The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-09
Sermon By Rev. Wake at the First
Methodist Church.
WHAT TO Do TO BE SAVED
NOT BROUGHT ABOUT BY MIRAC-
ULoUS TRANSPORTATION.
Law of Salvation As Simple As the
Law of Health-Prayer Not the
First Step, But Rather Reflection
On Religious Subjects and Earnest
Thought On Religions Matters.

Owing to the indisposition of Pastor
Henry, Rev. Richard Wake preached
at the First Methodist church last
evening, taking for his theme the words
found in Acts xvi, 80: What must !
do to be saved
The speaker characterized this as the
most momentous question possible to
| human lips. No other words were
fraught with such depth of meaning.
Man, thrown out on this whirling pian-
ct, swinging between two eternities, TO
carve his own destiny, fix his own fate,
can utter no cry so profound, so ter
rible in import as this ITO be saved. =
! What does it mean? Glance at some
foundation facts and truths.
We live under law-divine law. Vio-
lation always brings disaster. Complete
happiness is only to be found in obe-
dience. There must be harmony be-
tween God and the soul. Heaven is
possible only for the good. This fit
ness fer heaven is obtained here, not by
miraculous transformation, but by
transformation and growth. Char acter
determines destiny and the right char
acter begins in conversion. To pass
through this process is the beginning
! VI SdlNd llOll W have tOHlSll " QO
with the first step or two in this ex-
! perience.
What shall 1 do?" The answer de-
! ponds upon condition, or stage of
| growth, attitude toward spiritual
things. To this man the answer would
| be, Believe" to another, Keep the
| commandments" Each must be an
swered according to his needs. But how
! shall one irreligiouS and with no IN
clination toward religion become a
Christian? Is there a way to relig-
ion as to health? Any simple common
sense method will do; religion is practi-
cable for all. There is so much miscon-
ception. Men sometimes imagine them
selves as stranded vessels or like
train on q side'track, and still the power
is there. And so they wait for revi-
walls, perhaps; for special church eff
forts: But be assured there is way
to religion and it is not involved in
mystery. There is a clear path to God
all may tread. If this be so. it will
not be difficult to prove it sinful and
wicked not to take this path. Every
where we find the principle of means
and ends, cause and effect linked to-
gether. We find a law everywhere. If
we would produce certain results We
must ses in motion causes suited to
produce them. Now, mind has its laws
Of action. 1t is controlled by conditions
as unalterable as those that govern
matter Mind cannot think upon that
Of which it knows nothing, or have
sympathy with objects which have not
engaged its attention. Mind Will not
form purpose without\ motive, and
thought must always precede feeling.
Religion is not exception. Influences
do but intensity our thoughts and emo
TONS What then, is the way from
state of Indifference to Ellvation; what
is the first step?
AS 1 have limited, to wait for some
powerful spiritual influence is not the
way Some will direct a thoughtlesS
soul to read the Bible, pray, attend
church and wait in the use of these
means in the expectation that out of
them will spring some irresistible di-
vine influence which will carry the soul
to repentance. But the Bible gives no
encouragement to such waiting. 1t says,
Now today"
Asking God to give religion is not
the first step. Prayer is the duty of
all. but this use of it rests upon
false notion of religion. Religion is
what we do for God; salvation is what
God bestows upon us. But you have
not reached the stage at which earnest
prayer, real prayer, is possible.
Any direct attempt to repent or be-
lieve is not the first step, because we
are incapable of this as yet. We can
not beget emotion at will. What, then,
is the way?
Reflection on religious subjects, Civ
ing attention to truth and earnest
thought on matters pertaining to duty
and destiny is the first step Reflec-
ton is the faculty distinguishing the
glory of man. Brutes have conscious
ness, perception, sensibility, but have
no hold on impressions. But man can
IL: L., Foolr
can arrest a passing impression, hold
it. analyZe it, intensity it, make it to
engrave itself upon his mind and heart.
BY thought the child becomes a Milton,
a Newton. Reflection makes man. "As
a man thinke1h, so is he
But it must be religious subjects. The
effect of reflection depends upon the
subject of it. Think of low, base things
and man becomes a SenSualist. Relig-
ious life must be brought about by
thoughts of God. With a religious de-
sign we must think The why of our
thoughts is as important as the what
God judges man by motives largely.
The influence upon ourselves of our re-
Elections depend upon the purpose of
them.
The power of reflection depends upon
intensity, not upon time consumed
therein. The Phillipian jailer thought
with the rapidity of lightning when the
earthquake shook the house. Saul of
Tarsus did some electric thinking on
the road to Damascus. He arrived
speedily at a decision, and so may you |
VIII you do it? Your salvation depends |
upon such thinking. Think of God and |
your duty to him. of sin and its con-
sequences, of Christ and his love, until
you are made to feel solemn, terrified, |
repentant Feeling will surely be |
awakened within you if you think as !
YOU should 1t is. therefore, a question |
Of the exercise of will. You have con-
troll over thought. and thought controls |
H. TO l,o