Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1901-02-07

first do the right thing. Over here In
the next street was man who in great
misfortunes lost all he had and was
positively beggared, but letter comes
from some European city, where the
land records are kept, announcing to
him that great fortune is his. Now
he is as opulent as he was pauperized.
He doffs his rags and puts on respect
able attire and moves into a home ap-
propriate for a man of vast estate.
His worldly circumstances were all
wrong last year; they are all right this
year. On the next street Is a man
who was from perfect health prostrat-
ed, and he seemed to be sick unto
death, but a skillful physician took
correct diagnosis of his disease and by
prompt and vigorous treatment restor
Ell him to his former vigor. As to his
health he was all wrong before. Now
he Is all right. In these two ways l
illustrate my theme.
BY sin we have all been morally bank
rupted. Christ the Lord from his inf
mite riches pays our debts and empara-
discs us In his mercy. From his rich
est wardrobe he put on US the clean
robe Of his Righteousness and gives us
a palace In the heavens when we are
ready to go up and take it. Now, as
to our spiritual estate we are all right.
We We're morally diseased. but Christ
the physician, by a bath in the foun-
tain of his grace, cures u.s.
Bankruptcy of Sin.
Now, as to our spiritual health we
are all right. That is the way we come
to the righteousness spoken of In the
text. 1t is a contributed righteousness,
a made over Righteousness, an imputed
righteousness. The moment you get
into right relations with Christ the
Lord that moment you can appreciate
the magnificent comfort Of the text,
and defy you In all this great
book, from the first verse of the
first chapter Of Genesis to the last
verse of the last chapter Of Revela-
ton, to find me passage with higher
and deeper and broader and longer
comfort than that of the text, which is
as deep as the Atlantic ocean half way
between the continents and high as the
sun when the clock is striking II at
noon. But 1 shall be swamped with
the oceanic tides of this subject unless
the Lord help me to keep foothold.
Say We to the righteous that it shall
be well with him."
Bear in mind that but few people can
stand worldly success. Water is good
thing, but too much of it will drown.
Fire is good thing, but too much of it
will destroy. Light is a good thing,
Aut too much of it dazzles and blinds.
Success Is good thing, but too much
of it has overwhelmed many for this
world and the next. If 1t were best
for us, we would all be millionaires,
live in palaces like the Alhambra and
be as personally attractive as Cleopa-
ira appeared to Antony. But the most
of folks could not endure such super
abundance, and it is absolutely neces-
sary in order to keep them right that
struggle. 1t keeps them out of mis-
chief. After Adam was elected from
the premises where by ten minutes of
employment a day he could keep the
garden and dress it the best thing that
could happen to him was compulsion
to work and fight. The ground that
bloomed with spontaneous flowers and
rustled with harvests that owed moth
ing to pillow or hoe became hostile, and
bramble was substituted for rose, and
the panther growled where before he
fawned, and horn and fang and hoof
became belligerent. That Edenic eject
ment shows us as nothing else ever
could that idleness or only few min
utes of employment a day are doom
and overthrow. Put it down among
your blessings instead Of your misfor-
tunes that you have to work hard with
brain or hand or foot or all three of
them.
Changes Bitter Into Sweet.
How many men do you know worth
$2oO,OOO who are devout and consecrat-
ed and humble and generous and en-
ploying their means for the worlds re-
demption? You could count them up
on the fingers Of your two hands even
If by accident or war you had lost one
or two Of the fingers. As to the realm
of personal attractiveness, how many
women radiant of countenance and
graceful of form do you know who are
unaffected and natural Of manner and
deeply pious before God, using their
beauty fer the bettermsnt Of the world