Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-09-02

love. IN. YES, uleSt men OI Weuk
knecd theology can look at Jesus and
love him like that. but the trouble is
that Is not the place to stop. They
20 little further and still little fur
Their and say. Jesus Is 80 good that
he saves US whether we love and honor
him or not" They are almost In the
same position as was one of the officers
Of my regiment In the Spanish Amer
lean war when he said to me: Chap
lain. ! believe In your Christ do not
serve him as ought to. but believe II
] am shot In this war God will say:
There IN IA poor fellow who gave up
his life for his country. No man can
do more for love OF his native land
than that. | will save him on account
Of his shed blood" Mark you this
not on account OF Christ's blood. but on
account OF mans blood.
Looking Unto Jesus.
No sinner WAS ever saved from eter-
nal death except by the divine atone
mcnt. Now. my friends. II is about
time for some of you to stiffen up the
backbone of your theology. II Is about
time for some OF us to realize that only
the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse
us ns white as the driven snow. There
Is n stream In Corsica called the river
Rcstonia, which has the remarkable
power Of turning white everything
which Is dropped into It's clear waters.
The cane which falls from your hand
into il becomes white stick. The
watch which slips ont of your pocket
into Il becomes u white metal. 4 trav-
eler tells us that nm iron bar dropped
into those waters nj once becomes
white as n silver scepter. So every
one who IL really clcansed by Christ's
blood becomes. as In the river Rcsto-
mia. white Ms the driven snow. But.
mark you. as the old southern nanny
said. II IL only by looking to Jesus.
who Is God to love. that you and
can become purged and cleansed and
washed until we become whittier than
snow. II Is surely time for some Of
us to center our hopes upon the cross.
which alone can save us from eternal
death.
Many years ago the British admi-
rally sent the man-ofwar Thetis to
| Mediterranean waters 20 hunt UP a
shonl or reef or bank that had been
reported 10y some fishermen OF the
coast of Italy and mark II upon the
chart. The vessel sailed back and
forth without being able TO locate the
dangerous reef The captain returned
to England and declared no such rocks
existed. but the first lieutenant Of the
| Thctis thought differently. lie begged
the privilege of continuing the investi-
CATION. lie laborcd ON until mt last
he located those rocks. and was pro-
NOTED for the service he had done the
worlds shipping. The old captain Of
| the Thetis obstinatcly declared that
these rocks were purely chmerical and
never existed. IF ever 20 near their
supposed site I shall sail over them
| TO prove ! am right" said he. 4 few
months later the Thetis was convey ing
the British ambassador to the city OF
Naples. One stormy night the captain
found that he was near this supposed
reef lie headed directly toward II as
he said. Now will prove that lieu
tenant fabricator.'' The ship sailed
on for few hours. then came the
| grating sound OF shallow water. then
n crash The Thetis was helpless
wreck. Most OF the crew were saved
but the foolish captain would not allow
himself To be saved. to meet certain
disgrace. lie persisted" said DIR.
Stoughton. "a victim to his own unbe-
lief" Thus thousands upon thousands
of immortal souls will perish Oh ac-
count Of their lukewarm acceptation OF
the cross. They are not directly enc
mics OF Jesus Christ. They belong to
what Is called the liberal order OF
| Christians. They believe Christ was
born. that Christ died. that Christ rose
again from the dead. but they do not
believe that Christ Is the only begot-
ten Son of God and the only way OF
eternal life. And Except ye believe
ye shall all likewise PERISH" for the
Bible distinctly declares the necessity
Of believing In Christ as n Saviour and
In Christ alone.
| Lax In business Principles.
But we also lind these modern
Laodiceans wonderfully negative in
reference TO their business principles.
Every Sunday morning they may be
found vending their way TO their
church pcws. Every Wednesday even
Ing they may attend the midweek
prayer meeting But the way they
act inside the church and outside OF the
church may have no more similarity
than the nature OF striped furred
leopard can he compared TO the af-
fectionate whinny Of the shetland
pony whom your children are pctting
at the barn door. Now. am not as
sorting that these modern Laodiceans
have no business principles. am not
asserting that these men are any worse
than their business associates. but
do assert that they Will he just MS dis
honest as they can he In their financial
affairs and yet preserve their social
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