The Afro-American., 1896-05-30

Inthe last analysis there Is only one thing,
afterlall, of which a human being is afraid
and that Is his own past life, with its ae-
cruing results. Most men are not really
afraid Of death per Sc, or of pain, or of any
catastrophe which is likely to befal them,
These facts are proven a thousand times a
day. Rt sklessness and indifference arc far
more pr TALENT than coWarsice and drt ad~
But theib is hardly man or woman in tEB
world who does not look back with mora I K
less of apprehension and tremblin :
upon PAST life as registered in the
Individual consciousness. The world
may not understandable world NAV even
account them saints from infancy but they
know how God looks upon them, and how
they look upon themselves. How rare
how almost inhumanly rare is the man
who has no haunting past To every SOUL
pOndering the problem Of the future life
whether that soul be avOwedly Christian or
not-the chance of salvation seems to rest
upon the righting, in some way, of
hangs about a mans neck like a
millst0ne, there is no possible tendency
Tor 1Tn, in time or eternity, but down,
d07 4orever down. Somehow that incu-
bn n1st be thrown off; somehow the past
1na.s washed out or made right before
can be saved. This is the instructive
lon of the race, no matter what may
bls the orm OF its religious, or irreligious,
b@Itef. Superstition must even have its sac
aces made and its message sung for the
soul that has already passed to its account.
nall hands men are crying out, and str1v-
Ing, and being cried and striven for,
sto get rid of their own accusing past.
1t Is to this vast. t2oubled. yearning multi
Jude that Jesus Christ comes, with his won
derfuI, precious message of hope. What
does He say to the esin-burdened, ,sin-haunted
soul? The message is strangely brief and
simple, yet how marvelOusly sweet and suffi-
cient "Come unto Me, all We that labor and
are heary-laden, and l will give you rest.
The invitation is personal and direct We are
simply to come and cast the burden of our
guilt upon Him, and He will per-
sonally assume it, and forever re
move it from us. The solution of
the Whole casuistical problem is so simple.
when this light or perfect love falls upon it
By reason Of His divine nature Christ has
perfect moral right and power to assume
your sin-burden and minc-ust as much
right as your creditor has TO assume or re-
nit your debt to him. We have sinned
against Christ, and He, and He alone, can
unsln US. Where in all the history of human
thought. is there so sure and logical an an
sWer to the universal problem, "How shall
man escape his cOndemning past y None
was ever offered that brought the peace and
assurance Of Christ's personal invitation
and promise. Oh, all ye who are laboring
under the dread and discouragement
Of past sin, unforgiven, come and
taste the sweet, immediate peace of the
Divine forgiveness There is no other
escape from this haunting sense of coGdem- |
nation for soul-recOrded evil. There is no |
other spiritual peace save the peace Of God |
in Christ In vain many men labor to atone |
for past III deeds and thoughts by present |
virtue. In vain may they strive to reason |
God, and future, and a judgment, out of
the universe. A thought, a consciousness, a |
premonition, will INCREASINGLY torment them
and they will know that it is not we'll with
got rid of it's haunting past until it yielded it
ap 70 the loving, burden-bcariDg Son Of
God.