Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-03-29

we are under the same sacred oblga.
ton and have the same encours cement
to secure for our souls the square deal
God means them to have. Let us never
forget that Jesus Christ Is tho great
champion of square deal for every
soul. and that that means ours
A square deal in presenting the
claims of religion should be religiously
maintained. God Is eternally against
ANYTHING else. jeremiah never said
ANYTHING which bears more unmistak-
ably the seal of n divine ratification
than when he called it "a wonderful
and horrible thing" that had come to
pass in the land; that "the prophets
prophesy falsely, and the priests bear
rule by their means; AMI my. people
Iowa to have It So" But IL square deal
III presenting the claims OF religion
rules out, no. merely wilful talsinca.
ton and perversion Ct the truth, II
rules out intolerance and demands a
square deal for the religious convlc-
lions of other people. 1t rules out dog
matism and demands square deal TOT
whatever new light may break forth.
1t rules out the inslnuatiOn of doubt
and dc hands square deal for the
feeblest and most unintelligent faith.
1t rules out insinccrity Of whatever
kind. But it does not rule out loyalty
to deep convictions, nor defnlteness
of teaching, nor the replacing OF the
broken reed of an outworn doctrine
with the strong staff Of living truth.
To be absolutely loyal to the truth, ana
vet deal fairly with all the spiritual In
terests affected by the manner In which
the claims of religion are presented, is
no light thing to achieve. But or one
thing, those to whom we 60 with the
call of Christ must be left In no doubt,
and that Is that, so far as In us lies ana
God gives us light upon our way, we
mean to be square with them. Goa
made our ears so that they instructive
ly protect themselves against cant.
They close as quickly as the threatened
eye.
The square deal in religion involves
n square deal at the heart Of religion.
The central doctrine should DC Inc
Righteousness of God, the righteous
dealing of God with men. a square
deal and nothing less for all men,
square deal and nothing more for tine
saved" Paul never gets tired or tell
ing us that God does not save us by
doing anything wrong. He is continu'
ally declaring Gods righteousness IN
His way of saving men, that He Is at
once "just and the justitier Of him that
hath faith in Jesus" Paul proclaims
the triumph of the square deal in
Christ. In Him ENERGY and truth are
met together; Righteousness and peace
have kissed each other" All that God
| offers to us in Christ He has right TO
offer. He comes before the bar of our
conscience with His great gospel or
| forgiveness. If 1t is not ratified there
| it can never give us peace. 1t Is not
| the less sensitive c0nsciences which
| have borne the most unequivocal teSti-
mony to the peace which God gives IN
| Christ Jesus. But there should be moth
| ing to settle between your conscience
and your doctrine Of salvation. We are
not saved by dishonest bookkeeping.
| Nothing is credited to us which does
not belong to us in Gods sight. Every
| item which justities God in His mercy
| toward us may not appear. But no
| scheme that could not pass muster with
us in our dealing with men can repre-.
sent the redemptive dealings of God
with sinners. The man who finds
peace with God through Jesus Christ
lust believes that whatever safeguard
| ing of righteousness was necessary
when Gods mercy set out to save him
has not been neglected.
But while we need not fear that God
will offer us more than He has right
to. we need have, on the other hand, no
fear of giving too much to Him II we
give all.
! "Were the whole realm of nature nine,
That were present far too small;
Love so amazing so divine,
Demands my soul. my life, my ALL"