Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1902-11-13

allowed sins to enter our hearts Ill the
days Of our youth which have pursued us
until old age and caused our wreck 1t
women are not exempt FROM sin God pity
The men.
But this mob that hurried this poor
woman into the presence OF Jesus was not
an honest company Of men, know it be-
cause in the seventh chapter | read they
called Him a deceiver while in the eighth
they addressed Him as Master and Teach
err lii the sixth verse OF this eighth chap
ter we also read that they brought this
woman, tempting Him. for they wan ted
to catch Him on either one OF these two
points. first If He accepted Moses law
then they would turn the Roman citizens
against Him and condemn Him because
He would put another to death. If He re-
undated the law of Moses the Jewish pop
ulace would have been His enemies. but
| nevertheless il is true picture Of the
world. Have nothing to do with it, there
fore; as you love your own souls. beware
of it. 1t has slain its thousands and tens
of thousands, What ruined Lots wife
the world; what ruined Achan until he tie
feated the whole camp of Israel! the
world: what ruined Judas until he sold
his very soul for greed OF wealth! the
world; what has ruined ten thousand souls
that are to-day shut away from God and
hope this same old world. And what shall
it profit man if he gain the whole world
and lose his own soul
First, the world is critical. II will find
every flaw that exists in your nature; I'M,
PROJECTIONS to which your loved ones would
be blind and which you yourself were
hardly aware OF Will be pointed out ana
vulgarly displayed.
Second, it is mercless. IL has positively
no excuse for the man that fails. and while
never Offering to help him over his ditiicn-
ties when the tide is against him it laughs
at his despair and mocks at his hopeless
ness.
Third, it is heartess. There is no for.
giveness in the world. There may be some
time disposition TO overlook but moi, to
nothing in it Of helpful nature to- poor
lost, shining humanity You who belong
to the world may ! say to YOU i'll all Sc
robustness, don't cast stone at man
that is a sinner for the reason that you
are, or have been, or may be, lust what you
condemn in others. No one OF us except
we are linked to the Son of God by faith
and walking heartily in fellowship with
Him may hope TO escape from the awful
grip of Satan. Don't be unforgivlng. lie
that cannot forgive others breaks down the
bridge over which he must pass himself
and he who il unwilling to forgive others
make. it impossible for God to forgive him:
but thank God We are not shut UP to the
world There is an open door before us to
that which Is infinitely better than any
thing the world has ever seen.
r.
The laws treatment. Nov, Moses in
the law commanded us that such should be
stoned, but what sayest Thou Verse O.
This statement ia perfectly true, that is the
law. 1t was written by Moses and written
to him of God. There are only two forces
in operation to-day in the moral world,
law and grace Through one or the other
OF these forces we have submitted our
selves and by one or the other We must
hope to stand before God. BY the way OF
the law the case would seem to be hope
less. One act OF sin is sufficient TO incur
the penalty of death, 1t is always SO with
law; If a man takes one false step IN the
mountains he lands himself at the bottom
OF the abyss, there is no mercy shown oy
the law. DR., Parkhurst gives The descrip'
ton OF his climbing the mountains IN
Switzerland with a rope around his waist
held by two guides one leading and the
other following after him, when he stoncd
upon little piece OF rock not two inches
broad and looked down into the depth,
which measures 1000 feet If he had bro
ken the law of gravitation and stepped out
from the narrow ledge nothing could have
saved him from a horrible death. we can
quite understand this III nature the same
thing applies in morals. II you SIN against
your health you suffer Law Is shrewa
detective. and is ever on the watch. onc
wheel broken IN the machinery and the
whole is Inefficient: one piece OF a rail as
placed means fearful disaster. Just one
transgression of one law OF God the pen
atty must be paid. ole that otfends in ore
point is guilty of ALL" the Scriptures de
Clare. which simply means that the least
ofiense of the law means a breaking away
from God. I repeat my statement that
there are but two forces III operation 70.
day in the moral world, law, and grace II
YOU have rejected Christ then your only
hope i. in the law. and 7 should think
every man here must see that that IL hope
less. First, YOU must suffer. for every bro
ken law means penalty to pay. and every
transsresson cf Gods plan brings down
upon you burden YOU cannot well bear
Second. YOU will be found out No man
has sufficient Ingenuity to cover up his sin,
and no grave has yet ever been deep
enough to save the sinner from the search,
ing eve of God. BE sure your sin will find
YOU out. A truer text was never written.
Third. YOU must die. The wages of sin Is
death. beg you. therefore. that YOU VIII
not allow yourself to be controlled by the
law. 1t - like the world. merciless and
heartless, and presents to you an onportu'
n;ty OF escape from sin. but. thank God,
YOU are not shut up to it. There ia a way
opening up which leads to heaven SHINING
brighter and brighter until the perfect day
To this way now commend you
III.
Christ's treatment OF a sinner. But
Jesus stopped down and with Ills lingerr
wrote on the ground, as though ne heard
them not. So when they continued asking
Him, He lifted up Himself and SAID unto
them, He that is without sin among you
let him first cast stone at her. And again
He stopped down and wrote ON the ground;
And they which heard it, being convicted
bv their own conscience. went out one ny
one, beginning at the eldest even unto the
last. and Jesus was left alone and the WON,
an standing in the midst. When Jesus had
lifted up Himself. and saw none but the
woman He said unto her, Woman. where
are those thine accusers! Hath no man
condemned thee? She said. No man, Lord.
And Jesus said unto her. Neither 40 ! con
verse 8 to Ii. You have a great picture
presented to you in this story.
First, the angry crowd. o.,
Second, the infinite Saviour. II we're
an artist should paint 1t. and yet no man
could ever paint the picture OF Christ l
know of one who attempted 1t and then de-
termned that he would never pain. again:
BECAUSE after working upon the, face OF
Christ no other face could be worthy OF ms
skill. doubt if any man could paint the
trembling woman, her face now flushed and
now pale, trembling in every part of her
body, and yet YOU can see it all IS you stop
and think. l know why He was so merr!'
full. You say it was because He was a.
vine and that is true without SAYING IT,
but it seems to ME He must have been es'
pecially merciful because of the night lie
had spent at the Mount OF Olives YES nrs a,s
much with Christ is ever charitable in his
treatment Of those who have gone astray'
Mrs, Whittemore's treatment OF Bluebir.d'
the roor fallen girl who becomes the mis-
sionary to the outcast; Jerry ,McAuley,s
arm about $. II. Hadley and his prayer,
which reveal to the poor sinful man that
L Il lx,k Inc.