The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-03-29

Father. Happy are the souls IN which
the flight into Egypt comes out rs it
Gees il Matthew's Gospel CT the In
fancy. lie; us net hesitate to play
Joseph - our threatened soul. All the
dreams and angels that We need will
be forthcoming if we are faithful. and
we shall get back to Nazareth. Some
how Herod will be circumventei. And
though it be neither scientific doctrines
nor vii propensities which do most to
make it hard for our souls. but Just the
petty preoccupations and tie daily
burdens and the round CT more or less
irritating duties Of our common life.
we are under the same sacred obllga-
ton and have the same encourc cement
70 secure for our souls the square deal
God means tnem to have. Let'us never
forget that Jesus Christ is the great
champion of a square zeal for every
soul, and that that means ours.
\ 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 unmlstak'
ably the seal of Givinc ratlhcatlon
than when he called it "a wonderful
and horrible thing" that had come to
pass in the land; that 1.-The prophets
prophesy falsely, and the priests bear
rule by their means; anu M people
love 20 have It So" But q square deal
in presenting the claims OF religion
rules cut, nc. merely wilful talslhca.
ton and perversion Ct the truth. 1t
rules cut intolerance and demands
square deal for the religious convlc-
tions of other people. 1t rules out dog
matism and demands square Ceal for
whatever new light may break forth.
1t rules out the insinuation OF doubt
and dc lands square deal tors the
feeblest and most unintelligent faith.
1t .ules out insincerity Of whatever
kind. But it does not rule out loyalty
to deep convictions, nor defniteness
of teaching, nor the replacing OF the
broken reed Of an Outworn doctrine
with the strong staff of living truth.
70 be absolutely loyal to the truth. and
vet deal fairly with all the spiritual ill.,
terests affected by the manner in which
the claims of religion are presented: is
no light thing to achieve. But OF one
thing, those to whom we go with the
call of Christ must be left in no DOUBT,
and that is that, so far as III 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
" protect themselves against cant.
They close as quickly as the threatened
eye.
The square deal in religion involves
a square deal at the heart Of religion.
The central doctrine should be the
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 1.-The
saved" Paul never gets tired OF tell
ing US that God does not save us Dy
doing anything wrong. He is contlnu-
ally declaring Gods righteousness in
His way of saving men, that He is at
once 'just and the justifier Of him that
hath faith in Jesus" Paul proclaims
the triumph of the square deal IN
Christ. In Him "mercy and truth are
met together; Righteousness and peace
have kissed each other" All that God
offers to US in Christ He has a right'to
offer. He comes before the bar OF our
conscience with His great gospel OF
forgiveness. If it is not ratified there
it can never give us peace. 1t is not
the less sensitive consciences which
have borne the most unequivocal testl-
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 iustifies 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 mine,
That were present far too small;
Love 50 amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my ALL"