The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-06-11

Many OF the current excuses are far
less plausible than those of the men
who would first say goodby to the
friends and bury the father Back of
every life to-day that is not Christian.
that is not living for righteousness.
there Is a reason, perhaps an excuse.
certainly that stands in the way of
following Jesus, which cross-examina-
tion would reveal. 1t may be indif-
ference. Indifference to the moral
and spiritual claims OF Jesus Christ
upon the life Is not commendable. II
may be some pet sin hidden away
from the knowledge OF the world
within the secret places of heart and
life. To offer the love OF pet sin
as the reason for not following the
Master Is a sad confession OF weak
ness. We recall the words, "lf thy
right hand offend thee cut II on and
cast It from thee"
The excuse may be that men think
themselves not good enough. But the
purpose Of Christianity is TO make
men good not to take them after
they are good 1t may he cowardly
fear of criticism stands in the way.
But the true man does not fear criti-
cism when doing the right.
GO thou and publish abroad the
Kingdom Of Cod was the message to
the young man who excused himself.
r. tells the nature OF the service.
That service Is essentially and pri-
marily personal. The first require
ment Is. "Follow Me. That means
to believe in Jesus as personal Saw
iour from sin. II means to live the
PRINCIPLES o. the Christ life in our
daily life.
Whatever hinders the tangible ex-
preston OF that Gospel we profess
must be cast out. Is there secret
sin? It must go. Is there a trick in
business that does not square with
honesty? IL must go. Is there a net
jealousy or envy that does not weigh
well in the scales of love? 1t must
go. Is there even a desire in the
heart that is not pure and true? It
must go. The outward appearance
judges not the man, but the motives
and desires of the heart. they are the
Judge. Time was when a man was
deemed good II he committed no
overt act OF wrong. It mattered little
what he thought. or what the lusts Of
the heart might be, so long as he did
no wrong. But the searching truth Of
Jesus reversed these values. Not an
eye for an eve. and a tooth for a
tooth, but render thou good for evil
If thy right eve offend thee, pluck It
out and cast II from thee; for It is
profitable for thee that one OF thy
members should perish. and not that
thy whole body should be cast into
he'll. Nor is this strenuous ideal
10 gst 81, ~,
actions OF the life conform to the laws
of morality and righteousness. Listen
to the words OF Jesus in which He
states the great ideal: "Ye have
heard how it was said by them OF old
thou shalt not kill; but | say unto
YOU that whosoever is angry with his
brother without a cause shall be in
danger of the Judgment: Ye have
heard that it was said by them of old
thou shalt not commit adultery. But
say that whosoever desireth thus tc
sin hath already done the sin in mis-
heart" 1t Is the noblest ideal that
has ever been given to man. II de.
mands the publication of the motives
and desires of the heart as well as the
actions of the life; for from the heart
proceedeth all sin. 1t strikes at the
very centre of wrongdoing. Thus is
service to Christ made first of all a
matter to the heart. The heart must
be right. Then, 1t becomes matter
of the life. The life will be righteous
If the heart is right Follow Me, said
Jesus. Get the heart and life in har.
mony with noble ideals Then, Go
thou and preach the Kingdom OF
God"
Thus o1sus transfers the nature of
service from tn" rrow limits of the
personal into the great worldwide
field of the social. The ultimate OBJ
ject becomes not ones own individual
salvation. but the Kingdom OF God.
which is also the brotherhood of man.
Jesus did not say to the young man.
Let the dead bury their dead, but go
thou and save thine own soul. But
Ee did say, Go thou and save others
into life, publish the message of love.
In that work for others in the name
)f God, he would save himself There
IS no other way. He who seeketh TO
save his life shall lose it; but he who
sacrifices his life for My sake, the
90 le shall save it, The which is to
sF a man cannot save his own soul
without seeking to save the life of a
brother at the same time; a man can
not be a Christian and care nothing
for the redemption of the world into
The Christ-like life Of lignt and love.