The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1904-06-11

costing true enlightenment; and again
heJ says: THE OF the Lord Is
clean. enduring forever" implying
perpetuity. In Proverbs we read:
"The fear OF the Lord is to hate evil''--
Identification with righteousness; and
that 1.-THE fear OF the Lord Is foun-
tain OF life," and again that "The fear
OF the Lord Is strong confidence"
uTHE fear or the Lord" then, take
II, implies not only a realization
of sin and it's consequences. but q
definite consciousness of God. OF what
He Is in HIS perfect holiness. and Of
what He Is In His relationship to the
world Knowing this. Paul declares:
I'VE persuade men," He could do
nothing less. Because he knew" he
must. therefore. tell men OF their dam
ger, and OF the Christ Who could
save. Paul was a convinced preacher,
and hence he was convincing preach
e.. He knew. and he told what he
knew. The reason all Christians are
not persuaders OF men Is because they
have not vividly before them the aw-
full reality OF sin. the certainty OF its
punishment. and the salvation there
Is In Christ Jesus. The story Is told
OF a minister who once asked an emil
nent actor why people would flock to
theater to hear fiction, while they
neglected church. where they could
hear the truth. Because we treat fiction
as though 1t were truth; you treat
truth as though II were fiction" was the
reply. And is not this indictment true
and general in its application? Are
not Christians, yea. many, many min
listers, too. treating Gods solemn and
eternal truth as though 1t were fiction?
Gods one declaration as to the condi-
ton OF the world Is that "all have
sinned and come short of the glory OF
God" God says that 1.-The wages OF
sin Is DEATH" and that "the soul that
sinneth 1t shall die" yea, 1t goes still
farther In defining the condition of the
sinner, and declares that he is already
dead in trespasses and sins"
GODS Word tells of the way OF
- salvation. OF the Christ Who
came into the world to save sinners.
or the Christ Who knew no sin, but
Who became sin for us that lost
souls might become the righteousness
OF God through Him. 1t tells us tina.
there is salvation in none other than
in Jesus, and that He is able to save
unto the uttermost. 1t tells us that
God wants all men to come to a knowl-
edge Of the truth and be saved. not
wishing that any soul should perish.
We belieye that man is lost sinner.
and that Jesus Is the only way OF
salvation, but we do not act as though
we believed any such thing. What
wo2ld you think OF man who had
escaped from a burning building by
the way of an iron bridge to the build
ing opposite, who would turn about
and calmly witness the peril, the suf-
fering and the death of the man who
did not know Of the way OF escape, but
was falling back helplessly into the
seething furnace of flames behind him?
| What jury is there that would not find
such man guilty OF criminal neglect,
| II not manslaughter or murder? When
| charged with his wicked aud cruel in
| difference and neglect, suppose the man
| should look at you in blank surprise and
eMlaim: why, | never thought Of It;
was safe, you know, and felt quito
| comfortable and at ease" Such conduct
in reference to physical peril cannot be
| conceived of, and yet is not this exactly
what multitudes of Christians are doing
every day? Before the judgment seat
of God how many of us who have escaped
the awful peril of soul death because we
have accepted Christ will hear some
friend, some loved one, some acquaint-
lBce, some one we have met In business
or social life or on the journey, say:
"You never told mel? Saved, but in
different to the salvation Of others!
Glad because We belong to Christ, but
careless whether others are brought to
Him or not! Surely, the fear of God
cannot be known and realized or this
could not be true OF so many, many
Christians!
THIS may be true of us now, but it
need not be true of us, II we wilt
only know Gods truth and then act as II
we believed that 1t was true. We must
ste boulo hot we
not become SO engrossed in time, that
we forget the eternity towards which
we are rushing. We must see as God
sees. and not with the natural vision
which only Is conscious Of externalities
and mistakes goodness for Goodness,
and religious forms and activities for
salvation through the cleansing power
of Jesus blood. Paul saw sin written
on every man, woman and child with
whom he came in contact unless the
cleansing power OF Jesus blood was
sprinkled there. Paul felt the Infinite
love and mercy Of God reaching out after
the lost soul as he came in contact with
people. II was as though Christ were
standing at Paul's side as he went here
and there. waiting to receive those whom
Paul would introduce to Him. Nay, II was
not "as though" for He WAS standing
there. And He is standing at your side
and my side. He is listening to our con-
versation. He Is waiting to be intro
duced to your friend. And II we know
the fear Of God we must speak the SUI
preme message. II Is your business to
know where friend and acquaintance
stands! 1t Is your business to warn of