Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1905-08-23

we were cast to the level of beasts.
But now God returns to us with the
promise that after all we shall be as
Himself, sharers in His nature and
conformed to His image. 1t seems
strange to you that for a single sin so
serious consequences should be en-
tailed. This could only be because the
stream was poisoned at its source and
the race sinned in it's first man. But
here is something which is quite as
great. The Lord God is making to
Himself a new creation. He has be-
gun it in one new Man, who kept His
life without spot or blemish. And in
His life and federal headship we share
by a single act of faith. The conse-
quences of faith are quite as great as
the consequences of disobedience. HE
that believeth on Him hath everlasting
life" And that does not mean that
his life is prolonged in endless time,
blu that it is endowed with an immor-
tai nature. 1t is received the instant
he believes, as by a new birth, and has
passed from death unto life. He hath
been already delivered from the bond
age and corruption of the kingdom of
darkness and has been colonized in the
kingdom of His Son. He is born of
God, a son of the Most High, a citizen
OF heaven. A single sin has stained
the race. We laid hold on death and
spite of tears and cries and struggle,
we have not. been able to loose the
hand. One single act of faith takes
hold on eternal life, and in spite of
sins and falls and failure that prize
can never be wrested from our grasp.
And this is all by faith.
Men have said to me that the scheme
of salvation is arbitrary. 1t is vain,
they say, to shut the world up to faith.
But, my friend, do you not know that
this entire universe is arbitrary? There
is nothing more arbitrary than the laws
of mathematics, or Of health or Of
gravitation. 1t is not strange that
every son of Adam is shut up to the
multiplication table? Is it not strange
that if q ma wants to compute num-
bers in China he must use the identical
system that we use? That three and
two make five there as they do here?
No, there is but one law for light or
heat or electricity or numbers. or gray
itation in all the earth. And there is
but II way of salvation for all the
earth. Here it is said Through these
promises" which only mean that a
man believes in Christ. A promise is
nothing except for the value of the
person who makes it. Some men may
make their promises, and no man gives
them heed. But if Il promises whose
character you know. then you count on
them as you count upon the shining Of
the sun.
We hear a good deal in these days
about education into the kingdom of
God, about the natural development Of
righteousness. But development is
only unfolding, and that the race has
been doing in all the centuries, and
each age surpasses the last in the
enormity of sin. Education is drawing
out, but how can you draw holiness
from a heart that is "deceitful above
all things and desperately Wicked"'
Education can lever do the work. 1t
is like putting a new handle on the
pump and leaving the dog in the well.
You may wonder at the fancy Of
bringing in a new and supernatural
life by belief i'll precious promises.
But all questions are answered by the
experiences of history. Great men have
been regenerated by single words of
Scripture. This was true of Augustine
and Luther and Spurgeon and scores
of others whom time fails me to men
ton. They were not only new men,
but mighty ons of God. Wonderful
was this? AS great as the wonder of
all forms of life. Look into the acorn
and tear its halves apart, and tell me
if you can see therein the stalwart oak.
AnalyZe the seed of wheat and tell me
if you can see therein the waving fields
of grain. WELL" said Jesus, "the
words which l speak unto you they are
spirit and they are life" You cannot
see the spirit, you cannot see the life,
but can you say they are not there? |
hold up to you these great and precious
promises, and there are saints and mis-
sionaries and noble lives and giant
charities and mighty revolutions there.
There are heaven and an eternal
weight of glory wrapped up in that.
And our growth in grace and the like
ness of God is not a process Of mend
ing and Improvement. But it is a new
creation by which we become like God.
And now l have finished. l know l
have borne down hard on sin. l wish
l did not have to do so. / wish
with you that the word were not i'll the
language because it was not in the
heart. If one of those phantom friends
of the astronomers should come to this
earth and say to me Il understand this
is a beautiful place, but for II thing.
1 understand it is filled with sin and
rebellion against the rule Of God" l
wish l could say to him, "My friend,
YOU have been misinformed. There is
no sim" But [ tell you frankly, I could
not say that to him. 1 would have to
say to him: ALAS tits true, tits pity,
and pity it's, tits true" But l could
also say to him that sin cannot hold us
in its cruel grasp. l would point him
yonder. and say, do you see that gol-
den s%plendor? That is the gospel of
Jesus. 1t is filled with sweetness, and
by that We are restored and have be-
come partakeas of the divine nature"
And isn't that more than the fact Of
sin?