Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-09-20

Rev. R. r. Bigger, pastor Of the
Third Presbyterian church delivered
strong and eloquent sermon yesterday
morning. His topic was, Christ Our
Freedom" The following is portion
of his discourse:
Gal. 81. Stand fasN therefore in the
liberty wherewith Chris hath made us
free, and be not entangled,again in the
yoke of bondage"
There is no bondage like the bond
age of sin. 1t enslaves the very seed
of liberty with us. Our very wills are
enslaved. And the saddest thing about
it is that we are a race of slaves. Who
does not have his besetting sin? Who
does not feel like crying out in de-
spair with Paul? Who shall deliver me
from this body of death?
Therefore in the first place it is
true that we all know what the bond
age of sin means. In a letter to
friend Coleridge revealed how CALLING
W 1Aihl WCiOf tAC ICIlOlo VI 1llS BILL
These are his hopeless words: Con
ceive spirit in hell, employed in trac-
ing out to others the road to that
heaven from which his own crimes ex-
clude him! In short, conceive whatever
is most wretched, hopeless and help
less, and you will form as tolerable
~ fofn - ic 10 fox,
good man to have. In the one crime
of opium, what crime have l not made
myself guilty of-ingratitude to my
maker; unnatural cruelty to my child
rem, self contempt for repeatedly
breaking my promise" These are the
words Of strong, we'll educated man.
AS a philosopher he believed in the
freedom Of the will, yet with Paul he
was forced to cry out, 20, wretched
man that I am, who shall deliver me
from the body Of this death?" He was
heeld with the cords of sin. What
spectacle. of the Hottest humanity laid
PROSTATE, powerful, capacious aspir-
ing mind bound down to hopeless sla-
very and anguish by one disastrous
habit! What hope has the strongest
man except in Christ, the one alone
who is able to deliver from bondage?
To deliver ourselves from bondage
is impossible. The mistake that many
make is that of trying to effect their
release by theii rown efforts 1t is a
common error among men to believe
that before they can come to Christ
they must first overcome all sin. They
begin by cutting off habit here, prop
ing up a broken resolution there, try
ing to bring their lives into state of
symmetry and perfection while the roo
I remains untouched All, tina. is
hopeless task! Prune the offshoots of
sin as much as you will, as long as the
root remains new branches will spring
out, and all will be filled with the ma
ture of the old tree. Instead of at
tempting to free ourselves from the
power of sin before accepting of Christ
it would be the part of wisdom to first
give ourselves resignedly into His pow
! err who is able to give us victory. How
often do men fight some grevious sin in
their own strength only to give up in
despair Of death itself? Mr.. P. A. Bur-
dick relates that some years ago there
lived in Washington City young man
| whose name is still remembered prom
inently in political circles. He was a
gentleman of culture, refinement and
education. Could you have seen him
as he was at that time you would have
said that he was your ideal of a pol
ished gentleman. He was prominent
in affairs of state; his wonderful in
telligence and sound judgment made
him leader of men. He moved in the
best society of Washington. He was
invited to receptions at the White
House, at the homes of Cabinet Off
GERS and at the residences of foreign
ambassadors He had one fault. Like
many men in his position he was not a
| total abstainer. At first he drank only
because it was customary to do so at
receptions, then because his appetite
craved it. A friend said to him one
day: George, am afraid the habit is
| getting strong hold on you" Mon
| sense said he. Il can stop whenever
please" But mark you, friends, when
a man brags he can quit sin when he
| pleases, he very seldom quits. They
are just the very men who deceive
| themselves.
About year after he met his friend
| and said: You remember the CONVEX
sation We once had concerning nv ha-
bits?" Yes" We'll, l am afraid
! what you said then was true. l have
been trying to break off, but 1 haven't
been able to do it yet And do you
know, l have been refused invitations
recently for this very reason. One Of
two things is certain, must overcome
this habit or lose my social cast. And,
Henry, l can't get into a lower circle
in lower society. My pride rebels