Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1898-08-05
ETERNAL LIFE.
SERMON PREACHED BY THE REV.
A. C. DIXON,
on nnnnKIYN.
lALL NIGHTS AEsErvED.l

hath everlasting life, and he that believeth
not the Son shall not see life, but the
wrath Of God abideth on him." John $3.50.
I. Christianity is life. Every man
ought TO have a creed. for a creed is
the definite expression Of ones belief.
A man who believes nothing Is apt to
become nothing for as be thinketh 10
Is he Character Is made by creed.
But the mere holding OF a creed Ia rot
eternal life. A creed Is like the MS
ket that holds the fruit II we eat
the fruit We shall be benefited. but we
should not try to eat the basket Re
celye into your heart the truth that Is
in your creed. but do not be satisfied
with the mere external statement OF
the truth. Every church has two
classes OF members. one may be com
pared TO trees the other TO posts The
tree grows and pears leaf. flower. and
fruit. The post rots. The church
member that has the life OF God in him
II "a tree planted by the rivers OF wa
ter. his leaf also shall not wither. and
whatsoever he aoeth shall prosper"
A church member that has not the
life Of God Is a pUst that begins to de-
cay the very day after he has been
planted Ia the church. and the pastor
Is panied by haSlng TO watch the pro-
cess OF decay week after week
II is life that appropriates. The
life In the tree Approprlates the sun
light. and heat. and moisture. The
life In the soul appropriates the light
OF Gods truth. the warmth OF his love.
and the sustenaLee Of his grace.
II is the nature Of life also to expel.
Abundant life tkiOws on the germs Of
disease. PeOpla who are vigorous In
body. can live Ia malarious districts
without shaking with chills, while the
weak In body become sick. II We are
filled with the lie Of God Il will throw
on the disease OF sin. and we can move
amid the malariSus atmosphere Of
earth without contracting lis diseases.
And life moves Machinery Is nov
ed. but life moves Jesus went about
doing good. and n we have In US His
life. We too will 20 about doing good.
II we are not moved In that direction.
II Is good proof that We have no spirit
ual life. Dormant lifc Is not sun
Client Life asleep resembles death.
and for all practical purposes a Gene
terry Is as good as a dormitory. A
church asleep Is as useless as a dead
church A Christian asleep Is a stand
ing reproach 10 Christianity. lie had
better be dead, provided he died while
be was wide awake In his spiritual ne.
for being dead lie will continue 10
speak for the glory OF God. but II he
remains alive and asleep. he will uon-
unue 10 speak against the caus, OF
Christ ] have heard OF a French
dramatist who read hts latest pro Tue
ton to a circle OF critics. and willis he
was reading one OF the critics fell
asleep. The reader stopped long
enough 10 say. How can you criticize
my production, aad you sound asleep"
Il submit" said The critic. rubblns his
eyes. that sleep Is a criticism" And
90 70 Is. n Christianity means any
thing. IL means Everything. and a slsep-
ing Christian Is a perpetual argument
against Christianity For my part /
would rather be- pastor of Greenwood
cemetery than 81 a sleeping church.
! might talk 20 the tombstones IN
Greenwood. and they would at leas. be
respectful. but when you talk 70
sleeping Christians they sometimes
talk in their sleep. walk IN their sleep.
and Fight In their sleep. One ha.f Of
our church quarels i5 the result, OF
spiritual s0muambulIsm. pastor and
people nghting 100 their sleep. II .hey
were wide awaLe. they would be- at
the work OF SOU winning rather than
conienlIng with each other.
II. Everlasting NE is o. present pos
session. lie that belIeyeth on the
Son hath. HATH everlasting lie. Not
viii have, but he has DO now. WAT
ever is meant by eternal lie is "a trcs-
cnt possession. Eternal lie is not
therefore immortality, 90 is not simply
continuity Of existence In the 18th
chapter OF John and 3rd verse Jesus
gives us a clear definition OF %. "rhlB
Is life eternal that they might kaow
thee the only true God. and Ja.ls
Christ whom thou hast sent" Eternal
!Ifo Is knowing God through Jesus
Christ Eternal death. therefore. is
not knowing God through Jesus Christ.
A man may exist In this world without
knowing God, aid he may continue to
exist In the next world without know
ing God.
Some people believe that eternal
death Is annlhllstlou. They fall into
that error because they have assumed
that eternal lie Is simply eternal ex-
lstsnce, whereas according TO this def
milton Of Jesus eternal lie Is knowing
God and therefore the opposite u Il
must be eternal DEATH which IS iguor-
ance OF God. ! can imagine this ccsk
"a mIlllo1 years. but Il vii be
lust as dead thvn as 10 Is now. A
c0rpzc exists. people who are deac ln
llns exist. and tegth win not hinder
their existence.
mn. Eternal llio o. received through
believing ON the son of God "Ile that
belloycth on the Son hath everlasting