The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-04-02

a King OF Majesty
AKing Of Majesty.
Why is II? Can there be any other
explanation than thIs-that the higher
a man mounts on the ladder OF sanctlty.
the more he is conscious OF a king OF
tremendous majesty" who sees. not as
man seeth, who searches the very hearts
and veins, to whom he must give ac-
count?
Revelation tells US that no man can
see God and live; so experience corrobo-
rates It. The sight of God means death,
the sense Of Gods presence means a
sense OF sin. and true sense OF sin
argues Gods presence.
1T IS true, as even the ordinary man
secs, in no panthelstic sense. but in a
certain and real way, that this world In
Its beauty IS the waving garment which
conceals God. Look higher. look closer,
mount up the stairs, and you look out
on being, who was once man among
men, and who from the consciousness
of HIS perfect humanity, was enabled
to confront His accusers with the unan-
swerable question, (which Of you con-
vlctetn me OF sim"
We have seen that It was sin which
caused the greatest calamity this world
has ever Witnessed. Out Of that cdlam-
ity. by the providence of God, was
wrought the greatest good to mankind.
Is It not true, that II we are to under
stand the value OF this mercy on our
behalf we must first begin with being
convinced Of the hatefulness and dan
ger Of sin, When we realize this, we
shall have learned, and learned with
thankfulness that the death and suffer-
ings of Jesus Christ springs out of, and
is in proportion to, our sense of our own
guilt and weakness. For, If we are
guilty we need pardon; II we are weak,
we need help, and both Christ has pur-
chased for Us. on the other hand. II we
are not guilty. we want no pardon; II
we are not weak, we need no help; why
then should we feel grateful TO Christ
for bringing US gifts which we have no
need Of? In word. the guilt of man,
and the weakness OF man, which spring
like two crooked and bllghted stems,
with all their poisonous frultaga, from
one and the same evil root, the corrup-
ton of his nature that guilt, and that
weakness are the first elementary
truths which meet US at the very TIRES
hold OF Christianity; and unless you
feel these truths, and are us much con-
WINGED Of them, as you are of your own
existence, you can make no possible adj
vances in religion, but will eventually
bring about your own spiritual ruin, by
a complete failure OF the struggle with
evil. for sin will have destroyed that
better nature which Christ by His pas
sion and death came to redeem.
This then is the right preparation for
Passion week, to think seriously of our
sins, which were the cause Of Christs
sufterings, to sorrow over them. and to
repent Of them; and therefore Lent is
appointed by the church to be 4 season
of humiliation and modification and
pennance, that by passing through the
straight gate we may be prepared to re-
ceive. the pardon OF the sins, of which
we have repented. declared to US from
the cross oc Christ.
Have you, each one Of you, such 4
sense. of slutulness, the vIleness OF sin,
as covers youwith shame, fills you with
cody sorrow, and leads you to seek
pardon and comfort where alone It can
be found, al the foot of the cross?
Then shall ya be meet to hear the
prayer which Jesus from that cross Of
fers up for you to His Father that He
will forgive you.
Have you such a thorough conviction
of your own weakness. are you 80 fully
aware tina; there is law in your mem
bers warning against the law Of God.
and tempting you to what you know to
be wrong, as leads you to pray heartily
to God, that He will send His Holy
Spirit to dwell with you, and help you
to all holiness OF living:
II you have. happy are you; for then
you arc in the road to heaven. But II
you have not sense Of your slnfulness
and your weakness. II you are without
Christian fear. and without Christian
thankfulncss; II you neither think OF
Christ as \ savious, nor pray Cor the
Holy Ghost as a comforter then are
you living in a Christian country.
strangers 20 the very elements Of Chris /
tlanity; and it will be better in the day
Of judgment for Jews and hcathens,who
have never heard these truths. than for
you who have heard them, but have
needed them not.