The herald., 1896-05-18
A vital Question

S. M. Sayford spoke to large and in
terested audience of men at the Young
Mems Christian association yesterday
afternoon on the subject. A Vital Cues
ton. His remarks in part were as fol-
lows:
There is tendency in these days to
live as if our being saved depended on
what we did and on our peculiar quail
ties and character. We live far short
Of what we ought to be with the envir-
follow Jesus Christ. I want to put a
question here that each individual pres
ent can answer for himself. Dead or
alive, which? Put that question in the
light Of the word of God to yourself this
afternoon. Men who walk up and down
these streets may be dead. there may
be men in this audience who are dead
dead in trespasses and in sin. There
are two worlds today and in one or the
other is every known object fOund-the
dead and the living worlds. A man not
alive in Jesus Christ may have more
beauty of character than some who
know Christ. Men get their eye on some
flaw in Christians life and then con-
clude that there is nothing in Christian
ity. Watch this city at night, and in
some place you may see poor light,
and then you will judge the whole light
ing system by that one poor light and
want to go back to the old kerosene
lamps. 1t IS the same case IL q HldIl
is poor Christian-some men will judge
all Christianity by him. Scientists
have been searching for years for the
origin of life. and have all been COM
PEELED to come to the conclusion that
germless air cannot produce life. In
the same way you cannot get spiritual
life by generation; 1t must come by its
being in touch with the life of God. We
say that death is a cessation of life.
Let us see if separation is not a good
definition. When man dies separa-
ton takes place, the man living in the
body goes away and the body dies. Now
that is like spiritual life. Adam DISC
beyed God and was separated from God
and became a dead man. Adams off,
spring was born in sin. separated from
God; that is the way we are all born.
Then how can a man get back to God?
you hath He quickened." The love OF
God reaches down and touches the dead
souls Of men and raises them up and
stamps them with the beauty Of spirit
ual life. Transplant man where you
will, he will remain a natural man and
will never become anything else until
he Is born into the spiritual kingdom.
The Bible says, UNLESS man is born
again he cannot see the kingdom of
God" and In Revelations life is traced
to God himself.
Dead or alive, which? Not so much
question of beauty as of condition. God
does not say that man has to be good
to be saved. How good would a man
have to be? AS good as he can? How
good can you be? Our standard of
goodness may be widely different. We
must be saved to be good. The condi-
ton OF man whether he is in or out of
Christ. whether he is dead or alive. is
the vital question Of today. wish we
could get every man here to look into
his heart and answer to himself this
searching question, where am I, an
individual, alone, who must after
while give an account of himself to
God, dead or alive?" What are we go
ing to do about it? What a man does
physically will not make him alive. De-
eide in your heart in regard to this ques-
ton. Decide in the presence of God
and decide for Him and you will be born
again and will find life eternal