Milford chronicle., 1904-11-18

A man is arrested the crowds OF curl
osity seekers were augmented step Dy
stem Peter, when he saw the multi
tude. became very much frightened
Instead of walking side by side Win
Christ. as he ought to have done ne
followed afar off. When they approach
ed the home of Caiaphas, the hlgh
nriest. Peter came into the house and
sat down by fire and began to warm
himself as though he had never Deeh
with Christ or seen Christ IN MS ire
While he sat there by the fire young
Jewish maiden came up and eyed MN
sharply. Then she tapped him upon
the shoulder and said: Are you not
friend of Jesus? Thou also vast WIN
Jesus of Nazareth" But Peter merely
shrugged his shoulders as he answered
81 know not what thou sayest. re-
ter then gets up and leaves the room
and goes out upon the porch. W nen
he has gone out another Jewish maiden
touches him upon the shoulder ana
saws. This fellow was also with Jesus
of nazareth" Then old Joseph Par
ker shook his leonine head and let out
n growl rs he said, Il do not know lhe
man" For the Bible says HE denied
him with an oath" When the people
benan TO crowd about him Peter still
more vehemently began to protest his
Ignorance with oaths and curses. He
denied Christ. lie denied him once
twice thrice. He denied him IN the
meonest. the most contemplate ana
cowardly way Yet when Peter re-
pented of his sin Christ forgaVe MN
and restored him to his apostleship'
Christ is magnanimOus. He will save
tho worst sinner if he comes to MIN
in sincere penitence, grieving for MS
sins and entreating pardon. But Ior
+be man who confesses him with MS
Inns. but denies him by his life he has
no word but woe, woe unto you hypo-
rritas"
/ Not unto every one that calleth'
lord. Lord, open unto us shalI the
banouet hall of Christ be opened. MOI
] nnto the nominal church members shall
the invitation be given to come ana
SIM with the Divine Bridegroom. Nhal
became of these five foolish virgins
who had no oil in their lampsF All the
ten virgins had the same KIND OF
iamps. The creed of man can aptly De
svmboIized in the lamp which holus
the oil. They all believed in the com
ing of the Bridegroom. They oil De
ueved in Jesus Christ. But the oil OF
conservation. the purity and devolloil
of life were lacking. If belief IN Chrls
would suffice, Judas himself might
have been saved. The belief that mas
no effect on the life is not faith at all
and can never bring man into splritual
relation with Christ. Oh, nominal
church members. you must have conse
Grafton of heart as we'll as perfection
of creed You must have spiritual Oh
for your clamps of faith" else you car
, never follow the Divine Bridegroom IN
, to the banquet hall Of the marriage ol
. the Lamb.
! These spiritual mendicants OF my
text represent another class OF splrltua
q beggars. They are the type OF mel
and women who are not lOafers' as VIZ
call loafers. or mere hangers on. IheI
u / TpnFpSpUL TIE 81 EtAlNh AAeAfN-
+ right people who expect to go to heaV
? en- on account Of the mere tempora
q good which they have been able TO az
n some of their fellow men. They repre-
n sent the large class Of people VINO eA
= meet to bribe their way into the wed
a ding banquet because they nave glVeI
n 70 some town a library or endowed
= some college professorship or bullde'
= some hospital or financially helped l
n support some church or foreign mis-
sionarv. They do not claim that the
= have lived for the purpose Of honorin
Il Christ and consecrating their lives |
"a his service. but they do say that o
= account of the good they have bee
- able to do Christ will invite them
= ioin the wedding procession on III
= night that the Bridegroom cometh.
- .'None That DOeth Good"
- Is this true? Will Christ allow an
u, one to ioin the wedding procession wi
- comes to him merely with the Ian
- of good works in his hand2 Oh, n
- For If we are honest with Ourselv
~ we know there is none that doe
- - pood-no. not one" We know tn
-. many of the acts for which the wor
,nt praises US we have done with t
- most selfish desires and the most &C
Oh rupt motives. Some Of them ha
an been done to win popular applau'
- some to secure the good opinion OF I
.od church and the world. For these
- have received our reward. but Chr
- does not reward them. We know I'll
"a there is not one of us who would Ii
- the thoughts of our brain and the
90 sires of our heart to be read by
80 most intimate of our friends as
=, +" omen book. l know some people
NV M they are proud of their past and
~ what they have done. John Church
- the first Duke of Marlborough, WI
al a very old man exultantly lived o
80 the scenes of his sturdy manho
Los Day by day his secretary used to r.
~ TO him the histories Of the milit
- campaigns of which Blenheim
os Families and Oudenarde and Nal
no ouet battlefelds were the success
bG ,,orffo,riorlv