The Newtown bee., 1898-07-15

evil Influences sringS How shall it be
kept from the ssining and starving which
q life Of frivolity compels? How shall |
1t be lifted up Qua Of the waters of Bit
tsrnsss, and hatred In which it were In |
danger OF being drowned7
HOW sHALL THE SOUL BE SAVED?
The Old Testament answer was the d. |
vine voiee, saying "Look unto me all the |
ends of the earth, and be ye saved.' |
The New Testament answer was, ssBe- |
1ievs, 1oek unto the Lord Jesus Christ |
and ye shall DO saved" The two an
swers are verify one, only the New Tes-
lament answer Ia more definite, and full
and clear. Look to God; turn unto the
Father and Instructor of the Spirit; ex-
ercise the spiritual faculty by going IN
to Him whose life is spirit; that is the
earnest word of salvation. Let the d.
viner portion Of our nature turn unto the
divine life as most clearly that spiritual
| and divine life Is revealed unto us; In
that ia 1t given life. AS flesh turns to
| flesh, 30 let spirit turn to spirit for its
| strength. Unto God let us turn, unto
God 40 clearly, simply revealed In the
Lord Jesus let US turn; In that 10 the
soul given what it needs for spiritual
life. Let every governmental scheme of
salvation, containing perhaps It's meas
ure of truth, give way to this intensely
real and practical fact of salvation of
which we now speak which meets us In
every day life.
We SHALL be strong In the things Of the
Spirit, 90 we engage ourselves in spirit
: nal exercises. We shall grow spiritual
~ 90 we turn to the spiritual teacher and
learn Of Him. That 10 where our text
comes In. We must labor to enter into
that rest and strength of soul. A cousin
Of mine found her little boy down on his
knees, seemingly saying prayers at a
rather unusual time of day; 'twhy, what
are you doing" she said, "praying," so
no, mama," was the reply, ST am not
praying, am only practising" 1 tell
you che Christian life-the human soul
wants time spent In practicing religion.
Exercise thyself unto goodness, In that
IL there growth in goodness and there
fore help unto salvation.
It follows inevitably from all this that
salvation Ii seen to De not single thing,
not solitary fact, finished once and for
always. Salvation Ia more or less of q
continuous thing. Very much as man
saves his body from starving by eating
every day 40 man saves bis soul from
dying by giving 1t continually means of
life. Salvation was matter of ysster-
day when we first discerned that we had
q spiritual life; then we heard the deep
voices Of God and Of the soul first clearly
speak within "a, then we took heed
thereto, and turned from evil and were
converted; that ID a matter In salvation.
And salvation Ia just truly and just az
importantly o matter of to-day, of
Eour bearing the words Of the Spirit
which are for our counsel and guidance
to-day, and needing them and folio wing
after them, and so continuing in the
way that leadeth unto life. And saliva
tion 10 going to be matter of to-mor-
row, and of Its spiritual duty, of resist
ling temptation, and doing good, ard
following Christ, as tomorrow shall set
It's opportunity before us. And the most
| important tking In salvation is not the
conversion of yesterday, not the struggle
of tomorrow, nor the test of the final
Judgement, the really Important matter
of salvation is the way In which we treat
the soul to-day and now, ana in each day
and moment ~ it comes along. Always,
forever the verse ID true which says
| ''Now ID the day OF salvation," snow
1 ID the accepted time" Be We diligent
therefore, day by day, In taking the
better part which your soal needs, in
stunning that bitter evil which to the
soul Id destructive. As the lad will cuI- |
tiyate his body by gymnastic exercises,
by athletic sports, by football, golf and
tramping Il as the man will cultivate his |
mind by music, and study, and books,
and thought, so let us cultivate our |
souls let as go into this field OF life, |
where we keep the bars mp 80 often, and |
let us take our working tools In with rs, |
and let us labor there that the fruits |
thereof may De manifest. Then indeed |
1t will be God who worketh with as; |
then indeed we shall have assurance of |
life, the only possible certainty OF saliva
| sion. For then we shall have gone into
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