The Progress., 1897-04-10

liRion that the first northeast storm of
temptation blows them down. l haze no
faith In u man conversion II he IS not
converted in the old fashioned way-John
Bunyan's way, John Wcsley's way, John
Calvin's way, Paul's way, Christ's way, |
God s way A dentist said to nc, docs
that hurt:' Said !: "Of course 1t hurts.
1t Is in your business as IN my profession.
We have to hurt before we can help YOU
will never understand redemption until
you understand ruin.
The Old and the New.
A man tells me that some ono is u mem
Der Of the church. It makes no impression
on my mind ut all. l simply want to know
whether he was converted In the old fash
toned way. or whether he was converted
in the new fashioned way. If he was con-
verted In the old fashioned way, he will
stand. II he was converted In the new
fashioned way, he will not stand. That Is
all there is about 1T. A man comes to me
to talk about religion. The first question
ask him is, ''Do you feel yourself to lee a
sinner" If he say, "Well, Yes, the
hesitancy makes me feel TINT that man
wants a ride on Nehemiah's horse by mid
night through the ruins-in by the gate OF
his affections, out by the gate OF his will
and before he has got through with that
midnight ride he will drop the reins on
the horses neck, and will take his right
hand and smite on his heart ind say,
"God DO mcrciful to me q sinner" and
before he has stabbed his horse he will t:.ke
BIS feet out of tho stirrups, and he will
slide down ON the ground, and be will
kneel, crying: "Have mercy ON ne, o
God, according to thy loving kindness, 90
oording unto the multitude Of thy tender
nercies. Blot out my transgrcssions, for
acknowledge my trnnsgressions and my
| sins arc ever before thee" All, my friends,
you see this Is not complimentary gospel
| That Is what makes some people so mad.
| 1t comes to a man of million dollars, and
| impenitent IN his sins, and says, you're
| q pauper." 1t comes to q woman OF fair
est cheek, who has never rcpcnted, and
| says, ''You're a sinner. ~ 1t comes to
| man priding himself on his Independence,
and says, you're bound hand and foot by
! the devil" 1t comes toour entire race,
| and says, You're q ruin, q ghastly ruin,
an illimitable ruin" Satan sometimes
says to me: why do you preach that
| truth? Why don't you prsnch gospel
with no repentance in 1t? Why don't you
6atter mems hearts 90 that you mako them
feel I'LL right Why don't you preach q
humanitarian gospel, with no repentance
in 1t, saying nothing about the ruin, talk
ing all the time about the Redemption!"
Redemption = Force without Ruin.
say, "Get thee behind me, satan" I
would rather lead five souls into safety
than 20, 600 into perdition. The redemp-
| tlOn OF the GOSpel Is per1ect AArCc IL tnc1e
| 10 no ruin. "The whole need not q physi-
cian, but they that are sick. If any
one, though he be an angel from heaven,
preach any other gospel than this, says
the apostle, "let him be accursed." There
must be the midnight ride over tho ruins
before Jerusalem can be built There must
be the clicking of the hoofs before there
can be the ring of the trowels.
Again. My subject gives me speci-
men Of busy and triumphant sadness. II
there was my man In the world who had
a right to NOPE and give up everything as
lost, It was Nehemiah. You say, He was
a cupbearcr in the raluce of Shushan. and
1t was grand place" So 1t was The
hill of that palace was 800 feet square,
and the roof lowered over 30 marble Pill
lars, each pillar 60 feet high, ind the In
} tense blue Of the sky, md the deep green
Of the forest folinge, and the white OF the
driven snow, all hung trembling In the
upholstery. But, my friends, you know
very well that fine architecture will not
put down homesickness. Yet Nehemiah
did not give up. Then when you see him
j hoe n lafe cfH