The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1912-05-23

- MMG&.M@ erlnS latin, n
sometimes to give
us a greater confidence in himself.
This first question occurs in the
first great tragedy Of the human race.
It began with the DEVILS insinuating
question arousing doubt in the mind OF
Eve were concerned, with their ex-
pulsion from tho Garden of Eden.
1. Environment is not proof
against temptation. The story of
Eden is the unfailing and satisfactory
answer to that theory. Sometimes the
greatest sinners have the least ex-
GUS for their misdeeds. Thank God
we have a Gospel, and a Savior, and a
grace which can make the foulest
clean. and which Is equally effective
in the case of the most cultured and
refined.
2. Eve was doomed as soon as she
began to discuss the matter with the
serpent. Had she said "Get thee be-
hind me, Satan," what misery would
have been saved the human race.
3. Self-deceit is an early step
toward ruin. When Eve was trying
to convince herself that her sin was
pleasant, she opened the door to a
troop of evil thoughts, and made sins
progress easy.
4. One sinner helps to make an
other. 1t is bad enough, and sad
enough, that our sins entail suffering
and misery on ourselves, but how
much sadder is it that in going down
we take others with us.
Adam and Eve had to choose, and
they made a wrong choice. God pity
them, and pity us, for wrong choice is
sin. The greatest lesson of the
tragedy is that sin always defeats the
purposes of the soul. 'There is q
way which seemeth right unto a man,
but the end thereof are the ways of
DEATH"
Results of Sin.
1. Shame and fear. "And the man
and his wife hid themselves from the
presence of Cod" It is always so with
the sinner, and there are two reasons
for thfs-God's holiness and mans sin
fulness. No, hiding will not cover sin
o end 1t, and continuance in sin
ultimately brings a harvest of shame
and fear. Though o may hide be-
hind false hopes, though you offer a
thousand xcu for your transgres-
sion, though you boast of your self
righteousness, though you blame your
environment for your sin, God hunts
you out and says where art thou?"
Are you ashamed of your sinful con-
dition, and are you afraid Of God!
There is only one end to the misuse Of
Eden and that is:
q. Separation and isolation. This
Is sins worst effect. 1t sent the
prodigal into the far country, and cast
him off from his fathers house. Final
ly sin separates us from the holy, and
isolates from heaven. "For know We
not that the unrighteous shall not in
herit the kingdom Of God, be not de-
ceived: neither fornicators, nor idola-
tors, nor adulterers, nor effeminate,
nor abusers Of themselves with men,
nor thieves, o %covetuous, nor trick
sters, nor revilers, nor extortionists
shall inherit the kingdom Of God"
These two things make hell. For we
can think Of no worse condition than
the conscious shame and fear, and the
eternal separation and isolation of the
soul. A converted miner was asked,
where is hell?" He said, "At the end
of a Christless life" But that whole
life has all these characteristics.
Oh to have no hope in Jesus
How dark this world must be.
The best part Of the story is left
until the last. The question really
shows US Gods heart. He is not q
policeman hunting us out that he may
punish us. but a loving father, sad
without us and loving us with an aver
lasting love. He Is seeking us by his
mercies, by the wooing of the spirit
by the ministry of the Gospel, by the
p%rovidences which surround our lives
by a thousand things which tell us o.
God, and heaven, and eternity. Who
a tell all that is meant by God as
seeker, going after the erring one ant
saying. where are thou?" The sin
ner is the lost sheep.
"But none of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed,
Nor how dark was the night that tn,
Lord passed through
Ere He found His sheep that was lost"
But there is q ray Of hope in til.
story-the promise OF q Redeemer: 81
will put enmity between thee and tn
woman, and between thy seed and he
seed; he shall bruise thy head. an
thou shalt bruise his heel"