Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-02-11

one. Room on either side to throw
away your sics. Indeed, if you want to
carry them along YOU are not on the
right road. That bridge will break,
those overhanging rocks will fall, the
night will come down, leaving you at
the mercy of the mountain bandits, and
at the very next turn Of the road you
will perish. But if you are really on
this clean road of which / have been
speaking, then you will stop ever and
anon to wash in the water that stands
in the basin of the eternal rock.
Aye, at almost every step of the jour
ney You will be crying out: Create
within me clean heart" If you have
that you have mistaken your way; and
if you will only look up and see the
fingerboard above your head, you may
read upon it the words: There is
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 delusion.
Still further: The road spoken of is
a plain road "The wayfaring men,
though fools, shall not err therein"
That is, if man is three-fourths of an
idiot, he can find this road just as well
as if he were philosopher. The i'm
beetle boy, the laughing stock of the
street, and followed by a mob hooting
at him, has only to just knock once at
the gate OF heaven, and it swings open
while there has been many a man who
can lecture about pneumatics, and
chemistry, and tell the story of Fara-
days theory of electrical polarization.
and yet has been shut out of heaven.
There has been many man who stood
in an observatory and swept the heav-
ems 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 a man if he gain
the whole world and lose his own soul?"
Many man has been fine reader Of
tragedies and poems, and yet could not
read his title clear to mansions in the
skies" Many a man has botanized
nnrnEC nynt IND ~
known the Rose of Sharon, and the
Lily Of the Valley" But if one shall
come in the right spirit, asking the way
to heaven, he shall find it a plain way.
The pardon is plain. The peace is
plain. Everything is plain. He who
tries 10 get on the road to heaven
through the New Testament teaching
will get on beautifully. He who goes
through philosophical discussion will
not get on at ALL Christ says: Come
to me, and will take all your sins
away, and / 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 / pointed you out a highway
thoroughly laid out, would l be wise in
OBTAINING you by geological discus
sion about the gravel you will pass
over, or physiological 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 detain you with any discus
sion about the nature of the human
will, or whether the atonement
is limited or unlimited? There is the
road-go on it. 1t is plain way. This
is 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. unless you become as a little
child, you cannot see the kingdom OF
God" II you are saved, it will not be
as a philosopher, it will be as little
child. "Of such is the kingdom of heav-
en-" Unless you get the spirit of little
children, you will never come out at
their glorious destiny.
Still further: this road to heaven is
a 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
was gone, and there was a mauled car
cass by the roadside. But, says my
text, mo lion shall be there" l wish
l could make you feel your entire Sc
curfty. | tell you plainly that one
minute after a man has become a child
of God, he is safe as though he had
been ten thousand years in hea zen.
Tic may slip, he may slide, he nay
stumble; but he cannot be destroyed.
Kept by the power of God, through
faith, unto complete salvation. Ever
lastingly safe. The seveTest trial TO
which you can subject Christian man
is TO kill him, and that is glory. I'm
other words, the worst thing that Can
happen child of God is heaven. The
body is only the old slippers that be
throws aside just before quitting on the
sandals of light. Ills soui, you canneS
hurt it. No fires can consume it. No
floods can drown 1t. No devils ea1