Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-03-07
Subject: Christ's Agony and Ours.

fruit. The life that seems so near
the brink Of deaths dark stream, the
heart that weakly beats. the blood
that boils at fever heat, all seize upon
the remedies that cure, and health
and healing vigor rush through the
weakened frame. In each case the
principle Of life has been at work.
AS with the natural, so with the
spiritual.
All, yes, beloved, sin is bondage.
death. disgrace, Improbable. God
Illness Is great gain and 1t will surely
bring contentment. Sin is distance
from God and there is no worse death
or hell. Jesus leads us nearer
Heaven. and within Him is the most
life and the best. But sin Is death
and the sooner the world finds it ont
and we Christians really realize its
awfulness the better for us and the
world
This sin, however, is susceptible of
defeat. Our lives may be freed from
its power and made victorious above
its strength The means are not
various, nor Is the wav hard. There
is but one means and one true and
happy way. That means and that
way Jesus has revealed. Coming to
Him for healing we may find ease
ment for our souls. Trust in Him
will gain release from evil A whole
life spent in His service will reap
a rich reward. His is the only Cos
pei that contains tho truth entire.
His is the one salvation that our
spirits need. His is the gift of life
forever unto all who hear. believe
and live for Him. Being certain
that sin Is death, we must preach to
men tho way to life through Jesus
Christ our Lord. The trouble with
much Of our testimony is that we are
little shaky on our own founda-
tions and that too much of our testi-
mony is from the mouth ont and is
not yelling up from hearts that have
tasted of the joys of the Christ
blessed life. Too much of our knowl-
edge of spiritual truths comes to us
at secondhand and too little arises
from the depths of personal expert
ence. Our ideas must be cut clear
as to what is the state and the
future of men who are continuing in
sin. We must feel that Jesus is the
need and the Savior Of other men,.as
He has been the need and the Savior
Of each Of us. We must get that
vision Of the world which shall make
us weep as did our Lord, which shall
make us say with Paul, "Woe is me
If preach not the Gospel"
All, yes, beloved, we must. with
weeping hearts go forth to lead men
up to God If sin is death and we
a,,I l., No
everlasting, we must not rest until
we, too, have brought some brother
home to safety. I say we must. |
cannot say we may. Our orders read
Ego thou" not won't YOU please CO."
Christ pleads with the sinner, but
His word is law, and so it should
be, to those who are His.
Come with me into the busy street
on any working-day, or to any gaudy
concert-hall on sunny Sabbath days.
and l will show you why you should
weep and work. There they are!
needless, unhearing. uncaring, bound
more intent to make money or to
while the hours away than to save
their immortal souls. Young and
old, rich and poor, hardened sinners
and youths who are just entering the
road to death-each Of them. all of
them, caring little, and thinking less
Of the awfulness of their sin and the
outcome of their shame. Good men
who are wise in everything but their
conceptions of their need of Christ.
Pure men who will come to Jesus
if so be some one will only put them
to the test. Leaders in the church
who profess the Christ, but who mis-.
represent Him. A weary, heavy
laden host and we can lift
the crushing weight of sin. Look at
them and consider. Is 1t any wonder
now that Jesus wept? All, beloved,
we ought to weep-weep like Jesus
because men are dying right before
our eyes, within reach Of our hands;
weep-weep unlike Jesus because we
are unworthy servants of our Mas
ter, because we are recreant to our
duty and our trust.
My friends, men who sin are
doomed to death except Christ enters
in the life and saves. To each of us
the question of our God comes clear
and strong to-day as it came to Isaiah
the prophet in the year that King
Uzziah died, "Whom shall ! send and
who will go for u.s." viii you refuse
the Father or will you say with
Isaiah, Here am I, send me-"