. but you believe it with love. with
tears, with hot and long continued ex-
clamations, with grief at his loss and
joy at your deliverancc That is saving
faith-in other words, what You believe
with all the heart and believe i'll regard
to yourself On this hinge turns my ser
mon-aye, the salvation of your i'm
mortal soul You often 20 across q
bridge you know nothing about You
do not know who built the bridge. you
do not know what material II Is made
of, but you come to it and walk over II
and ask 10 questions And here is an
arched bridge blasted from the Rock
of Ages and built by the Architect of
the whole universe spanning the dark
gulf between sin and righteousness. and
all God asks you is To walk across 1t.
and you start, and you come TO it. an6
you stop, and you go little way ON.
and you STOP and you fall back. and
you experiment You say. How do ]
know that bridge will hold me-" in
stead of marching ON with firm step.
asking no questions, but feeling that
the strength of the eternal God is under
you.
Oh, was there ever prize proffcrco
so cheap as pardon and heaven are Of
f.rad ~ vnuS Eor how much. a million