The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-11-05

lights that now illuminate the auditor
iumL Christianity must be declared In
accord with the facts OF the spirit.
When the facts have been duly OBJ
served. and the trackage completed. the
power Of the spirit comes.
I take It that the average Christian
having studied the New Testament from
childhood knows more about the facts
Of tho Christian religion than he does
about the power. Assuming that
the facts in the life OF
Christ as recorded In the
four gospels are true, let us study some
OF the elements of power In the gospel.
which according to St. Paul are the
power OF God.
Power of the Gospel.
What is the power of the gospel?
Can It be known? Can It be expert
enced2 Is 1t available for to-day?
First, 1 remark that THE POWER OF
THE GOSPEL LIES IN ITS REEVE
LATIoN OF SIN. The power OF any
religion primarily depends upon Its
treatment Of sin. A survey Of the in
fluence OF religion upon the human
family shows that at this point the So
called world religions have failed. What
do the world religions teach about sin
and It's remedy? How does the prophet
say we ought to feel about sin? The
attitude Of sublime Indifference He
taught, 1t is true. that God Is one conf
passionate sovereign and holy. But
how God can be holy, and not demand
purity In man Is a contradiction which
only the most ignorant, unthlnklng,
degraded people can reconcile. have
seen scores Of poor depraved filthy
Arabs In Egypt. sitting Indian fashion
supported by the wall OF o building,
resting In the assurance that although
degraded and poverty-stricken In this
/ life, in the life which is to come they
will dwell In Abraham's bosom. while
oil those Of other faiths who dress well
and have means. will suffer the tor
ment Of hades In the lower regions.
What does the sage of China teach
about sin? The attitude of Confuclus
toward sin was that man Is sufficient In
himself. His highest ideal for man
was the love and practice OF virtue, but
1t was the virtue loved and practiced
| by the ancient kings who ruled China.
Confuclus based his religion entirely
upon man; by failing to take God into
account, he failed to secure for man an
adequately high ideal and to provide a
remedy for sin. What does the sage Of
India teach about sin? How does
Budha say We ought to feel about sin !?
Budha taught that we ought to loath
sin; we ought to get rid OF 1t. But
how? By repression, by drugging the
moral nature. by rendering ourselves
insenslble to it. Confucianism in China,
Buddhism in India. and Mohammeda-
ism in Egypt, are dying religions; they
have no sufficient remedy for sin.
The Bible on Sin.
But coming back to Christianity
what does the Bible teach about sin?
Matthew opens his life of Christ with
the bold. startling announcement.
Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he
shall save his people from their aims "
Christ began his ministry among men
with the idea of salvation from sin n.
claimed the power to read men as nm
open book, He said chat which is
done In secret shall BIZ proc,oimed n,
the housctop. and thcre is nothing hid
that shall not he reveaJedp He claim :
ed both the mower ia revea, and m
cancel sin.
| Now. upon what d,d bo b,eo HI.
claim? What was his nh,,osonby
i Was hia rsmndy sua,o,,,to a., ~.
serious probIems now confronting rho
home. the church and tho community
Is how ought children md n,-ar,e ava
the social body feel ahout SIM Mon In
stltute commissions bntwsen tho so,so
of sin TODAY and ,bot ~ yas,ordov
with nil the odds T., favor ~ tho ,o,,ar
rbay IN h,cr 70 tho dave =, r,,,,,