The Newtown bee., 1897-01-15

est them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy chill dren together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" God gives us this message through the prophet Ezekiel: "Say unto them, As live saith the Lord God, have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye. from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?'
 GOD DOES NOT WISH THE SPIRITUAL
 DEATH
 of any man. God has done all that even omnipotent love could do to save men. Friends plead with their friends, but there God and friends must stop; man must exercise a free choice of his own will and come. Do you not SUD- pose that if by giving all the strength that have, by giving all the time that is mine, by sacrificing anything that l hold very dear, I could bring all those in this church who have not made pro- fession of faith in CbIi>t to do so, I would not give the time and strength and make the sacrifice? I would do all that to be sure of gaining one disciple for my Lord. Do you not suppose that if there were anything else that He could do to win men to Him, God would not willing ly do it? When He had nothing more to give, God gave His only Son. God and friends stop baked before mans rebel | lious will.
 Do you know, my friends, this is one thing that causes me great wonder, (and 1 I am very seriously thinking of it now, as serious questions are apt to come up at the beginning of new year): what is the reason that more in Christian lands are not Christians? Here is the Bible open to all. Every one can read the promises of God, every one can read Christ's precious invitations and see what is the great reward for their &C., C. ptance; no one has to leave that to the minister. Here are Christian friends in prayer, mothers for sons, sisters for brothers, husbands for wives. Here is the Holy Spirit never intermitsing His gracious work. Here are the blessings of Christian civilization about us every where, it's marks traced in our homes and schools and social life as unmis- takably as spots are marked upon the disk of the sun. Here is the plain co viction that the Church, not perfect, not l filled with saints, is yet the best thing that this wicked world has to lift it up to the light. Why is it that more are not Christians in this Christian land? Why is it that year after year passes over many lives leaving them cold and un- resisting to every Gospel appeal? Why is it that this year 1897 is likely to be a repetition of the former years with mil, lions in this land, with many in this church, unless some mighty wave oi spiritual revival rolls over us all (which God grant for His dear Names sake) Why are not more brought to Christ? l can only fiud answer in mans stubborn ard rebellious will.
 Let us analyze man. There arefour I faculties of the soul that are actively en gagged in our conversion; the intellect, the conscience, the will, the feelings. The intellect is that faculty of the mind l by which we receive and form ideas. By means of the intellect we acquire, re- tain and enlarge our knowledge. The intellect weighs Ithe evidence. There is 8 God, the intellect admits that q mean the intellect of the great majority of men; there are amazingly few infidels) We are Gods creatures, we are under the deepest obligation to obey Him; the Intellect admits that. We have sinned land
 ARE UNDER GODS coNDEMNATIos,
 butthis nation h wiped ont by par