The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-03-30

nII the work there are not outside Of tn
earned professions 5000 people in the Unitet
s,-.--., wlo can tell what justification Is
will read you the definition:
justification Is purely q forensic act, th.
let of a judge sitting in the forum, In whicl
the Supreme Ruler and Judge, who Is &c
equitable to none, and who alone knows tn
manner in which the ends OF His universe
government can best be attained, reckon
that which was done by the substitute, ant
not on account of anything done by them
but purely upon account Of this gracic3
method Of reckoning, giants them the ful
remission of their sins"
Now, what is Justification? I will tell yol
Hhat justification Is. When sinner be
Heves, God lets him off. One summer II
Connecticut went to a large factory, and
saw over the door written the words, "No ad
mittance." I entered and saw over the mex
door, .'No admittance. OF course entered
IGot inside and found 1t a pin factory. snt
they were making pins, very serviceabIe. fine
and useful pins. So the spirit Of exclusive
ness has practically written over the outside
door Of many church, "No admittance.
And II the stranger enter he finds practically
written over the second door, mo admit.
:ance," and il he goes in over all the pew
doors seems written, 'No admittance," while
he minister stands In the pulpit, hammerin2
,ut his little niceties Of belief, pounding out
The technicalities of religion, making pins.
In the most practical common sense way.
and laying aside the nonessentlals and the
lard definitions Of religion, go out on the
God given mission, telling the people what
hey need and when and how they can get 1t.
Comparatively little effort as yet has beer
nade to save that large class OF persons il
:l,@ a1 111r4 hn rrho
% work here will not be building upon
mother mans foundation. There is grea,
multitude OF them. They are afraid Of US
md our churches, for the reason We do not
NOW how to treat them. One Of this class
net Christ. and hear with what tenderness
ind pathos and beauty and success Christ
iealt with him: "Thou shalt love the Lord
hy God with all thy heart, and with all thy
oul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy
strength This is the first commandment,
md the second is like to this--nemely, thou
halt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is
10 other commandment greater than, this. "
And the scribe said to Him, 'Well, Master,
Thou hast said the truth. for there Is one
7od, and to love Him with all the heart,
Ind all the understanding, and all the soul,
md all the strength. Is more than whole
,urnt offerings and sacrifices" And when
Iaid unto him, "Thou art not far from the
kingdom Of God" So a skeptic was saved
n one interview. But few Christian people
reat the skeptic In that way. Instead Of tax
ng hold OF him with the gentle hand Of love.
20 are apt to take him with the iron p!ncher
I eccleslasticism.
You would not be so rough on that man Il
fou knew by what process he had lost hs
aith In Christianity. have known men
kepticsl from the fact that they grew up IN
,ouses where religion was overdone. Sun
lay was the most awful day Of the week.
They had religion driven into them with a
rip hammer. They were surfeited With
prayer meetings. They were stuffed and
.hoked with csteohisms. They were often
old they were the worst boys the parents
,ver knew, because they liked to ride down
ill better than to read Bunyan's ''Pllgrim's
Progress" Whenever father and mother
alked Of religion, they drew down the cor
lers Of their mouth and rolled up their eyes
Il any one thing will send boy or girl tc
:uin sooner than another, that Is It. II
lad such father and mother, fear I should
lave been an infldel. When was q boy In
3unda5-school, ct ono time we had teacher
Who, when We were not attentive, struck Us
over the head with New Testament, and
there Is way Of using even the Bible 80 a.
% make 1t offensive.
Others were tripped up Of skepticism from
,eing grteyously wronged by some man who
partner In business who turned out to be
arst-cless sooundrel, though professed
Christian. Many years ago they lost all faith
oy what happened in an oil company which
was formed amid the petroleum excitement
The company owned no land, or II they did
there was no sign Of oil produced, but the
President Of the company was Presbyterian
alder, and the treasurer was an Episcopal
Vestryman, and one director was Methodist
,less leader, and the other directors promi.
nent members Of Baptist and Congregational
,hurches. Circulars were gotten out telling
what fabulous prospects opened before this
company. Innocent kmen and women
who had little money to invest, and that
little their all, said, Il don't know anything
about this company, but 80 many good men
sre at the head Of It that 1t must be excellent,
and taking stock in it must be almost as
good as joining the church"
SO they bought the stock and perhaps re
:eived one dividend 80 as to keep them still.
out after awhile they found that the COM
oany had reorgsnized and had different
president and different treasurer and differ
ont directors. Other engagements OF Ill
health had caused the former officers OF the
with many regrets, to resign.
And all that the subscribers Of that stock had
10 show for their investment was beauti-
FULLY ornamented certificate. Sometimes
that man looking over his old papers comes
across that certificate, and it Is 80 suggestive
that he VOWS he wants none Of the religion
that the presidents and trustees and direc-
.ors OF that oil company professed. OF
course their rejection OF religion on such
grounds was unphilosophical aud uuwise. ]
am told that many Of the United States army
desert every year, aud there are Thousands
If court msrtials every year. Is that
anything against the United States Gov
ernment that sWore them In? And
4 a soldier Of Jesus Christ desert. is that
ANYTHING against the Christianity which
10 swore to support and defend? How dc
you Judge Of the currency Of country2 By
! counterfeit bill? Oh, you must have pa
,ience with those who have been swindled by
religious pretenders. Live In the presence Of
others frank, honest, earnest Christian life,
hat they may be attracted to the same Saw
our upon whom your hopes depend.
Remember skepticism always has som.
.eason, good or bad, for existing. Goethes
religion started when the news came to
OF IQe edrtuQudho a. AIooou, wv.
|, ITS. That $4,000 people should have
oerished In that earthquake and in the afteI
Using Of the Tagus 80 stirred his aympathiei
hat he threw up his belief in the goodness o.
God.
Others have gone into skepticism from
natural persistence in asking the reason why.
They have been fearfully stabbed Of the In
:errogation point. There are so many things
hey cannot get explained. They cannot un-
lerstsnd the Trinity or how God can be SOW
9reign and yet man free agent. Neither
can I. They say: 81 don't understand why
a good God should have let sin come into the
world. Neither do I. You say: ''Wny was
that child started in life with such disadyan-
tages, while others have all physical and
mental equipment2" cannot tell. They go
out Of church on Easter morning and say:
'sThat doctrine Of the resurrection con-
founded me-" so It Is to me mystery be-
yond unravelment. understand all the pro-
,esses by which men get into the dark. J
know them all. 7 have travelled with burning
feet that blistered way The first word which
most children learn to utter Is: "Papa," OF
mamma " but think the first word ever