The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-09-19

"ouiu impress on every one here
.o,nient Is that the most stalwart attrib-
useS vi o'vine character, His faithfulness
en, JUSTICE are M rayed on the side of SAL
vation. Brother, there is way. God
s'ahos so committed by his own prom.
Uses, anu by the death Of His Son, that He
oahhoc refuse to save you, and to save
you 10 the utternost. "He is faithful
anu just to forgive us our sins" What
~ involved in faithfulness? God has been
issuing promissory notes. He has been
issuing notes promising you salvation
unue' certain conditions. Now you can
oring one of those notes t. maturity and
force payment. You can force payment.
SO mat God cannot deny you salvation
without denying His own name and truth.
ana denying the fidelity of his own prom
Uses. Gods promises are bank notes: thew
are paper issued from the divine mer-
chandise house; they are the circulating
medium of the Kingdom of God, and |
niess the name of God that every one of
mem Is signed in the precious blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ. "He il faithful
and just to forgive us our sins. and to
cleanse us from all Lnri0hteousness. l
want to call your attention to this fact
You can with little difficulty find as
many promises of cleansing us forgive
ness. You can find as many pi omi SEES of
cleansing as forgiveness. So, beloved, on
this principle of divine faithfulness, if
GOD has been true to you in His promise
OF forgiveness, why should you doubt His
trueness to fulfill his promise of cleans
ing, winch stands exactly Oh the same
| leVel, the same veracIty, exactly on the
same ground rs does the other. But this
ls not all about His fathfuness. You
Know there are some relations we have
voluntarily assumed. We have assumed
the relations of husbands and wives. We
nave voluntarily assumed this relation.
IL was matter of choice with us, was
not IL natural necessity. There was no
obligation ot--civil law; it was simply
matter OF free choice and love- But, hay
ing once assumed this relationship we
have assumed obligations, the obligation
OF husband IS tender care in sickness. in
| health, at all times, and under all cir
| cumstances, and all society scorns and
spurns faithless husband or wife, who
liz absolutely untrue to- negligent of, or
careless about the obligations of the mar
ried relation 1t was voluntarily assum-
Ell; but, neverthel .ss, having voluntarily
assumed it, fathfulness requires, de-
inands you and me to fulfill the obliga-
lions. God was not in nature-in what I
might call his creative relation our Sa
viour. There was no force no necessity,
no obligation, Judicial or otherwise, why
| lou should assume the relation of re-
deemer to mankind.
He had assumed the relation of creator
and provider, but need not have assumed
the relation OF Reaeemer, lie chose co be
mans redeemer, like you chose To be Mt
that denr one's husband, and YOU nc.
copied the obligations as matter of
choice. So God chose'to be mans Re-
deemer. Now having chosen that rela.
ton, having gone into that relation to
mankind by free choice, God has assumed
the responsibilities and obligations of
redcemer, and it would be ms heartless, it
would he rs contrary to the divine na-
ture, for God to deceive and neglect and
be careless about the crying of an nban-
doned sinner. as for mother not o heed
the crying of Il new born babe And be-
cause God has chosen to be my Redeemer
Il say it reverently but fearessly) Hetas
assumed responsibilities which He must
meet as my Redeemer, and when l offer
myself az His feet and say "Lord, Thou art
my Redeemer. and depend on You for
redemption, forgiveness and cleansing"
God cannot turn me off. He is bound to
he true to The relation of Redeeme-. "He
is faithful AMI just to forgve'us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteous-
ness"
No only so, but He is just. Now I can
show you that clearly Suppose l am in
your debt. Suppose things are embar-
RAISING me, pressing me, and suppose it
LOOKS as II had become careless and in
different about it. Now suppose n friend
oil mine, very warm friend of mine, and
Il man very near to you, comes to you and
says, Mr.. Smith owes you good pit
Yes" you say, land he does not. care a
thug about it," Now my friend says,
Here, am going to make deposit with
YOU available to Mr.. Smiths account.
| y rfz m ~, l,.
his account, but ava liable for his account.
AS soon ms Mr.. Smith comes there in an
/ humble, conscientious way, and nc
knowiedges the debt, pleads his inability
to pay 1T, but pleads his purpose to pay
1T If he could, as socn rs he does this,
carry the deposit to his credit. 1t is only
deposited here for that end" Now then,
suppose come to your Office (Some hint
as 10 the status of affairs has reached
me) say to you. "Mr. jones, | owe.you
II large. sum of money; L owe.every cent of
it; It is all ust.claim; at the same time;
you see my condition, my poverty. am
not able to pay il, but acknowledge the
debt aud am willing to do what | can"
Now suppose you say nothing about the
deposit, but instead say, "Yes, | will have
to insist on that payment" Suppose you
| pnt me to some slavery, some serritude
some bOndanga to work out my debt, and
insist upon my paying every cent, even
though it takes all my life. Would not
the whole community rise in Indignation
in my behalf, and declare you n dishonest
and unjust man? But" yo,. say. "Mr
Smith has paid me nothing" "Yes, but
this friend made n deposit available for
MIR. Smiths account, subject to Mr..
| Smiths credit as soon as he made this
confession, but you instead txact the
debt from him, and make no acknowl
edgement vi the money deposited with