Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-11-19

have been reared in Christian nurs-
cries nd Christian Sunday schools.
Durin. Tier 10y hood days they have
knc.t ut thr.$lan affairs and sat In
e.. Christian pcws. But as far as their
4 own lives have been concerned they
have no Christian experience and have
never openly confessed Jesus Christ as
their Saviour. They have never done
anything To show their devotion TO
God as co:isccrated disciples of Christ.
And yet if you should ask these men
today il they expected TO reach heaven
they would instantly answer: "Of
course. of course. OF course. The
home Of my youth was Christian
home. am child OF the covenant.
Ny father was good Christian man.
My mother prayed over me from the
/ time | WAS born until she died. Why
should not so where they are:''
oh. yes. my friend. you would GER
tainly 20 To heaven upon the borrowed
Z capital Of your fathers and mothers
lifelong conservation il they had any
power To take you there. But the diff
cu.ty Is that your fathers and moth
erS spiritual power is limited From
the time you were born your parents
lived entirely for you and your broth
crs and sisters. Every pleasure and
every indulgence they had they shared
with you.
But there Is one blessing your moth
or and father have that they cannot
divide with their children. They can
not divide with you their oil of spirit
ual life. They could lead you to the
rock OF Calvary. where. I'm the blood Of
Jesus. you might see how your sins
might he cleanscd. but you must your
self seek an interest in his atonement.
They could tell you OF the Holy Spirit,
whose Illumination could scatter your
spiritual darkness. but the oil OF his
divine influence you must implore for
Yourself. They could compel you as
clild 10 go ami sit In the church pew,
but they could not compel you to re-
ceivc Christ as your Saviour. That is
matter simply between you and Je-
Sus. They could introduce Christ to
you as their very best friend. but they
could not lO"ce you to make their
friend Jesus Your friend. He will never
become Il part of your life unless you
yourself oicn To him the holy Of HOLES
OF your lcirt to let him In. Neither
will Christ receive you rs one OF his
own unless You truly come TO him with
the countcrsign OF the cross.
Borrowed Spiritual OIL.
And yet many people expect ulti-
maie.y TO reach heaven on account Of
the borrowed spiritual oil of con-
secrated Christian ancestry. oh"
said minister's daughter to me some
time ago. Il know am not living as
ought. but | am all right. have no
fear about the future. | have made
my husband promise TO bury me at the
foot Of my fathers grave. When the
arclIangcrs trumpet sounds and we all
come up am going TO cling TO my IA
TIERS hand | know Christ will let me
in If am by his side. know 1t. be-
cause my father was such Il good man.
| know Christ would not refuse my
father anything" She said this half
in jest and half In earnest. Many of
us have the same hope and say the
same things. not half in jest. but in
dead earnest No my friends. when
the Bridegroom cometh on that great
day of resurrection your father and
mother will have no spiritual oil to
spare Then we cannot follow the Di-
vine bridegroom with our parents spir-
| itua light. We must have our own
| lighted oil TO become part OF the we'd
ding procession Of the redeemed or for
ever stay ont OF Christ's banquet hall.
enveloped by the impenetrable and
crushing darkness OF the eternal night.
These five foolish virgins represent
another class. They represent the
nominal church members. They repre-
sent the men and women who look up
on church membership as kind of
| fetch. We read that during the dark
ages the Catholic devotees used TO buy
"plenary indulgences.' which would
absolve them from their future sins,
which they were about TO commit in
| tentionally. So some people who are
nominal church members seem to think
that they can lie and steal and cheat
and commit all the forbidden sins OF
the Dccalogue il they are only church
members in good standing. They seem
| TO think that the crucial essential of
Christianity is perfection OF creed
for the head and not absolute cOnse-
Grafton for the heart. They seem to
think that they can walk hand in hand
with sin and continue to so walk II
they can only repeat this sentence as
they go: II believe In Jesus. believe
in Jesus. Yes. believe in Jesus"
Now. Christ. by the parable Of my
text. says that mere mental faith in
him. unaccompanied by surrender Of
the heart and life, is not faith at all.
The faith that saves Is a faith that
transforms the life. faith that takes
! complete control of a man. The nomi-
nal church members must have con-
secration OF heart and pure life as
well as perfect gospel creed. be-
lieve that Chrst's fuller teachings af
Arm that lie Is more willing to forgive
the sins OF an out and out enemy who
once blaSphcmcd him. hut repents 81
his sin. than he Is willing TO forgive
| r,,.S, In ,fauiad hin, nth1fN-