The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-04-19

Is heaven-born in us. they are not
only mot Of the Father" but Trey are
the deadly foes Of all that is of the
Father. Happy are the souls in which
the flight into Egypt comes out as IL
does in Matthew's Gospel of the In
fancy. Let us not hesitate to play
Joseph - our threatened soul. All the
dreams and angels that we need Will
be forthcoming if we are faithful, anu
we shall get back to Nazareth. Some
how Herod will be circumvented. ana
though it be neither scientific doctrines
nor viii propensities which do most 10
make it hard for our souls, but Just the
petty preoccupations and the daily
burdens and the round cf more or less
irritating duties Of our common ll1e,
we are under the same sacred obllga-
ton and have the same ourcGement
to secure for our souls the square deal
God means tuem to have. Let US never
forget that Jesus Christ IS the great
champion of q 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 a Givin, ratification
than when he called it "a wonderful
and horrible thing that had come 10
pass in the land; that 1.-The prophets
prophesy falsely, and the priests bear
rule by their means; and M people
love 20 have It So" But 9 square deal
in presenting the claims of religion
rules out, nc: merely wilful talsihca-
ton and perversion ef the truth, it
rules cut Intolerance and demands a
square deal for the religious conyic-
tons Of other people. 1t rules out dog
matism and demands square deal for
whatever new light may break forth.
It rules out the insinuation OF douot
and dc lands square deal Tor the
feeblest and most unintelligent faith.
1t rules out insincerity Of whatever
kind. But it does not rule OUT loyalty
to deep convictions, nor detlniteness
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, and
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 of one
thing, those to whom we so with the
call Of Christ must be left in no doubt,
! md that is that, so far as in us lies and
| God gives us light upon our way, we
! mean to be square with them. God
| made our ears so that they instinctive-
ly protect themselves against cant.
They close as quickly as the threatened
eye.
The square deal in religion involves
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 the
saved" Paul never gets tired OF tell
| ing US that God does not save US Dy
doing anything wrong. He is continu'
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 proclalms
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 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 justifies 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 :edemptive dealings Of God
| with sinners. The man who fnda
peace with God through Jesus Christ
| lust believes that whatever safeguard
| ing of Righteousness was necessary
when Gods mercy set out to save MIN
has not been neglected. :.
But while we need not fear that God
| will offer US more than He'has a right
to, we need have, on the other hand, no
fear OF giving too much to Him IT 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"