The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1904-08-20

session, hus to many Il never ua.
folds it's hidden beauties and fullness
Of meaning. There is no eye or heart
for anything but the escape which is
made from the death penalty for sin.
Salvation means one thing, and one
thing only. The bare saving OF the
soul in the dark hour of death. But
TO others it unfolds its charm and
beauty all along the pathway OF life.
Each day brings some new discovery
the knowledge of some new possess
sion because of salvation. To sueh
salvation is not something to become
possessed of only at death, but 1t il
a present and real possession from the
moment Jesus begins His work CT
grace in the heart Salvation begins
to work in the life The new life is
dominant. The Old life, bit by bit, is
denounced and put away. The con-
serving, reyiying power of Jesus Christ
takes the physical, the natural, man,
and changes him into a spiritual be-.
ing, alive to God and dead to the
world Thus does all the power, grace
and beauty of salvation become mani
tested,
a Nd yet not all, for Peter speaks OF
n the redeemed soul being kept by the
power of God through faith unto sal
walton ready to be revealed in the last
time +" A salvation to be revealed"
Surely then the fullness of salvation.
To those who have come in repentance
ID the feet of Jesus and been cleansed
from all sin in the precious blood which
was she'd on Calvary, John, the b.
loved disciple, says: Beloved, now are
we the sons of God And that relation
ship means everything for this life. 1t
brings safety, ID brings peace and joy,
it brings satisfaction and worthy aims
and ambitions, and the only true and
abiding success which man can ever
know. Beloved, now are we the sons
Of Cod Think of it! Salvation
through Jesus Christ brings you and me
into that relationship. And surely as
sons we may here and now enjoy the
fullness of salvation. But listen! There
say: But it doth not yet appear what
we shall be- Can it be that the rea1iza~
ton of the fullness of salvation here
cannot give us all that is included in
that gift? Yes, for take the saint who
has realized the most Of that Wondrous
salvation in his life and heart, and still
John says: Beloved, it doth not yet
hal h
Listen: For we know that when He
shall appear, we shall be like Him for
we shall see Him as He isl That is what
tbs fullness of salvation will mean. Per-
fact likeness Co Christ. Changed COM
pletely from the falling and imperfect
| man struggling along through the vary
| ing stages of present salvation to the
complete salvation to be revealed in the
fast time. y
HgT HAT then is the relation of the one
| Nv to the other Why should We
struggle and strive in this present life
| that the salvation of Christ may per-
meate our every impulse and desire and
being, if In the end we are to realize tbs
fullness of salvation at one splendid
revelation of Christ? Let us see. Our
text plainly tells us that the ultimate
triumph of our faith will be the saliva
/ ton of our souls. There can be no pos
sible misunderstanding of Scripture on
| this point. True faith in Jesus Christ
will most surely lard the soul in Heaven.
And the soul, as john intimates, will be
! changed into the likeness of Jesus
Christ But we must not suppose that
we shall all be alike in that we will lose
our individuality, We shall be like Him
in purity, because made pure in His
| precious blood, and we shall be like Him
in oneness with the Fathers will and
purpose. Where now sin holds dominion
over US, where now we are Indifferent
and rebellious to the Fathers will, we
shall then be changed and freed forever
i from sins dominion and see with clear
/ vision how sweet and perfect and good
the will of God is. In this respect we
shall all be like Christ The saint who
has attained the spiritual heights and
the saint who has been saved SO as by
FIRE" will receive tthe end of their
faith, even the salvation of their souls,
but to one the salvation will mean bare
| " getting into Heaven, and to the other
zI will mean the glorious and full mani
festation of the spiritual graces which
have been developed in this life. Think
you that the soul that has barely gained
Heaven will realize that salvation in the
same degree and fullness with the saint
who had begun in this life to know what
that salvation meant in its victory oyel
sin and the formation Of the Chrlst-like
character? 1t will be great joy and
peace to De in Heaven, but how much
greater Bi& be the capacity to enjoy thai
place if n this life we begin torealize the
I fullness of salvation.
n UR text speaks Of faith; faith bring
~ ing the soul ultimately to safe
anchorage in Heaven. Faith is the chan.
mel through which all blessing flows
from God to the human life and soul
Without faith it is impossible to please
Him. for he that cometh unto God mus