The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-02-06

| be "partakers of the divine nature,
| read-what honor is this.
| Still another element of honor confer
red on us is:
Seventh-The Holy Spirit whom tn
| Risen Christ has sent as special gil
to the world to carry on His work. III
| Spirit condescends to carry on wonder
Gus gracious work of regeneration an'
publication in our souls, enabling US u
conquer sin and to grow into the image
| of Gods dear Son from grace to grace
| from strength to strength from glory u
| glory-and the promise is TO them WHO'S.
| patient continuance in well doing seen seen
for honor and glory and immortality
eternal life"
| What honor is this.
And now what lessons from this glorl
Gus truth of Gods honor and love con
| ferred upon man!
First-To exalt the gospel of Christ
| OF all things this poor word heeus
| it is the salvation which comes
from the offers of the gospel
Christianity has raised up the great ma,
tons of today out of the degradation, anu
abomination of heathenism Our reIglon
solves all problems; makes the best oul
of the worst, tones up society, gives nope
| to our suffering, SHINING, dying race
This Savior of ours can save unto the
| uttermost all who come unto God by
Him. 1t is an insult to God, who gave
| His Son to redeem men, to say that the
| wickedest man in the world is beyond the
range of salvation, and incapable or re
ceiving the honor our Lord confers on
| those who put their trust in Him.
Therefore we eXalt the gospel as the
one adequate method of restoring honor
and glory to men.
Second-We must not despise our fel-
low men for God hOnors them. What
right have we to look with contempt on
anyone, no matter how low he may seem
to be. Society erects its barriers of
wealth, of position, of intelligence, OF
race and tells us whom we are to honor
and whom to dishonOr, but the gospel
lays its strong hand upon these barriers
and commands us: Honor all men"
We must see in every man that for W hich
Christ died. l know it is enough to
make the head dizzy and the heart faint
to look out upon such a wide ruined, de-
graded world as this. Our fellow men
are bowed down under heavy load of
sin and sorrow and death. But Christ
Jesus came into the world to save the
NOIll, anu we Htulu VI IL Sltut
ton" and 'plenteous redemption" The
danger of a university education is that
students become exclusive in their views
and their lives, but the great value of
such an education is to thoroughly equip
men for intelligent, valiant service for
the Lord, to honor their fellow men by
bringing them to Him who is ready to
confer eternal honOrs upon them. 1t is
n noble ambition to strive to be Il giant
great-heart in rescuing our fellow men
and conducting them to the Celestial
City.
Third-God honors us and we must not
despise ourselves There is extreme
danger of this. Jesus Christ in speaking
of the wreck of an immortal soul, said
''the ruin of that house was great" How
many recklessly discount the future,
how many are passing through the don't
care" period of life, ready to throw away
everything, even ones own priceless self
at the dictate of powerful passion, and
like Esau, sell out the birthright for
mess of pottage; their higher self in bond
age to their lower self. All the restraints
and self denials God puts upon man
are that he may be delivered from the
slavery of sin and come out into the
glorious liberty of the sons of God. A
man may throw himself away, while he
has within him the possibilities of the
highest heaven, he has also the possibility
of the lowest hell Which shall it be?
The one sad truth under all the promises
of the gospel; the minor music even in
the parable of the prodigal son because
of the many prodigals who never go home
to their fathers house, is that man may
cut himself off from hope, and salvation;
from glory and honor forever. There is
something intensely awful in the eternal
ruin of an immortal soul. Hence the
agonizing appeals, the earnest warnings,
the sweet invitations which Jesus the
Savior has spoken to men. There is a
resurrection hereafter to shame and ever
lasting contempt.
Let me today set before you the ever
lasting honor our Lord is ready to confer
upon those that obey Him. He saws:
Them that honor Me, will honor" and
III any man serve me, him will nv
Father honor" may that honor be yours;
precious, honorable beloved of God for
ever. Amen.
Upon the conclusion of his address the
Rev. DIR. Tigert of Nashville was intro
duced and made brief. but eloquent adj
dress. which was greatly enjoyed. The
exercises were interspersed with some
very fine singing.