The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-12-17

the word which
-. s1.M.s-zzsl have spoken unto,
YOU" 1t is religion washed in the,
blood of Christ; our whole religious
natures purified by taking Christ into
it and making him king Of it. The
word 'undefiled" refers to the out
ward quality. 1t means primarily I'M
stained, unvarnished. That which is
washed white needs not to be white
washed. A religion pure inside is GER
tain to be undefiled outside.
This religion, pure and undefiled,"
| is presented to us in two aspects:
First. as helpful contact with the
needy; secondly, as guarded separa-
ton from the world
| To visit means more than to drop in
| for call and talk about the weather.
1t means more than going from house
to house as pastor and checking off
the names which you have visited. 1t
| is the word used where the apostles
are commanded to look out seven men
of good report. We are not to sit
down and wait for people to come
| to us to be helped and saved but we
must look them out. And it carries
with it the idea of ministry. "The
dayspring from on high hath visited
US The "dayspring" there certainly
refers to Christ, SO that just as Christ
visited the world and ministered to it,
SO are we to visit the orphans and
widows in their afIliction. The word
orphans" is the same that Jesus used
when he said: 81 will not leave you
comfortless" (orphans).
The word orphan" without father
or mother, represents an orphaned
world. There are needs of the soul
deeper than the needs of the body,
and people may have plenty of
wealth while they are orphaned from
God. I'm their affection" shows the
condition of the needy ones. The
word "aft1iction" means primarily pres.
sure. Pressed above strength and
beyond measure" said Paul-the
same word. Wherever a man, wom-
an or child, under the pressure of
life, crushed beneath it's burdens, can
| be found, 'pure religion and unde-
filed" will lead me to put myself in
helpful contact with them. Simply
sending a check does not suffice, nor
standing above and touching with kid
gloves in patronizing way, for kid
gloves are non-conductors." AS Jesus
placed himself, a man among men,
comforting. Strengthening, helping, so
pure religion" would lead us to be
| among our fellows as real helper
| to them under the burdens of life.
The word keep" has in it the idea
of guarding 1t is the word used when
we are told that the soldiers guard
ed Jesus: They sat down and watched
him there" Protection is the idea.
Now, if we have fulfilled the first con-
dition of the text we need not be care.
full about the second. The man who
is all the time in helpful contact with
the needy. striving to do good, seek
Ing to save souls, is sure to keep him
self ''unspotted from the world" This
activity is his safety. In very sweet
sense 1.-The Lord is our keeper" We
commit ourselves to him, feeling as
sured that "he will keep that which
we have committed unto him against
that day." But there is another sense
In which we are to keep ourselves:
Keep myself pure" whatsoever is
born of God keepeth himself" Faith
is not presumption. The Lord Jesus
would not cast himself from the pin
nacle CT the temple in order that the
Father might display his power in
| 1yoo I'm,
the cautious spirit.
The word 'unspotted" is very sup.
gestive, it means not despatched.
Keep myself in such relation to the
world as not to be spattered by it.
We can thus be in the world and not
of it, and SO deport ourselves toward
It that the purity of our religion
shall not be spattered by its pollu-
ton. have known men who were
| good Christians, but in business and
social relations had become spattered.
They went into business determined
to be honest. but the atmosphere in
which they moved. the maxims Of men
with whom they came in contact SO
influenced them that their very hon
esty was spattered by the dishonesty
of others. Oh. how many good men
have had their characters spattered
by doubtful actions. by some mistake
they have made, by not being thor
oughly and at all times true to their
convictions!
This kind of religion, pure and un.
detiled and unspattered by the world.
stands the test of Gods inspection.
Pure religion and undefiled before
God and the Father" used to urge
men to be careful as to their walk
before men. My sermons on that sub
| ject have laid aside. Be careful as
4 to how you walk before God and then
ISyou may be careless about your walk
before the world. If we walk as
we should before God. we are certain
to walk right before the world. After
all. Gods opinion is wnat we need
here and hereafter, and his well
done" Is 2 foretaste OF heaven.