The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-07-09
coNGREGArIoNAL.

At the Congregational Church the Rev.
Mr.. Staver delivered a sermon upon the
subject of Life from Death" He said
in brief
Except grain of wheat fall into the
ground and die 1t abidsth alone; but If it
die, 1t beareth much fruit" Life comes
from death. We see many illustrations
in nature. Animal life subsists largely
upon the lower orders of life. The very
earth is composed of extinct animal life.
The condition of the earth today is the re-
suit of ages of decay. If you refuse to
accept the products Of death you can en-
joy nothing. Why is vegetable life sac
rificed for us? Why Is animal life slain
for us? Why does every creature come
into the world through the gateway of
sorrow? Why is man born to labor? How
ever we may account for 1t, ''the whole
pain" brings forth In labor and sorrow,
runs through its brief course, and ends in
DEATH But out of 1t comes new life The
same is true of human society.
The liberty and civilization which we
enjoy are the product of ages of revolu-
tfon and strife; they come to us baptized
with blood. What is the price of our
liberties? How were the claves freed?
The best blood of this nation; the best
men, young men, educated men, laid down
their lives on many a bloody field. Now
what is true on the physical universe
and true in history, is true in religion
religious privileges are the product of
suffering and sacrifice. without she'd
ding of blood is no remission" Life
comes from DEATH Christ's vicarious
death, not his life, not his miracles, not
teaching, but his death, provided re-
u. lon far- 1r1 ..I1
the worlds life. This has always been a
fundamental article in the creed of all
evangelical churches. This is the column,
the central shaft. around which oil his
tory, and doctrine, and preaching entwlne.
AS good shepherd Jesus laid down his
life for his sheep.
But nov l ask you to observe what the
death if Christ did, and what 1t did not
do. 1t did not pardon anyone; It only
n,de it possible for God to pardon. 1t
left the humon heart unchanged. Men
hated God az bitterly after Christ died as
they did before. The natural heart is as
rebellious today as 1t ever was. But It
did do this; 1t removed the opposition
which the transgressed law through which
God could express his mercy, and not dis
regard his own decrees. 1t furnished the
law with an equivalent to thu punishment
OF the criminal, and hence made 1t pos
sible for God to be 'just ami vet justify
the unjust" So far Il Is a siic KS. If
any are saved II is BIC iuss Cod has taken
every obstacle out Of the way; IL any are
lost 1t is because they refuse to lie b ne
flied by the removed. "Wlthiut shedding
of blood there is no remission"
Thank God the blood has been shed: 4
flowed from those blessed hands through
which the spikes were driven; from that
celestial brow around which the thorny
crown and cruel mockery was sat; from
whose feet, the sound Of whose corning
had brought Joy to the mourner and life
to the dead; and from that sanity slls,
within which the tender, deep. univers3'
love for man WIS beating. o heart tina
beat for me. o love that ye3rned for
mine Savior of men we love thee. The
skeptic may laugh; the scofKer may scoff; !;
but we will drown his scoflng in The vol
ume Of our praise.