The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-08-28
THE TRUE CHRISTIAN.
THE OLD TRAMP TAXES HIS
SERMON FROM FIRST JOHN.
3:16-Faith Without Works Make
UP q Perfect Christian Life
It is a joy to Help 9th
ers---Other FONTS.

"But whose hath this world
goods, and sccth that his brothc
hath need, and shuttcth up his bow
els of compassion from him, no,
dwcllcth the love of God with him ?
Faith without works is dead, ant
there is nothing about it that spcak'
of Christ, save the name. If yol
love Christ you arc irrcsistibly com.
PEELED to follow him, and if you dc
not follow him in the way that h,
SO plainly marked out while Oh
earth, YOU have no real and abiding
love for him; your affection is u
mere prctcnsc; it is sound and fury,
signifying nothing.
To be Christian in name only,
,d an offcnSc to the eternal God, but
to be Christian in heart and soul
and mind even though the world
knows it not, is II swcct-smclling
incense before high heaven.
A great many people live pure,
Christian lives who arc absolutely ig-
norant that they are doing so. They
believe in God and in his Son Jc-
sus Christ. but shrink from making
an open profession of faith, for fear
that the church will make too many
rigid requirements, or because their
souls hold in involuntary dctcstation
the stern and relentless creeds that
seek to pen up the immortal soul in
q prison Of savage iron.
But their works speak for them,
and proclaim, in trumpet tones the
sweet and precious saintlincss OF
their everyday life. You know
such people, and | know them, and
God smiles upon them, as he secs
them daily lift up to sublime heights
the feeble, doubling souls of those
around ,l,om. and upon their heads
rests an eternal blessing as, still qui-
city and unobtrusivciy, the. walk i'll
the way OF the humble Gallilcan.
Freed from the cross themselves.
they are not eager 10 nail others
upon it; having touched the hem OF
ChriSt's garment, and been made
whole, their very living is a divine
signal that the Saviour of mankind
still walks among us, and that those
vino l,mnbly touch even his garments
hem will be healed Of Ihr sin, under
which they have 80 long grown sick
and despairlng.
Beautiful lives are these: not meas
urcd by set rule, or conforming to
any particular brand of theology,
but modelled after the unaSSuming
life that closed its earthly life i'll the
hidcous tragedy Of Calvary.
Beautiful lives arc these, not made
av gf sonorons words, nor of mag
mifccnt professions, non of Sclf-abaSc
mcnt so pitcous as to be laughablc
but of works done by the waysidc
of flowers placed in the dcsolat'
garden of others; Of dew shed ulol
hearts so parchcd that they seem o
dust; of rainbows spanning ugl.
chasms and forming a bridge Of hol
over which feeble and stricken soul
can pass to safety: Of strong ar
loving arms reached ont to pluck
brother or u sister from the mrc {
sin and I'll for tie dear Christ
sake.
The cold ans!cr!.y Of SON" rel
gions rcpcls where it should attrac
!; seems to contract he heart al
make it incapable Of any >avc so
fish motive. 1t seems to draw
heavy film over the eyes. 80 til;
they are blind to the wees and wan
Of others. end never sec e." 600,
ness and purity tha, lie so laNi~h'
ontSidc their o"n conlcmrtihlc cl"cI
This kind of religion seems to Sti'
Ill thn nnfnl.nl nflrctInnS and To q