The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1900-07-14
Arain. GRACE is like SALE In the fact

Ao - So
are those paths across the western
prairies? Why, they were made there
by deer and buffalo going to and COM
ing away from the salt Hicks" Chem
lists and physicians all the world over
tell us that salt is a necessity of life.
And so with the grace of God; you
must have it or die. / know a great
many speak of it as a mere adorn-
ment, a sort of shoulder strap adorn-
ing a soldier, or a light, frothing des-
sert brought in after the greatest
part of the banquet of life is over,
or a medicine to be taken after pow
ders and mustard plasters have failed
to do their work, but ordinarily q
mere superiority, a string OF bells
around a horses neck while he draws
the load, and in nowise helping him
to draw it. So far from that, l declare
the grace of God to be the first and
the last necessity. 1t is food we must
take or starve into an eternity OF
famine. 1t is clothing without which
we freeze to the mast OF infinite ter
ror. 1t is the plank, and the only
plank, on which we can float shore
ward. 1t is the ladder, and the only
ladder, on which we can climb up into
the light. 1t is a positive necessity
for the soul. You can tell very easily
what the effect would be If a person
refused to take salt into the body.
The energies would fail, the lungs
would struggle with the air, slow
fevers would crawl through the brain,
the heart would futter, and the life
would be gone. Salt a necessity for
the life of the body; the grace of God
a necessity for the life of the soul.
Again l remark that grace is like
salt in abundance. God has strewn
salt in vast profusion all over the con-
tinents. Russia seems built on a salt
cellar. There is one region of that
country that turns out 10000 tons in
a year. England and Russia and Italy
have inexhaustible resources in this
respect. Norway and Sweden, white
with snow above, white with salt be-
meath. Austria. yielding 100000 tons
annually. Nearly all the nations rich
in it-rock salt, spring salt, sea salt.
Christ. the Creator of the world, when
He uttered our text, knew ii would
become more and more significant as
the shafts were sunk and the springs
were bored and the pumps were worked
and the crystals were gathered. NSo
the grace of God is abundant. 1t is for
all lands, for all ages, for all condi-
lions. 1t seems to undergrad every
thing. Pardon for the worst sin, COM
fort for the sharpest suffering. bright
est light for the thickest darkness
Around about the salt lakes of Saratov
there are 10000 men toiling day and
night, and yet they never exhaust the
saline treasures. And if the 1,600, 000,-
900 of our race should now cry out tc
God for His mercy there would be
enough for all-for those farthest gone
in sin. for the murderer standing or
the drop of the gall"ws. 1t Is an ocear
of mercy; and if Europe ard Asia. Afri
ca. North and South America and al
the islands of the "a vent down in il
to-day they would have room enough
to wash and come up clean. Let NJ
mar think that his case is too tough
a one for God to act upon. Though
your sin may be deep and raging. lie
me tell you that Gods grace is a bridg'
not built on earthly piers, but sus
pended and spanning the awful chasn
of your guilt. one end resting upon TIL
: rock of eternal promises and the othe
! on the foundations of Heaven. Demet
l. RUS wore q robe so incrusted wit
: Jewels that no one after him ever dare
l to wear it, but our King, Jesus, take
I off the robe of His Righteousness, n rob
l blood dyed and Heaven impearled. an
reaches out to the worst wretch il
! all the earth and SAYS: Put that on
Wear it now! Wear it forever"
Again, the grace of God is like sal
: in the way WI come at it. The sal
] on the surface is almost always impur
I that which incrusts the Rocky noun
tains and the South American pampa
and in India; but the miners go dow
: through the shafts and through tn
s dark labyrinths and along by gallerie
of rock and, with torches and pickaxei
e find their way under the very founds
u tions of the earth, to where the sa'
lies that makes up the nations wealtl
L To get to the best saline springs {
l. the earth huge machinery goes dow
boring depth below depth, depth belo'
d depth, until from under the yer
s roots of the mountains the saline wi
It ter supplies the aqueduct. This wi
e ter is brought to the surface and
exposed in tanks to the sun for eva
n grafton, or ii is put in boilers mightil
IS heated. and the water evaporates, an
d the salt gathers at the bottom of IL
IS tank-the work is completed, and Il
Is fortune is made. So with the grace
r God. 1t is to be profoundly sougl
d after. With all the concentered enc
d gies of body. mind and soul we mu
y dig for it. No man stumbles acciden
II ally on 1t. We need to go down to Il
III very lowest strata of earnestness ar
rs faith 10 find it. Superficial exploratit
Of will not turn it up. We must strive al
h implore and dig until we strike Il
lie spring foaming with living water