The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-01-13


love shd service anu sacrifice. which are
- sti?ng ANA mighty AZ the hills whence
Noneh our strengths. The difference bes
tween Judaism ana Christianity Is not
mat Judaism n law and Christianity Is
not Both consist An law. but the Law
oi 5ndaism " external 90 man, the law
oi Shf1stianity Is written upon the heart,
~ ~ I'm accord With the soul l4
When the centurion came 10 Jesus ask
ma mat he might heat his servant lac said
20 the Master. n am not worthy that
thou shouldst come under my roof. but
SPEAK the word only and my servant shall
For J am = man under authority. hav-
lng soldiers under me, and | say 10 this
man 20 and he gOcth and 20 another come
sha ne cometh and 20 my servant do this
ana ne doeth u. Al this Jesus msrveled
and said he had not found so great faith.
Jesus Christ was the man under author
ny, who went and came At his Lords
bidding. Who when commanded 20 do
ms old the thing Such a man is the
ideal Christian man THAT law is pro-
claimed today As Gods law I'm our Chris
tan chur the law as taught by Jesus
free, moral agents who can obey Il or
disobey II as they choose. The virtue OF
obedience 10 this law Is found jlst I'm the
fact that YOU obey n, not through come
desire. But note this. that while you
can shrk obedience 10 the fundamental
laws OF society ana the Kingdom OF God
YOU cannot escape. the punishment that
comes from such disobedence
The curse Of disobedience lies IN tho
fact that you disobcy the law. not
through compuision. but because ~ your
own free viii and determination.
man may steal 800 00 and escape 20
tanada aud avoid the punishment OF the
law. The law against stealing Is law
of society and society cannot always en-
force It's legislation. A man can hate
his neighbor and no man can prevent
bis 50 doing.
CANNOT ESCAPE PUNISHMENT.
lie may declare his privilege TO do this
and do n. But that Is an Infringement
Of the law Of God in the regula ton Of the
relation OF human souls, and 40 man can
do this injustice 20 another and escalS,
anguish IN his soul. lie does not harm
his neighhors. nc harms Himself. You
may violate th law OF God and your own
soul by being mean. and little, and selfish,
and society cannot prevent IL.
Nor can you escape the punishment OF
having your life narrowed and contracted
and soured bN 80 doing Gods laws To
men as formulated by Jesus Christ, are
laws shaped in harmony with and accord
ing 10 the nature Of the human soul Any
man can violate them aud refuse TO obey
them, but every man who does so must
pay the penalty. He reckons III In this
world who leaves God olt We may ig
more Him, deny His claims Ia rule us.
but we pay the penalty of losing the
noblest. the sweetest and the best there
IS In us. This contraction of ones life.
this narrowing Of ones horizon. this
blasting of ones highest hopes and ideals
is Of all helis the deepest and the black
est But how many men and women
there are who. fearing the punishment of
Code law. obey il and obey IL only be-
cause they fear il. There are men who
obey the laws of this city. not because
they love them, but because they fear
them.
II is no uncommon thing 10 hear men
and women say that III they were sure
there was no punishment hereafter and
that they should escape the penalty of
law broken they would do many things
which now they leave undone.
Then In the name Of honesty go ahead
and do them. ! think man who Is
sinner has more hope here and hereafter
than the man who Is both sinner and
slave. II there Is any man who VIII
be ashamed at the great judgment bar
of God IL is the man who T. coward
The man who desires 10 sin and does IL
Is in some respects at least better man
than the man who desires To do N and
does not DO IL simply because he fears
punishment Such "A man defeats the
end OF law The end OF law is 20 make
man free and the man who Is chained
by fear Is bound In the worst form OF
slavery unless II be the slavery that
comes from obedience TO sin itself
man. then. may disobey God law. but
he must suffer the penalty; \ man may
obey II through fear. but this man. while
ne escapes the penalty OF law broken,
does not reap the reward. II is only the
man who. knowing Gods law. obeys Y
because he loves It, who l. crowned by IL
and comes forth into the glorious liberty
of the sons OF God. il Is only for the
man who loves the law OF God that there
IS virtue In its obedience. ~ delight.
SAYS the psalmist. in the law of the
God" and the psaimist Is blessed. IL Is
common for men to think that there Is
no virtue I'm a thing unless II is hard
Is no virtue In doing thing II IL il hard
10 do unless &c Is in that way thar IL
gradually becomes easier.
The duty that has the most virtue I'm
IL is the one We perform the easiest be-
cause we love IL. The mqn who is en-
nobled by his obedience 20 the laws OF
the state Is not the traitor who nnds one one
dience task. but the man who Is true
ia triot and would Law down his life for
the protection of her institutions The
same Is true i'm the Kingdom Of God
We are 20 be grateful then this morn
ing for the perfect law OF God that en-
lghtens mems souls but ! think we are
20 be even more grateful that We are SO
constituted that in obedience To- that
law we can find the highest and largest
fulhllmcnt or all the possibilities OF our
lives That the law Is made for us and
not we FOR the law and that In the keep
inc of u there is great reward
Still more are we 10 he grateful that
we can so attune our hearts as To come
to love IL and find our delight in IL and
orr obedience 10 II easy. But we should
he most grateful that in our, loving oh ha-
dience 10 this law we find that fun and
glorious liberty or the sons OF Nrou. "
is the only liberty known among men.
Corruption is bondage. saws tho apostle.
Sin is death. vice is shackles and chains.
Loving obedience 10 Gods low is freedom.
life victory There are men who boast
their indcpendcnce 70 Gods law who ~
slaves 10 some single lust OF their own
snuls--
They saw. we will not obey the eternal.
What has God 10 do with me? Why
should I obey His commands shall be
free and while they speak they are
slaves 10 the bascst elements i'm their
own nature. There are many men who,
AZ they were as illogical and irrational In
business as they are I'm matters pertain
ing TO the spiritual Hfe. they would have
10 make an assignment before the end or
the week
MARVEL OF REDEMPTION.
Great IS our God and greatly 10 he
praised How wonderful is the doing
that dots tho Ornament with worlds and
suns until the heavens Ia darkness re-
veal the handlwork Of their Maker and
declare I'm silence His glory How
marvellous is the strength. greater than
tho strength OF Titans. that lifts the hills
and holds their heads forever toward the
sun. How wonderful the skin that with
patience hcvond tho patience of dwsrfs.
paints tho dainty blush upon the ripened