Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-03-20
THE GREAT
SALVATION
Sermon of Or. Taylor, of Freema-
son Street Baptist Church.
For by Grace nre Ye Saved Through Faith.
and Not by Yourselves. 1T Is the Gif. of
God; Not of works,Lest Any Man Should
Boast.n

Sunday morning the pastor. Rev j. J.
Taylor, D. D., preached on THE Doc
trine of the Great Salvation" basing
his discourse upon the following text:
Eph. Ii. SO: For by grace are we
yourselves. it is the gift of God: not
of'works, lest any man should boast"
He said In part:
Saved! 1t is a triumphant term, re-
plete with intense emotions When a
sleeping babe has been rescued from a
burning building and placed unhurt in
a swooning mothers arms, one word
tells the tale of danger daring, deliv-
erance-saved! When with heroic ef-
fort men have struggled out of wreck
and disaster on land or sea. one word,
flashing away to anxious hearts at
home, bears the joyful news-saved!
The awful issues Of time and eternity
are bound up in that wondrous word
saved! Through that simple syllable
there come cries of pain strangely
changed to shouts of JOY, murmurings
of turbulent seas whose dangers are
no more, reprOaches of foes whose hos
tility no'longer hurts, shocks of battles
whose wounds are forever healed
scenes of fellowship whose sweetness
never fails, strains Of music whose
melody never dies, visions of rapture
whose bliss never wanes-savcd! In
worldly achievement there are some
moments of supreme emotions which
outweigh the years Of suspense and toll
which eliminate in success; but the
noblest experiences that trihll the souls
OF men in the acme of earthly glory
are trivial and insignificant in contrast
with the unutterable raptures which
shall come at last, when earth recedes
and heaven opens, and God calls, and
the redeemed spirit enters into the joys
OF the Lord, saved in fact in the King
dom of God
In presenting this great theme the
apostle first declares the source of sal
walton: BY grace are we saved The
system of redemption is a system OF
grace. Prophets foretold the grace
that should come to tho world, and
diligently enquircd concerning the time
and manner of its NANTES ation. The
opening records of the gospel distin-
guish between the law given by Moses
and the grace impaired through
Christ. Later records refer to grace as
the source of consolation and hope
and emphasize the idea by such phrases
as abundant grace" Exceeding
grace" manifold grace" multiplied
grace, riches of grace" Paul refers
to his ministry as a commission to
testify the gospel OF the grace Of God.
1t was not grace for the Jew only, but
also for the Gentle; not grace doled
out in miserly fashion, but grace
Astounding for NIL conditions, and ad-
minlstering forgiveness, Justification,
peace. He regards the theme as too
vast for human comprehension; yet he
feels that it may he known in part.
For this cause bow my knees to the
rather, that He would grant you to be
strengthened with might that We may
be able to know something of the
breadth and length, and depth and
height"
In the lightest application of the
word, grace is any personal quality
that imparts pleasure to others. as
grace OF speech and manner. whereby
the ordinary intercourse OF life is rem
dered easy or edfying.e Taking
higher tone, the word implies inherent
goodwill, which operates regardless of
merit in its object. and appears in
amenities OF conduct In the text it
Signifies the divine goodness, which
lmparts favor TO fallen man; and as an
attribute of the infinite God, 1t has no
limit, but It exceeds all emergencies
and transcends the utmost reach of
human thought.
1t is the element of gratuity in the
divine character, and being boundless
in itself and in its resources, il be-
what they have earned, that is barter:
If they receive what they have paid
for that is commerce, and the grace OF
God is frustrated, as the apostle saws
He dearly distinguishes between the
gift of grace and the payment of debt
Now TO him that worketh is the re-
ward not reckoned of grace, but of
debt; but to him that worketh not. but
believeth on him that justifieth the un-
cody, his faith is counted for right
eousness." He further declares the alb
solute in compatibility between the
operations of grace and the efforts of
men to merit salvation "If II he of
grace, then it is no more of works
otherwise grace Is not grace; but if If
be of works, then 1t is no more of
grace, otherwise work is not work"
Works of obedience to ceremonial law
avail nothing, for whatsoever shall keen
the whole law and yet offend in one
point Is guilty of the whole. Works
of penance, Hastings and flagellations
sacrifices and tears, and all the forms
OF bodily exercise which Imagination
has ever conceived and superstition
ever applied have no power to CON
strain the favor OF God on to win fhe
gifts of His grace. AS we'll try to con-
ciliate Neptune and still the TEMPEST
by casting a ships cargo into the sea,
Sacrifices and offerings thou didst not
desire; burnt offerings and sin offerings
thou hast not required" Not of works,
lest any man should boast Not by
works of righteousness which we have
done, but according to His mercy He
saves us by the washing OF regenera
ton and the renewing of the Holy
Ghost.
Grace goes farther. and bestows con
trary to desert. Ezra says: Thou our
God hast punished US less than our