The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1900-11-02

And so with the grace Of God; you
must have ID or die. ! know a great
many speak of 10 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 medicine 90 be taken after pow
ders and mustard plasters have failed
20 do their work. but ordinarily a
mere superiluity. n string OF bells
around q horses neck while he draws
the load. and in nowise helping him
TO draw it. So far from that. declare
the grace Of God TO be the first and
the last necessity. II is bod we must
take or starve into an eternity Of
famine II 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 mp into
the light. 1t is a positive necessity
for the soul You can tell very easily
what the effect would be II a person
refused to fake 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 necessity for
the life of the body; the grace Of God
a necessity for the life of the soul.
Again ! remark that grace is ike
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 ont 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 10000 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 il 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. So
the grace of God is abundant. II is for
all lands. for all ages. for al condi-
tions. II seems 10 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 il the 1.eo0.o00.-
Oo0 OF our race should nov cry ont 70
God for His mercy there would be
enough for all-for those farthest gone
in sin. for the murderer standing on
the drop of the Rallows. II is an ocean
Of mercy; and If Europe and Asia. Afri-
ca. North and South America and all
the islands OF the sea went down in II
to-day they would have room enough
TO wash and come up clean. Let no
man think that his case is too tough
a one for God TO act upon. Though
your sin may be deep and raging. let
me tell YOU that Gods grace is a bridge
not built on earthly piers. but sus-
pended and spanning the awful chasm
Of your guilt. one end resting upon the
rock of eternal promises and the other
on the foundations of Heaven. Demet-
rius wore a robe so incrusted with
Jewels that no one after him ever dared
TO wear II. but our King. Jesus. takes
off the robe Of His righteousness. a robe
blood dyed and Heaven impearled. and /
reaches out to the worst wretch in
an the earth and says; "Put that on! I
Wear it nowl Wear it forever"
Again. the grace Of God IS like salt
In the way we come at It, The salt .
on the surface is almost always impure /.
that which incrusts the Rocky noun /
.ains and the South American pampas /
and in India; but the miners go down /
through the shafts and through the /
lark labyrinths and along by galleries /
)f rock and. with torches and pickaxes. /
find their way under the very founda-
ions Of the earth TO where the salt
les that makes up the nations wealth.
To get 10 the best saline springs Of
he earth huge machinery goes down.
boring depth below depth. depth below
lepth. until from under the very
'oots Of the mountains the saline wa
er supplies the aqueduct This wa
er is brought TO the surface and is
xposed in tanks TO the sun for evap
ration. or 1t is put in boilers nightly
ieated. and the water evaporates. and
he salt gathers at the bottom Of the
ank-the work is completed. and the
oriune is made. SO with the grace OF
iod. II is TO be profoundly sought
ftcr. With all the concentered ener-
,ies of body. mind and soul we must
ig for il. No man stumbles accident
liy on il. We need 10 20 down TO the
cry lowest strata Of earnestness and
aith 10 find it. Superficial exploration
yill not turn II up. We must strive and
mplore and dig until we strike the
pring foaming with living waters.
hen the work Of evaporation begins.
nd as when the saline waters are ex-
osed TO the sun. the vapors float away.
,aving nothing but the pure white
ait at the bottom Of the tank. so. when
he Christian soul is exposed TO the
nm Of Righteousness, the vapors Of
ride and selfshness and wcrldiiness
oat off. and there is chiefly left be-
cath pure white holiness Of heart.
hen. as in the case Of the salt. the
lruace is added Blazing troubles.
TIRED by smutted stokers OF dark
ess. quicken the evaporation Of world