The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-09-22

This they labor to realize; this Is to
| them tho good news OF Gospel salvation.
| The other class are mostly anxious
to be- saved from hell. Tue punishment
due for sin Is the thing they fear. In
fat, fear has boon mainly the spring Of
their religious efforts. The Gospel Is
never thought of as q means of deliv err
ance from sin, busss 8 great system of
| lndulRenceB-a vast accom- NJ cd a tion to
take off the fear and danger of damna-
ton, while yet 1t leaves them in taeir
sins. Now, here do not by any means
imply that they will call their system
OF Gospel faith scheme of iud rJgeDces
the name doubtless will be an offense to
them. They may not have distinctly
| considered this point, and may have
failed to notice that in fac: il is such
and nothing better.
They seem not to notice that scheme
Of salvation that removes the fear of
dam matte" for ain, and which yet leaves
them 4 .eir sins to live for themselves,
to pile So themselves, and which holds
that Christ will at last bring them to
heaven, Notwithstanding their having
lived in sin all their days, must be q
vas. scheme of indulgences. Inieed, it
10 com promise on most magnificent
scale. BY virtue of il the whole Church
is expected to wallow on in sin through
at last.
These opposite views are so prevalent
and so palpable you will sec them
every where SIS you 60 round among the
churches You will find MANY In
the church who are altogether worldly
and selfish; who live conformed to the
world in various neglects of duty, and
who expect TO indulge themselves in
sin all the way through life. You may
ask them-Do you think that is right?
They answer-No. Why, then, do you
do IL? Ga, we are all imperfect, and we
can't expect to be any better than im.
perfect while here in the flesh. Yet
they expect to be saved at last from hell
ana to have their sins forgiven: but
how? Nos on condition of sincerely
turning away from their sins, but on the
assum ption that the Gospel is a vast
system OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. VISIT by
far than Pope Leo Y ever welded and
worked to comfort SHINING professors in
his day For here are not merely those
that sin occasionally as there, but those
who live in sin and know they do, and
expect they shall as long as they live,
yet expect to be saved without fail az
last.
The other class of protested Christians
have no expectation of being saved only
as they nave a pure heart and live
above the world Talk to them about
living in sin, they hate and dread the
very thought. To them he poison of
asps is in IL. Sin is bitter TO their souls
They dread it as they dread death it,
self
No one can 60 around within this
church or any other without finding
these two classes as distinct in their APP
prehension OF the Gospel as | have de-
scribed them 10 be. The one class are
in agony If they find themselves even
slipping and they are specially sious
against exposing themselves TO temp.a-
ton.
Not so with the other class Two
ministers OF the Gospel being together,
one urged the other strongly to engage
| In certain service. The other de-
clined. why not go?" said the first
Because do not think myself justi~
| fed in exposing myself TO such and so
| much temptation"
But why stop for that? We expect.
to sin more or less always and all we
have to do Is to repent of it afterwards {"
Horror-smitten, the other could only
say, II hold to different Gospel from
that altogether"
Suppose wife should say to her hus-
band, ~ Jam determined.I will go to the
theatre" but, my dear" says he,
you know bad people congregate there,
and you may be tempted But she re-.
plies, Never mind; if l sin ! will re-
| pent OF it afterwards"
The real Christian may be known by
this, that the very thought of being
drawn into sin drives him to agony. He
! cannot bear the idea of living in sin, no,
| not for one moment.
| The UNI elief OF the Church as to what
they may receive from Christ, is the
great stumbling block, hindering them
selves and others from experiencing de-
| liverance Not only is this great
curse to PROPOSED Christians, but il ia
grea, grief to Jesus Christ and sore
| trial.
Many seem to have hardened their
hearts against all expectation of this
deliverance from sin They have heard
the doctrine preached They have ceen
some profess to be in this state of saliva
| ton from sin, but they have also soon
some OF this class fall again, and now
they deliberately reject the whole doc
trine. Bat is this consistent with really
embracing the Gospel? What is Christ
TO the believer? What was His errand
into the world? What is he doing and
what is He trying to do?
He has come to break the power OF
sin In the heart, and to be the life OF
tho believer, working in him perpetual
salvation from sin, aiming TO bring hi 60
thus, and only thus, TO heaven at last.
VIVA is faith? what but he actual CIV
ing OF yourself up TO Christ that He may
do this work for you and in you? What
are you to believe of Christ IL rot this,
that He is to save HI. people from their
sins? Can you tell Of anything else?
l Does the Bible tell you to expect some