Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1912-07-11
Page -Four
Continued from maze |

C0Dtluued from page
lieve", as they say, when they have new
er reached believing ground. We know
that salvation is by repentance and faith,
but many try to believe before they re-
pent and straighten up their ungodly
lives.
Those who really find Christ must have
godly sorrow for sin--a peuitent heart;
must Ioathe, and turn with all their heart
against, the ways OF sin, giving up and
forsaking all, that they might have sal
walton. Sncb repentance and contrition
of heart is what the Bible demands, bnt
it seems that so manv fail to comprehend
it, A repentance like this means some.
thing, and is not reached every time il
the day.
One can be great deal concerned
about his soul, iusomuch that he may 81
CRYING out to God for help, and vet have
not reached the place to believe. When
a soul has once really drunk the bitter
cup Of repentance to the dregs, it ie, as
a rule, not hard for him to believe ard
often he needs no urging to take hold Of
the promises Of God; for the weary soul,
penitent, helpless, undone and lost, real.
izing that his only hope is Jesas, inst
naturally grasps the promises of God as
drowning man would grasp tor something
to keep him from sinking.
1t takes some people days and nights
Of PRAYER and even fasting, to dig to the
Rock; but, thank God, when they do
they receive an experience worth more
than ten thousand professions without
salvation. Salvation is the same as it
ever was and is received in the same
good old wag, although some have tried
to make an easier way, by enforcing an
early "believe" on the penitent. Sad to
say, this has been done by ministers who
were able in preaching the Word Could
they have visited some OF their work a
few weeks later, | am sure they wonld
have seen the mistake.
Oh, how much wisdom and discern
ment we need in laborng with those
seeking God We should tarry before
God for words and understanding LEST in
our feeble strength We make serious mis-
takes and get souls into far worse con-
dition than they were.
Often we have seen sinners come to the
altar, really concerned After a fe W
questions and instructions, they we're
persuaded to believe So they claimed
salvation, bat had no change Of heart In
a short time such persons usually came
to the altar for saneifcation They were
questioned in regard to their conservation
and again urged to believe So they
went forth claiming both justification and
sanctifcation, when, in the sight OF God,
they were only deceived sinners.
These are sad things to admit, but
there are numbers OF just such cases
among the saints, which cripple the
work and bring reprosch upon the cause
of Christ Such persons. trying to live
salvation but having no change of heart,
no more able to live above sin than they
were before, soon give up in discourage
ment and are in far worse state that be-
fore.
Salvation is real work in the heart,
wrought through the blood Of Christ
and unless we reach this we are yet in
sin and darkness.
Sometime ago had the privilege of att
tending meeting, and later of seeing tt g
result. Twenty five claimed salvation,
but l have all reason TO believe that only
one, or possibly two, Of the entire num-
Der got real experience. Later. when
another effort was made to preach the
whole truth there, doors were closed and
scarcely anyone would come out.
Many other mistakes could be men
toned where people have claimed an ex-
perience and have laid off their super
nuity of dress, but as soon as the meeting
had closed and the preacher had gone,
they donned their worldly array and
went on as before. Just such work IS
this disgusts the people OF the world and
puts such stumbling-blocks into their
way that in some places they can hardly
be gotten to listen to the preaching