Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-02-19

IL there Is no danger, then there can
be no Saviour or rescuer. And because
the eternal results of sin are so great,
therefore. the divine love OF Christ's
sacrifice is brought forth in the brighter
contrast. We are not marveling today
why the human craft was allowed to be
stranded upon the rocks OF sin. but we
are proclaiming the fact that on ac-
count OF our impending eternal ship
wreck the gospel life line Is flung out
and the gospel ilfeboat is being pushed
through the raging. surging. stormy
seas.
We cannot explain why sin was ever
allowed to come into the world. But
after we accept its advent as a fact,
then the cross, on account Of our eter-
nal danger can become our all In all
With the sainted Gotthold we may say
before the flaming fires OF eternal
death: For my own part my soul is
like hungry and thirsty child, and
need Christ's love and consolation for
my refreshment am a wandering
and lost sheep. and need him as a
good and faithful shepherd. My soul
is like frightened dove pursued by a
hawk, and | need his wounds for n
refuge. / am feeble vine, and need
his cross to lay hold of and wind N.Y.
self about. l am n, sinner. and need
his righteousness. | am naked and
bare, and need his holiness and in
nocence for covering. l am I'm trou-
bic and alarm, and need his solace.
Simple and foolish am l, and l need the
guidance OF his Holy Spirit. Am ar
raigned by Satan at the divine tribunal.
he must be my advocate. Am I'm af-
Fiction, he must be my helper. Am
prosecuted by the world, he must de-
fend me. When am forsaken he must
be my support; when dying. my life;
when molderlng in she grave, my resur-
rection." Why did God let sin come
into the world? We cannot understand
it. But after we have accepted the fact
that the good God has allowed sin to
come into the world for n, purpose,
then, on account of the eternal danger
threatening us. we see as never before
glorious sacrifices, both human and
divine, We see on account OF saliva
ton from sin how Christ's blood will
not only lift us above the angels, but
how, through Christ. we may become
part OF God himself. A mystery! An
unfathOmable mystery! Yet a mys-
terry which makes heaven blaze with
triumphant and far reaching light
Mystery OF the Resurrection.
Mystery OF the resurrection: Hcw f.
the TRANSPORTATION between earth and
heaven 20 take placer We know not
z. LII.
study IL the deeper becomes the mys-
terry. But though the resurrection is
mystery. though we cannot by human
reason understand how these poor
bodies OF ours can be SO transformed
that they will live forever, we can
when reason halts proceed under the
higher guidance OF faith and accept
the assurance OF the Scriptures, that
this mortal shall put on Immortality"
and that III our earthly house OF this
tabernacle be dissolved we have n
building OF God. a. house not made
with hands, eternal I'm the heavens"
Hsow can this body which we lay in
the grave. giving il over TO corruption.
ever be reviyed7 We do not know
bow. but we believe God and exclaim
In triumph with the patriarch. 81 know
that my RSdeemeF liyeth, and at last
he shall stsnd upon the earth, and aft
or my skin, even this body, Is destroy
ed. then without my flesh shall I see
God" Nor are we left exclusively to
faith, for nature herself gives us a hint
OF . transformation 80 significant as to
be encouraging. The other day my little
hrnrfKlt a. ma
which she had confined O caterpillar.
This caterpillar had wrapped itself
up In n cocoon. The cocoon looked ex-
actly like shroud. After awhile the
caterpillar Will emerge from that Co
coon transformed into n beautiful but
terfiy. You cannot explain that trans
formation. Neither can |. Shall we
witness the wonderful process of the
eaterpillar's metnmorphosis from worm
10 butterfly and yet refuse 10 believe
that God can. IL he will. transform the
physical body into heavenly bcdyq
Marvellous Trnnsformations.
We see marvellous transformations I'm
the natural world taking place all
round us. We cannot explain them.
Shall we therefore refuse TO believe
thems Pick up in your hand, II you
VIII. common chestnut IL has with
In Its simple shell soft substance.
which looks for all the world like n
lump OF hard -four pressed together.
Yet IN that simple substance in mipin-
ture is every known part OF the chest.
nut tree Within that shell Is the root,
the bark. the branch. the leaf. If that
simple nut can change INTO the
branches OF the wide spreading tree.
may not we believe that our physical
bodies. under the divine chemistry.
may undergo an equally wondrous
change which we cannot comprehend
any more than we can tell how or when
tho transformation is to take place? A
mystery. mystery! How do we 60
down mortal and come up Immortal; 20
down corrupt and come up incorrupt?
IL Is n mystery we cannot explain.
Yet 1t is mystery which has its anal
ogies In the natural world. 1t is a
mystery which promises each one OF
US a personality aud M individuality
IN the eternal mansions. Grand, gIo-
nous. hopeful and blessed il the mys-
tsry OF the resurrection.
nave preached this sermon on mys-
terfes because want young people.
and especially young men, to fully
realize that there are some statements
found in the Bible. that they should
accept in faith, though they may never
fully understand them In this life. oh.
man. IL You are not ready to accept
some facts about Christ and salvation
you cannot understand then you are
Ike foolish man trying TO encompass
the Atlantic ocean with a sewing girls
thimble or like a little child peevishly
sulkfng because you cannot understand
the laws OF gravity. God is too big
for your finite mind to compass. Heav-
en- Is too large place for you in your
study to take apart and put together
again as little girl might play with
her doll house
Accept Christ.
i preach this sermon also for an in
spiratson. There Is in cur gospel
enough OF the plain and practical to
lead rs 70 Christ. Beyond that there
ara mysteries. and we do not DENY IL