The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-02-07

ate within me a clean heart" If you
will have no such aspirations as that, it
proves that you have mistaken your
way: and if you will only look up and
see the fnger-board above your head,
| you may read upon it the words:
There is a way that seemeth right
unto man, but the end thereof is
death" Without holiness no man shall
see the Lord: and if you have any idea
that you can carry along your sins,
your lusts, your worldliness, and yet
get at the end of the Christian race,
you are so awfully mistaken that, in
the name of God, shatter the delu-
sion.
Still further: The road spok en- of is
plain road. THE wayfaring men,
though fools, shall not err therein"
That is, if a man is three-fourths an
idiot, he can find this road just as we'll
as if he were a philosopher. The inn
beetle boy, the lau yhing-stock of the
street, and followed by mob hooting
at him, has only to knock just once at
the gate of Heaven and it swings open;
while there has been many man who
chemistry, and tell the story of Fara-
days theory of electrical polariz alton,
and yet has been shut out of Heaven.
There has been many a man who stood
in an observatory and swept che
heavens with his telescope, and yet
has not been able to see the morning
star. Many a man has been familiar
with all the higher branches
of mathematics, and yet could not
do the simple sum: What shall it
profit man, if he gain the whole world
and lose his own soul?" Many
a man has been a fine reader of TRACE
dies and poems, and yet could not
'read his title clear to mansions in the
skies" Many a man has botanized
across the continent, and yet not
known the Rose of Sharon, aud the
Lily of the Valley" But if one shall
come in the right spirit, asking the
way to Heaven, he will find it a 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 discus
sion will not get on at all Christ says:
"Come to Me, and l will take all your
sins away, and l will take all your
troubles away" Now what is the use
of my discussing it any more? Is not
that plain? If you wanted to go to
some city, and l pointed you out
highway thoroughly laid out, would
1 be wise in OBTAINING you by
geological discussion about the
gravel you will pass over, or a physio-
logical discussion about the muscles
you will have to bring into play? No.
After this Bible has pointed you the
way to Heaven, is it wise for me to de-
tain 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 it. 1t is a
plain way. This is a faithful saying
and worthy Of all acceptation, that
Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners" And that is you and
that is me. ANY little child here can
understand this as well as | can. I'm
less you become as little child. you
cannot see the kingdom of God" If
you are saved, it will not be as phil
osopher. it will be as a little child.
"Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven"
Unless you get the spirit of little chill
dren, you will never come out at their
glorious destiny.
Still further: This road to Heaven
is safe road. Sometimes the traveller
in those ancient highways would think
himself perfectly secure, not knowing
there was 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
cass by the roadside. But, SAYS my
text, No lion shall be there" l wish
l could make you feel your entire Sc
curity. l tell you plainly that one
minute after a man has become a child
of God he is as safe as though he had
been $1,000 years in Heaven. He may
slip, he may slide, he may stumble;
but he cannot be destroyed. Kept by
the power of God, through faith, unto
complete salvation. INCREASINGLY safe.
The severest trial to which you can
subject Christian man is to kill him,
and that is glory. In other words, the
worst thing that can happen 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 it. No floods can
drown it No devils can capture it.
Firm and unmoved are they
Who rest their souls in 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, suppose mis- 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 contempt" The name will |
be SO much brighter in glory. Sup |
pose his physical health fails?" God |
will pour into him the foods of ever /
lasting health, and it will not make I
any difference. Earthly abstraction /
is heavenly addition. The tears of /