Times-promoter., 1903-01-16

| washington one day Wnen he was
stopped in his play with the other
boys by a gentleman who asked in
astonishment if he, the presidents
son, was allowed to play with such
a common class of boys. The little
fellow looked up in wonder, and
said: "Why, my papa says there are
only two kinds of boys, good boys
and bad boys, and that / can play
with the good boys" and he rushed
off pellmell after his companions. And
God only recognizes two kinds OF
souls, the soul dead in trespasses
and sins and the soul that has been
quickened into life by the touch of
the nail-pierced hand of Jesus. There
were just two kinds of people when
the mighty floods of Gods judgments
swept over the corrupted earth:
Those lying dead under the rolling
waters because of their unbelief, and
those eight living souls sheltered in
the ark which their faith had reared.
There were just two kinds of homes
in the land of Egypt when the death
angel passed through it: Homes
where the first-born lay stretched
cold in death, and the homes where
death had been shut out by the sign
of the blood upon the Intel and door
posts. There were just two kinds Of
people in the wilderness when the
fiery serpents came upon them:
Those who miserably perished and
those who obtained life by lifting a
dying gaze to the brazen serpent
which Moses held up. And the COM
ing of Jesus sharply marked the line
of separation, on one side of which
are the souls that have found life
by a look at the Crucified One, and
on the other side the souls that are
dead in trespasses and sins because
they will not look away from self
and the mirage of false hope to the
One Who has been lifted up for the
salvation of the world. Only liv-
ing organism can hunger, and so, in
the consideration of our text, we have
to do only with those who have found
life in Jesus.
Take your Bibles and read the first
two verses of the fifth chapter of
Matthew. 1t is carefully and explicit
ly stated that He separated Himself
from the multitude and went up into
a mountain. And in the quietude of
some retiring nook among the rocks
away from the surging and curious
multitudes, He sat Him down, and
His disciples came unto Him and He
taught them. 1t was not a mes
sage for the multitudes; it was for
His true followers who were to be
instructed in the principles of His
Kingdom. They were to become
preachers of salvation, and in prep
aration must come to know the right
eousness of God and the utter hope
lessness of any attempt of man to
attain that righteousness by his
own efforts. Why, the Sermon on
the Mount is a terrific Gatling gun
riddling man through and through.
Who is there who can stand up be-
fore it's declaration that whosoever
is angry with his brother hath COM
mitted murder already in his heart?
What terrible and sweeping indict-
ment of man is the statement that
whatsoever looketh upon a woman
to lust after her, hath committed
adultery with her already in his
heart" In this day of loose mar
riage and easy divorce observe Je-
sus' declaration of the one single
ground of divorce. Observe the
standards which rule in the world to-
day and then hear Jesus say: 'Love
your enemies. bless them that curse
you, do good to them that hate you,
and pray for them which despiteful-
ly use you, and persecute you"
Every word and syllable of these
declarations is terrific judgment
upon the soul of the natural man.
1t prostrates him in the dust and
makes him realize his utter sinful
ness and need of Saviour. Man at
tempting to live out the Sermon on
the Mount! Preposterous! Impos-
sible! It would be an easier task
to search out Jacobs ladder and
climb up by it into Heaven, than to
keep this perfect law of God. The
dead soul might cram itself full with
it, it might weave for itself beauti-
full robe of covering, it might garland
it's brow with the sparkling gems
of the beatitudes, but underneath it
all would still remain the specter of
the dead soul, and no thrill of Divine
life would be felt. But meet Jesus
at the cross with the filthy rags of
your own Righteousness and He will
call your dead soul into life and
clothe you with His righteousness,
and on the other side of the cross
with Jesus as your Guide and Helper
the Sermon on the Mount becomes