The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1897-07-22

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psalm-singing and church-going can
not save him. God will expose hin
just as thoroughly as he branded upo1
his forehead the word Hypocrite" HI
| may think he has been successful in thu
deception, but at the most unfortunate
moment the sheep will bleat and the
oxen will below. s,...
One of the cruel bishops of older
time was going to excommunicate one
OF the martyrs, and he began in the
usual form-"In the name of God
amen" "Stop!' says the martyr, don't
say in the name of God!'" Yet how
many outrages are practiced under the
garb of religion and sanctity! When
| in synods and conferences, ministers
of the Gospel are about to say some
thing unbrotherly and unkind about a
member, they almost always begin by
being tremendously pious, the venom
OF their assault corresponding to the
heavenly flavor of the prelude. Stand
ing there, you would think they were
ready to go right up into glory, and
that nothing kept them down but the
weight of their boots and overcoat,
when suddenly the sheep bleat and the
oxen below.
Oh, my dear friends, let us cultivate
simplicity of Christian character! Jesus
Christ said, UNLESS you become as this
little child, you cannot enter the king
dom of God" We may play hypocrite
successfully now, but the Lord God
will after awhile expose our true char
acter. You must know the incident
mentioned in the history of Ottacas,
who was asked to kneel in the pres
ence of Randolphus l.; and when be-
fore him he refused to do it, but after
awhile he agreed to come in private
when there was nobody in the kings
tent, and then he would kneel down
before him and worship; but the SER
wants of the king had arranged it so
that by drawing a cord the tent would
suddenly drop. Ottacas after a while
came in, and supposing he was in en-
tire privacy, knelt before Randolphus.
The servant pulled the cord, the tent
dropped, and two armies surrounding
looked down on Ottacas kneeling be-
fore Randolphus. If we are really
kneeling to the world while we profess
to be lowly subjects of Jesus Christ,
the tent has already dropped, and all
the hosts of heaven are gazing upon
our Hypocrisy Gods universe is a very
public place, and you cannot hide hypo-
crisy in it.:
Going out into a world. of deluson
and sham, pretend to be no more than
you really are. If you have the grace of
God, profess it; profess no more than
you have. But I want the world to
know that where there is one hypocrite
in the church there are five hundred
outside of it, for the reason that the
field is larger. There are men in all
cities who will bow before you, and
who are obsequious in your presence
and talk fatteringly, but who all the
while in your conversation are digging
for bait and angling for imperfections.
In your presence they imply that they
are everything friendly, but after
while you find they have the fierceness
of catamount, the slyness of a snake,
and the spite of a devil. God will ex-
pose such. The gun they load will burst
in their own hands; the lies they tell
will break their own teeth; and at the
very moment they think they have
been successful in deceiving you and
deceiving the world, the sheep will
bleat and the oxen will below.
I learn further from this subject
what God meant by determination
Saul was told to STAY all the Amale-
kites, and the beasts in their POSSESS
ion. He saves Agag, the Amalekite
king, and some of the sheep and oxen.
God chastises him for it. God likes
nothing done by halves. God will not
stay in the soul that is half his and |
half the devils. There may be more |
sins in our soul than there were ANA
ekites. We must kill them. Woe INTO
is if we spare Agag! Here is a Chris
ian. He says II will drive out all
he Amalekites Of sin from my heart.
Here is jealousy-down goes that
Amalekite. Here is backbiting-down
goes that Amalekite;" and what
slaughter he makes among his sins
striking right and left! What is that
out yonder, lifting up his head? It is
Agag-it is worldliness. It is an old
lin he cannot bear to strike down. IT
S a darling transgression he cannot
lfford to sacrifice. Oh, my brethren.
appeal for entire conservation! Some Of
he Presbyterians call it the "higher
ife. 1.-THE Methodists, I believe, cali #
perfection" I do not care what Won
'all it; without holiness no man shall
zee the Lord I know men who are
living with their soul in perpetual COM
nunion with Christ, and day after day
ire walking within sight Of heaven.
low do I know? They tell me so. I
believe them. They would not lie about
t. Why cannot we all have this con-
ecration? Why STAY some of the sins
n our soul, and leave others to bleat
md below for our exposure and CON
lemnatlon? Christ will not stay in the
ame. house with Agag. You must give
Up Agag, or give up Christ. Jesus saws.
All OF that heart or none.'' Saul slew
he poorest of the sheep and the mean
'st OF the oxen, and kept some of the
inest and the latest, and there are
Christians who have slain the most m
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