Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-02-06

morning sbar. many a Dv0II
miliar with all the higher branches Of
mathematics and yet could not do the
simple sum, "What shall it profit man
II he gain the whole world and lose his
own soulf" Many a man has been fine
reader Of tragedies and poems and yet
could not Tread his title clear to mansions
| in the skies"
Many man has botanized across the
continent, and yet not known the Rose
of Sharon, and the Lily Of the Valley.
| But If one shall come In the right spirit,
asking the way to heaven, he will find 1t
plain way. The pardon is plain. The
peace is plain. Everything is plain. he
| who tries TO get on the road to heaven
| through the New Testament teaching will
| get on beautifully. He who goes through
philosophical discussion will not got on at
all. Christ says, "Come to me and / will
take all your sins away, and l will take
| all your troubles away" Now what Is
the use of my discussing it any moref Is
not that plain? If you wanted to go to
some city, and pointed you out high
way thoroughly laid out, would be wise
| in OBTAINING you by a geological discussion
about the gravel you will pass over, or a
| physiological discussion about the muscles
| you will have to bring into playP No.
After this Bible has pointed you the way
| to heaven, Is 1t wise for me to detain you
| with any discussion about the nature of
the human will, or whether the atonement
is limited or unlimited? There is the road
go ON 1t. 1t is plain way. "This is q
faithful saying and worthy Of all accepta-
tion that Christ Jesus came into the world
| to save sinners" And that Is you and
that is me. Any little child here can un-
derstand this as we'll as I can. "Unless
you become as little child you cannot
see the kingdom Of God" II you are
saved, 1t will not be as philosopher; it
| will be as little child. "Of such Is the
kingdom of heaven" Unless you get the
| spirit Of little children you will never
come out at their glorious destiny.
| Safe Road.
Still further, this road to heaven is q
safe road. Sometimes the traveller In those
ancient highways would think himself
perfectly secure, not knowing there was a
lion by the way, burying his head deep
between his paws, and then, when the
right moment came, under the fearful
spring the mans life was gone, and there
was a mauled carcass by the roadside.
But, says my text, "No lion shall be
there" 1 wish could make you feel
your entire security. tell you plainly
that one minute after man has become q
child of God he is as safe as though he had
been 10000 years In heaven. He may slip,
he may slide, he may stumble but he can
not be destroyed; kept by the power of
God, through faith, unto complete saliva
tion, everlastingly safe. The severest trial
to which you can subject a Christian
man is to kill him, and that Is glory In
other words, the worst thing that can hap
pen a child of God is heaven. The body
is only the old slippers that he throws
aside just before putting on the sandals of
light His soul, you cannot hurt it. No
fires can consume 1t; no floods can drown
it; no devils can capture it.
| Firm and unmoved are they
| Who rest their souls on God;
| Fixed as the ground where David stood,
Or where the ark abode.
His soul is safe. His reputation is safe.
Everything is safe. "But, you say, "sup-
| pose his store burns up?' Why, then it
will be only a change of investments from
earthly to heavenly securities. ''But, -
you say, suppose his name goes down
under the hoof of scorn and contemptp'
The name will be so much brighter in
glory. Suppose his physical health failsP"
God will pour into him the floods of ever
lasting health, and 1t will not make any
difference. Earthly subtraction is heaven
ly addition. The tears of earth are the
crystals of heaven. AS they take rags and
tatters and put them through the paper
mill, and they come out beautiful white
sheets of paper, so often the rags of earthly
destitution, under the cylinders of death,
come out a white scroll upon which shall
be written eternal emancipation. There
was one passage of Scripture the force of
which never understood until one day
| at Chamounix, with Mont Blanc ON one
side and Montanvert on the other, 1 opened
my Bible and read "As the mountains
are around about Jerusalem, SO the Lord
is around about them that fear him. I"
The surroundings were an omnipotent
commentary.
Though troubles assail and dangers alright,
| Though friends should all fail and foes all
unite,
Yet one thing secures us, whatever betide,
The Scripture assures US the Lord will pro-
vide.
A Pleasant Road.
Still further, the road spoken of is q
pleasant road. God gives a bond of in
demnity against all evil to every man that
treads It. CAN things work together for
good to those who love God" No weapon
formed against them can prosper. That
Is the bond, signed, sealed and delivered
by the president Of the whole universe.
What is the use of your fretting, O child
of God, about food? "Behold the fowls Of
! the air, for they sow not, neither do they
reap, nor gather into barns. Yet your
Heavenly Father feedeth them" And will
he take care of the sparrow, will he take
care Of the raven, will he take care Of the
hawk and let you die? What is the use of
your fretting about clothes2 Consider
the lilies Of the field. Shall he not much
more clothe you, Q ye of little faithp"
What is the use worrying for fear some
thing will happen to your homer "He
blesseth the habitation Of the just" What
Is the use Of your fretting lest you will be
overcome Of temptations? "God Is faith
full, who will not suffer you to be tempted
above that ye are able, but will with the
temptation also make way to esoaps that
| ye may be able to bear it." Oh, this
Kings highway! Trees of life on either
side, bending over until their branches In
terlock and drop midway their fruit and
shade. Houses of entertainment on either
side the road for poor pilgrims. Tables
spread with feast of good things, and
walls adorned with apples of gold in pic
lures of silver. start out on this Kings
| highway, and I find harper, and I say.
what is your namer" The harper makeC
no response, but leaves me to guess, as
with his eyes toward heaven and his hand
upon the trembling strings this tune comes
rippling on the air; "The Lord is my
light nrli my salvation. Whom shall /
fearS '1ahe Lord is the strength of my life.
| OF whom shall be afraidp,'