The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-06-18
SELECT RELIGIOUS READING.
the HAUNrINa PAST.


Tn the last analysis there ia only one thing.
after all. OF which a human being Is afraid
and that is HIS own past life. with its ac-
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 thousand times a
day. Recklessness and Indifference are far
more prevalent than cowardice and dread.
But there Is hardly man or woman In the
world who does not look back with more or
less OF apprehension and trembling
upon past life as registered In the
Individual consciousness The world
may not Understandable world may 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
n condcmning past. SO long as that
hangs about mans neck like n
milestone, there H. no possible tendency
for him. In time or eternity. but down.
down, forever down. Somehow that incu-
bus must be thrown on somehow the past
must be washed out or made right prlora
any man can be saved. This is the instructive
conviction Of the race, no matter what may
I've the form OF it, religious, or irreligious,
belief superstition must even have its sac
riiccs made and its message sung for the
soul that has already passed 10 its account.
On all hands men are crying out and s,riv-
ing, and being cried and striven for,
10 get rid Of their own accusing past.
IL Is to this vast. troubled. ycurning multi
tude that Jesus Christ comes, Win iIi- won
derful, precious message of hope. What
does He say 30 the sin-hurdened. n-huunted
soul? The message is strangely brief and
T.. 4.
cient Come unto Me. all yc that labor and
are hcavy-ladcn and will give YOU rest. -
The invitation Is personal and direct. W" ~"
simply to come and east the burden of our
guilt upon Him, and lie will per-
sonally assume IL, and forever re-
move 1t from us. Tue solution u
tho whole cusuistical problem i 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 mine Just a, much
right "a your creditor has 10 assume or re-
NIT your debt to him. We have sinned
against Christ and H." and lie alone. eau
unsin us Where In all the history Of human
thought. IL there So sure and logical an an
swcr to the universal problem, How shall "a
man escape his cOndpmnlng past ~ None
was ever offered that brought the peace and
assurance of Christ's personal Invitation
and promise. Oh, all ye who are laboring
unu'r h' ut'hl anu ulS'outhS'u'ut
OF past sin, unforgiyen. come and
taste the sweet. Immediate peace % the
Divine forgiveness There H. no other
escape from this haunting sense Of condem-
nation for soul-rerorlci evil. There il no
other spiritual peace save the peace OF God
In Christ In vain many men labor to atone
for pas, III deeds and thoughts by present
virtue. In vain may they strive 90 reason
God. and future, and Judgment. out of
the universe. \ thought, "A consciousness. "a
prrmontiOn. will increasingly torment them
and they will know that II Is not we'll with
them unless they are forgiven. No soul ever
got rid of its haunting past until It yielded II
up TO the loving burdrn-bcaring Son OF
God.