The Tupelo journal., 1904-01-29

Copyright, 1904, by ]. M. Edson.)

to bring him back to Himself. When
Paul went into hat great and cultured,
but wicked, city of Athens his spirit
was stirred in him, when he saw the
city wholly given 10 idolatry." He
knew that the hearts OF the people were
far from God, and yet in his great ser
mon on Mars hill. as he felt the heart
throb of God for the sinful and idola-
trous people, he declared that God was
not far from every one of US" He is
near, SO that He can hear the cry of
the penitent. He is near, and waits to
forgive sin and extend mercy. Gods
love for sinners is attested by the fact
that He has provided a way of escape
Tor the sinner. He has wrought out a
scheme OF redemption which does not
compromise his attitude towards sin
or set aside His judamentu upon sin. And
this fact Il text blessedly brings before
us. Far Off from God we are by reason
OF sin, brought nigh to God we may be
by the cleansing power Of Jesus blood.
Far on from God not because a way back
to Him has not been provided, but
far from God because people
love darkness rather than light. and
because they prefer 10 dwell in the far
Off country of sin and worldliness. in
stead of returning over the Jesus road
TO the near country of blessed life and
Fellowship with God. Far from God I'M
less the power OF the precious blood of
Jesus has been felt 10 draw the soul
nign unto God. Far from God. or near
to Gou Two great divisions or classes.
10 which group do you belong? Are
you with those who are separated from
God by reason OF sin unforgiven. a
SaVlous spurned, or 90 your glad feet
stand with the great redeemed throne
upon the everlasting rock Christ Jesus.
whose blood has cleansed you from all
sin and made you fit to come into the
presence of God?
LAR from God. Who can measure all
that this means? Not many weeks
ago there died in one of the cheap
lodging houses of Chicago, a poor, mis-
cradle moral and physical wreck of a
man. In the pocket of his ragged coat
was found a request that a certain man in
a certain city be notified in case of death.
This was done and he came and took the
remains away. The dead man was the
son of a wealthy banker, whose name
the friend would not divulge. He had
left home and wandered far from his ia
theirs care and love. Far off in Chicago
he was friendless and homeless-a mis-
cradle, wretched, despised and worthless
Outcast; suffering and in want while
alive, dying alone and unattended. Far
off from home and father. 1t might have
been different if he had willed it so.
Home might have sheltered him; friends
might have cared for him. Comfort and
plenty might have been his portion if he
had so chosen. But being far from
home meant all of misery and wretehed-
ness and degradation which the world
with him because he was far from home,
and oh. what a difference it makes with
the life that is far from God. And every
life is far from God unless it has been
brought nigh by the blood of Jesus
Christ. Far from God we find the world
with all her allurements, with all he1
ambitions, all her pleasures, her power
and her activities; yes, and her woes and
heart aches, her troubles and suffering
her wickedness and crime. We find the
devil there going TO and fro through the
earth, enticing, deluding. destroying, de-
vouring. Far from God we find every
thing with the stamp of sin upon it. Far
from God are dangers, privations, un-
satisfied longings-death. The ~prodigal
son knew what it meant to be far from
his fathers house. 1t meant drinking
to the bitter dregs the cup of sin. II
meant disgrace, restitution, suffering
and would have meant death if he had
remained in the far country. Far from
God means the darkness of sin. 1t means
that this life is all that the soul is tc
enjoy. 1t may mean ease and plenty
pleasures and honor, riches and power
such as the world car give, and give in
abundance, sometimes, but the limits
of this life mark the end of all that
he world can give. Far from God means
that for the soul there is nothing beyond
Far from God means eternal death, for
10, they that are far from Thee shall
perish"
JESUS felt the agony of that sanara.