The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-19


enough to get through the day WITH TAKE
OUT -FOUR check book That bank written
in there Is good for all you viii ever draw.
Don't you see that signature? II Is In
red characters. Can II be bioody An.
there are countless millions ready to honor
that name Ask what ye win. do you
hear that? Ask what sye viii in my
name" said Jesus. .and my Father Will
give 1t you" Blank checks signed in the
sacrffcial stream OF His own blood by
Jesus Christ are IN the hands Of every
child OF God. VIII yo1 use them. brother?
Oh. this sense of heirshfp, Never lose
sight Of IL. God meant you to rejoice In
the glory Of His Fatherhood In the tri-
unph of Christ's mediation. and in the in
heritance of the saints laid up for all who
love His appearing.
Home. sweet Home!
But there il surely one more tdea m
cluded In this thought Of sonship. A true
son loves his home: 20 win true Chris
tan love the home of Gods people. the
church When a boy finds more congenial
company on tire street or in some ques-
tionabie place Of amusement. than in his
fathers house. there IL q serious fault
somewhere. II parents are true to their
responsibility. Q poolroom and low the
alter will make unsuccessful attempts 70
win their sons preference. As there II
no more pure or more sacred spot On
earth than . Christian hreside. 50 there
ought TO be no more attractive place.
They who have been the recipients OF its
haliowed delights. and have appreciates
them as good sons, have carried with
them the tender memories OF youth ana
home to their dying day. In absence II
has been their solace to revert TO the DIS
tant scene. and hum to themselves whils
tear-wet lashes believed their cheeks.
snatches OF .'Tte Dearest Spot on Earth"
and Home, Sweet Home" When white
locks gathered about their brows and the
years seemed lonely with all the dear ones
gone. IL has been a sacred comfort to them
to become In fancy children again. And
when the last hour on earth came and you
bent gently over their pillow and saw
their thin lips murmur that one word
home. you could not tell whether II was
the old home. yine-coyered. tree-shaded.
or the new home, glory-lighted and gar
nished with jewels, that was meant, for
both seemed equally precious to your own
mind. Talk not to me Of power. or wealth.
or renown. / can give you one word OF
four letters that will outshine them an
H-o-m-ei
Thank God when . soul is saved from
the barrenness and desolateness OF sin
and becomes adopted into the family OF
the Redeemer, II II not left homeless. God
means that every child OF grace shall have
a church home. have often thought that
these people who call themselves Chris
tians and don't put Up anywhere must be
in fearfully unsettled condition. And
those who drop into one church on one
Sunday and into another church on an
other Sunday without Identifying them
selves with any are not much better.
Spiritual boarding around Is not . very
profitable way OF living. They who are
born Of God win love His house. and will
love II enough to make Its interests their
continual pleasure
ask you. my people. what estimate you
place on this home Of yours? How much
Ii 1t worth to your soul? How far are you
willing to exert yourself for Its welfare?
Let me put It plainly. II II q place to
lounge in or to labor In? Do you think
you can persuade yourselves that you love
this church. II you pay nothing. or next to
nothing for its support. when you are able
to do much more; II you coolly pass by Its
benevolences: II you care nothing for Its
mission work; II you seldom attend its
mid-week meetings; II you lend a hand In
none OF its organizations? Can you call that
love for this church? Thank God such are
the exceptions. You do love this church.
You love every brick in II. every inch OF
plaster. every association connected with
II. You do intend to support these services
and to help In every forward movement.
You do sigh with regret when there seems
to be a prospect OF being removed from Its
fellowship to some other locality. Why?
Because It Is home. Because IT Is Gods
home for His people who worship here
Let us make more than ever Of our family
life. Let us eagerly seize upon this high
privilege OF sonship. Let US tenaciousiy
refuse to part with II. This Is our fire.
side. Let the hearthstone glow with love-
/ greet you not as strangers. bashfully.
timidly. standing in the vestibule, hardly
daring to enter. ] confidently invite you
into closer fellowship. greet you as sons
and daughters who have a right here al
ways.
How Is 1t to BE Donef
And now some one says: stop! You
overpower me with the grandeur Of this
relationship. This. then. Is the reward
you spoke OF at the beginning Do not
forget to tell us how We may obtain it"
All. brother. do not wonder that you are
interested. What are you to do to oil tain
II? Believe. Receive, rs that all?''
That is all. ITO as many as received Him
gave He power to become the sons OF God,
even TO them that believe on His name"
lie. me startle you still more with the
magnanimity OF the offer. The word power
includes the idea Of right as in the mar
gin. God then not only enables those who
believing In Jesus receive Him as their
personal Savior to become His sons, but
He acknowledges their Just claim to that
mighty relationship What, will He give
that right to those who have frittered
away their youth in unworthy places and
pleasures? Yes. To those who have gone
far away from God in sim Yes. To those
who have hardened their hearts against
lifelong mercies. and who have steeled
their emotional natures against the slight
est approach OF gratitude? Yes. To those
who have blasphemed heaven and out
ragged the rights of men, Yes To those
who have STEPPED themselves in unclean-
ness and reeled through the years drunk
en- and dissolute? Yes. To the defrauder
in his degradation and to the murderer in
his cell Yes. yes. What all that reward
for the asking9 Yes. better than that, for
the receiving. God does the asking He.
through His servant. hegs you now to re-
ceive the offer OF His mercy in Christ.
WIN you do Il? The moment you sincere
ly answer yes" you have become a son
OF God. You say: THAT is wonderful"
I reply: liz IL true.
The Grandest News OF AL
The longer a son lives in a household
the dcarer ought his feeling for IL to be-
In his childhood he may not be able to hp-
preciate many of the requirements of his
position. In his youth there Is pretty sure
To come a period in the evolution OF his
manhood when father and mother do not
count for very much. and when his own
home is not so attractive 20 him as some
boiy's else home, But these days are
brief. even II they are serious. and passing
on into the larger and better conception
OF his relationship, the true son finds tina,
the dying years only intensity his love for
parents and home.
Is IL not so with the spiritual sons O,
Cod Hear this same John who pennei
our text. as he describes this develonn,.n,
I sneak ~ 49,