The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-02-28
Repentance and Confession Re.
Quisites Of Conversion
SAYS HEART TROUBLE MORALLY
is CAUSE OF RAckWARDNEss
AMONG SINNERS.

/
sion are twin requisites of conversion
was a central thought in the sermon
of DIR. Breeder at the Christian church
yesterday evening change OF heart
was what he pleaded for and although
his voice was husky with a cold the
great evangelist never spoke more
feeling. He said in part:
Reduced to their last analysis, the
whole trouble with the world is the
trouble of heart. If the heart is affect
ed the whole being is out of order,
for it is the center of mans solar sys-
tenn, the fountain head, the organ
which sends the blood bounding
through the veins and arteries carry
ing life and health and ruggedneSs to
the whole man, providing it is in good
order. But if the fountain is corrupt,
then the whole man is corrupt The
old man of scripture had a profound
| conception of the man when he said,
| "SOn, give me thine heart and tn,
Lord adopted that great and deep con-
ception when he said that out of the
heart came forth everything that de-
| files that cOrrupts; that cOrrOdes;
| that places a distance between man
and his proper destiny. between him
and that which purifies, ennObles and
makes better
| LAS man thinketh so is he" and it
can be seen here that a man thinks
with the heart, that he understands
with the heart. In fact, the heart men,
toned here means nothing more nor
less than the whole man. Now what
| ~,
many communities and have met many
people. who have at one time in their
| lives made earnest, honest and per-
sistent attempts to become Christians,
| but have been troubled by pre-
| conceptions of religion that have
| stood in their way and SO dark
ened their understanding that they
have been unable to step into the light
and grasp the truth and enjoy tn"
liberty of those who are in the proper
attitude toward God.
"Some have been taught that God
would speak peace to their souls
through some lightning stroke or some
ecstatic emotion, Or some soul thrilling,
awe inspiring experience or some sud
den thing that would revOlutiOniZe the
whole man without consulting his rea-
son. 1t is true that some people have
had these joyful experiences, that have
been evidence to them Of the fact of
their conversion, and in fact it would
probably take some startling or extra
ordinary experience to cause the ad-
vanced atheist to lay aside his atheism;
it would require very strong light
to penetrae the darkness of his SOU.
But l once knew young lady who
had waited seven years for some sign,
some Sublimated emotion to overcome
her and act independent of her reason
in determining her relations with God.
She nad seen others who had received
signs of their conversion having been
effected. but unable to get any expert
ence like theirs she lapsed into black
and hopeless infidelty.
when our Lord was in conflict with
the Pharasees he saw their thoughts,
for he said Why think ye evil in your
hearts?'. So that a man sees with
the heart, he hears with the heart, he
reasons with the heart. he understands
with the heart, he loves with the heart,
and he obeys with the heart and as
already said the heart is the seat of
the whole trouble, it is the whole man.
is through the intellect: it is the nat
ural. orderly and normal means of
approach. We believe with the heart,
we desire with the heart, we love with
the heart, and we hate with the heart,
but take desire out and let love and
hate remain and they belong to emo
ton, will and vOlitiOn in the order of
mental and moral philosophy.
We purpose and determine With the
heart, for Daniel said that he pur-
posed in his heart that he would not
defile himself with the kings meat.
We also grieve with the heart and We
rejoice With the heart. AS Isaiah says,
Behold. thy servant shall sing in joy
of heart. while he sail cry in sorrow of
heart SO we rejoice and sorrow with
our hearts. And we also obey with the |
heart. Take all these things that are |
done with the heart and they belong |
to vOlitiOn: to conscience: to judg- !
ment and Will. Take a perverted heart; !
it is an unbelieving, a corrupt and |
impenitent heart, out of harmony with |
God and his love, away from the prin
Ciples of Christianity. If you want to |
know what a corrupt and perverted |
heart is, heart devoted to infamy and |
vice and RIGHTEOUSNESS. just read the |
first chapter of Romans and you viii |
be ashamed of man in his unregener-
ate condition. Nothing can change |
it but the gospel of Christ, the Son of
the Eternal God.
zone of the chief functions of the
heart is to reason, and Christ is the
supreme reason of the universe. 1 do
not care how skeptical you are, if you
will apply your reason to the great
center of all reason, Jesus Christ. your
intellect will be changed and you will
be brought into right relations with
God. But how is a mans belief to be
changed? The Holy Spirit comes to
the world in order to convict man of
sin, of righteousness and the world to
come; he comes to the world with light
and life; he is ready to bring the lamp