The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-07-20
THE SPIRIT OF THE GOSPEL. /"
The Ocala Banners


world and JOY forever in the world
to come? How many of the gamblers,
profane swearers, Sabbath breakers,
adulterers and such like have you
ever approached in the spirit of the
gospel of Jesus and showed unto
them, in love and charity, the better
way?"
Then you will begin to say: why,
Lord, | could not come in actual con-
tact with such class of people, but
stood on the street corners and in
the pulpit from day to day and Sab
bath to Sabbath and chunked stones
right and left at such sinners. lam
pasted them in seasc n an. out of sea-
SON True, they were not there to hear
me, and perhaps never heard of what
said of such people, but did say
of them that eternal fire and everlast-
ing damnation awaited them; that
they were not fit to be seen in decent
society and all men and women
should avoid being seen talking with
one of them; that they were cancers
in the social and religious world and
should be ostracised from society"
But" says the Master, ibid you
tell them that | love them? that L
died for them? that the very angels
in heaven were anxiously awaiting
their repentance and acceptance OF
salvation? that they were entitled to
everlasting life through Me? Did you
urge them to forsake their sins and
come unto Me and find rest for their
souls?"
mo. Lord; l did not do that; it
would not have done at al. for me to
have been seen talking with one OF
those people. They are -ostracised
from the society ots respectable peo-
pie, and it would have injured my
standing in the community. | abused
them all / could, in the pulpit and
out of it, sometimes going to a point
very near indeeency, in the pulpit,
but it did not seem to do any good.
They went on as they did before"
"NNell," will say the Master, 81
am not surprised that they did. My
gospel is one of love. charity and for
giveness--full of mercy and tender
compassion unto all mankind. The
mission sent you on was to open the
eyes of the blind To unstop the ears
of the deaf. To minister unto the sick.
To heal the broken-hearted. To lift
up the fallen. To proclaim glad tidings
of great joy to a lost humanity. Ye
did it not"
Behold. the harvest is great bnt the
laborers are few! Lift up your eyes,
We ambassadors of Christ! Buckle on
YOUR armor and with the sword of the
Spirit--Gods unmeasured Love and
and Mercy-and go out into the high.
WAYS and the hedges and bid them
come in to the Kingdom of Our Lord {!
Leave your sack of rocks behind you
forever and do your work after the
manner of the Master.
To come directly to the class
brought so pointedly before us in the
text: Do they not deserve at least one
other chance? The Master thought so
but with many of His professed fol
lowers in this boosted Christian civili
cation. No! The stern dictum has been
and is. cast her out into darkness and
long line of past centuries since
Ammo Domini, there seemingly has
never been any great eff1rt to carry
out the injunction of the Nazarene
Century upon century that lone figure
of the Magdelene has been present
among men teaching and preaching
it's direct and impressive lesson
/" Forgiven, So the master cried,
The world reverses His decree.
All other sins for which He died
May pardon find but she
Whose only crime is loving much
From plying grace for aye is driven
And never more may come in toucl
With Home and Hope and Heaven!
, The world has different men ant
moods,
| And needless shifting of the scene
{ But through them all this figur'
, broods,
; The lone despairing Magdalene!"
r That has been the attitude of civil
: cation toward the sinner during tn
t pygone years, but let US hope tina
; the daydawn is appearing and tina
r Judah and Benjamin with locke
e shields will press the battle to tn
o gates for redemption of lost and IA
d len humanity after the manner of tn
d Master. and not by casting stones
d Let him that is without sin cast tn
!, first stone. and none will be throw