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

BS&H3I are clean through
| S the word which l
80 have spoken unto
you" 1t is a 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 '.undetiled" 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 undefled 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
u.s.. 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 affection. The word
orphans" is the same that Jesus used
when he said: II 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. In their affection" shows the
condition of the needy ones. The
word "aftliction" 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 its burdens, can
be found. pure religion and unde-
filed" will lead me to put myself in
helpful contact with them. Simply
sending 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, 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 a very sweet
sense "the Lord is our keeper" We
commit ourselves to him, feeling as
sured that The 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
keeping him fgep, harm. So we need
the cautious spirit.
The word "unspotted" is very sug.
gestive; 1t means not despatched,
Keep myself in such relation to the
world as not to be spattered by 1t,
We can thus be in the world and not
of it, and SO deport ourselves toward
1t that the purity of our religion
shall not be spattered by its pollu.
ton. l 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 I'm.
defiled 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. Ny sermons on that sub.
ject 1 have laid aside. Be careful as
to how you walk before God and then
you may be careless about your walk
before the world. If we walk az
we should before God, we are certain
to walk right before the world. After
all; God 8 opinion Is what we need
here and hereafter, and his .swell
done" & : foretaste Of heaven.
New Rest Cure. I /
Yes, I'm taking the rest cure, q
suE1ox,, u,a(S <hrne.