The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-10-12

Ito get our people to know as much as
know, and at the end find that
neither OF US knows anything as we
Iought to know Here are hundreds OF
Thousands OF shining, struggling and
people who need to realize Just
Ione rhing-rhat Jesus Christ came to
save them and viii save them now
But we got into a profound and elab-
lorate definition Of what jurisdiction
lis, and after all the work there are
not. outside of the learned professions.
10, 900 people who can tell what juris-
ldiction is. j will read you n defini-
ltions: Justification is purely a for
lensic act, the act of judge sitting in
tine forum, in which the supreme ruler
and judge, who iS accountable TO none
and who alone knows the manne in
(which the ends OF his universal gov
lernment can best be obtained, reck-
Ions that which was done by the sub
lstitute in the same manner as if il had
lbeen o by those who believe in the
Substitute and, purely on account OF
this gracious method of reckoning,
grants them the full remission of their
iSinS."
Now, what is justification? / will
tell you what justification is-when a
sinner believes, God lets him off. One
Summer in Connecticut ] ven to a
large factory, n L saw owe the door
written the words, mo A~dmittance."
1 entered and saw owe the next door,
mo Admittance." OF course 1 entered.
1 got inside and found it a pin factory.
and they were making pins, very SER
l~viceable, fine and useful pins. So the
spirit of exclusfvenesS has practically
written over the outside door of many
a church, Nc Admittance." And if
the stranger enters he finds
practically written over the sec
ond door, NO Admittance," and,
If he goes in, over all the pew doors
seems written, No A~dmittance,'' while
the minister tands in the pulpit. ham,
Imering out his little niceties of belief,
pounding out the technicalitieS of relig-
ion, making pins. In the most practi-
lcal, common sense way, and laying
aside the noneSSsentialS n the hard
definitions of religion, go out on the
God given mission, telling the people
what they need and when and nov
they car get it.
DEALING WITH SKEPTICS.
Comparatively little effort as yet has
been made to save that large class of
persons in our midst called skeptics,
and he who goes to work here will not
be building Upon another mans four-
dalton. There is a large number of
them. They are fraid of us and our
churches for the reason we do MOI
know how to treat them. One of this
class met Christ. And hear with
what tenderness and pathos and beauty
and success Christ dealt with him:
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy soul and with all thy mind
and with all thy strength. Ihis is the
first and great commandment, and the
second is like unto it-namely, thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thy SELF.
There is none other commandment
Greater han these" And the scribe
said to him, well, master, thou hast
said the truth, for there IS one God
and to love him with all the heart and
all the understanding and all the soul
and all the strength is more han whole
burnt offerings and sacrifices" And
when Jesus saw that he answered dis
lcreetly he said unto him, Thou AR
not far from the kingdom of God" Sc
Ia skeptic was saved in one interview,
But few Christians treat the Skeptic in
in that way. Instead of taking hold OF
him with h gentle hand of love, we
are apt to a him with the pinchers
of ec~clesiasticism.
You would not be so rough on that
man if you knew how he lost mis- faith
in Christianity. L have known mer
Iskeptical from the fact that they grew
up in Houses where religion was over.
done. Sunday was the most awful day
in the week. They had religion driver
into them with a trip hammer. They
were surfeited with prayer meetings
They were stuffed and choked with cat.
Iechisms. They were often told that
they were the worst boys the parents
ever knew, because they liked to rice
down hill better than to read Bun
vans "Pflgrim's Progress" Whenever
father and mother talked of religion
they drew down the corners of theil
mouth and rolled up their eyes. If any
one thing will send a boy or girl tc
ruin sooner than another, that is it. II
I had such a father and mother I fear
I should have been an infidel.
UNFAITHFUL CHRISTIANS.
Others were tripped up to skepticism
from being grievously wronged by
some man who professed to be a Chris
ltian. They had a partner in business
who turned out to be a first class
Iscoundrel, though a professed Chris
titan. Many years ago they lost al
faith by what happened in an oil com
lpany which was formed amid the Pc
Itroleum excitement. The company
Iowned no land. or if they did there was
mo sign of oil produced; but the presi-
dent of h company was a Presbyte-
irian elder, and the treasurer was ar
lEpiscopalian vestryman, and one di.
rector was a Methodist class leader
and the other directors prominent
members Of the Baptist and Congrega.
ll4OLdI ShuIIICS. SlICuldIS were sOllCI
out telling what fabulous prospect:
opened before this company. innocent
men and women who had a littr
money to invest, and that little theil
ALL, said, II do not know anything
about this company but so many goot
men are at the head of it that it mus
be excellent, and taking stock in i
must be almost as good as joining >tht
CHURCH" So they bought the stool
and perhaps received one dividend 81
as to keep them still, but after a while
they found that the company had re
~IorganiZed and had a different presiden
and different treasurer and differen
directors. Other engagements or il
health had caused the former officer
of The company, with many regrets, t.
resign. And all that the subscriber
of that stock had to show for their in
Ivestment was a beautifully ornamentet
certificate. Sometimes that man, look
ing over his old papers. comes across