Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1913-08-07
LIGHT; LOVE; PEACE
All Blessings Offered to Those
Who Win Open Their Hearts
10 Christ.


the heart he promises to satisfy.
In true conversion Christ enters
the soul This is the very essence
and touchstone of conversion. With
him comes light; with him comes
love; with him comes peace. The
radical change OF heart in conversion
is just as truly a supernatural work
as was the resurrection of Lazarus
from the cave in Bethany. Christ
then, enters the soul, not as trans
lent visitor, but as an abiding guest
While he abides there he gives peren-
NAL life and beauty, and strength to
the believer. Because live, we shall
live also" yet not ~ said the hap
by, hale-hearted apostle, but Christ
that liveth in me-" And that was the
reason why Paul remained Christian
Ca Christs-man) long after the first
excitement of the scene at Damascus
had passed away. A well was opened
in Paul's heart that day, and its deep.
cool, living waters never ran dry.
Ruled by Love Of Christ.
Men could always predict how Paul
would act in any emergency. because
the principle that ruled him was al
why's the same. "The love Of Christ
Christ" The only reason why any
good man continues to be a good man
Is that the wellspring in his soul
never runs dry. Reckless, slave-hunt-
ing John Newton ceases to scoff, and
begins to, pray. Twenty years later
John Newton is still praying, still
preaching. still overlooking In bene-
ficence among the haunts of busy
London; and solely because the Lord
Jesus dwelt in him, a source of holy
affections. and an inspirer Of noble
and cody actions. On Sunday he
went to preach to rich bankers and
titled ladies. On d weekday evening
no would sit on threelegged stool,
in his blue sailor jacket, and open
up his rich experiences and wise
counsels to the poorest who came to
visit him. Il was wild beast on the
coast of Africa once" he used to say;
but the Lord Jesus caught me and
see me as they would go to look at
the lions in the tower" What people
came to see and to hear and to love
in the sturdy sailor preacher was the
Christ who dwelt within John New
ton.
Here is the secret of Christian per-
severance, that a true Christian holds
out for no other reason than that
Christ holds out. The Fountain-head
OF all holy affection, and all generous
deeds, and all heroic, self-denying en-
durances, lis down deep in the mans
heart; because Christ lives, he lives
also. You can no more exhaust the
can pump the Thames dry at London
bridge. What transcendent idea
that Is in Paul's prayer for his bre-
thren: "That We might be filed with
all the fullness of God" When, there
fore, we meet with man or woman
who almost never disappoints us, who
is always Astounding In the work of
the Lord, who serves God on every
day as well as the Sunday, who is
more anxious to be right than to be
rich, and who can ask Gods blessing
on the bitterest cup, when we meet
such a one we know that down in the
clefts OF the soul is Christ. the well
spring."
Spirit Made Manifest.
In thousand ways will the inward
fountain of Christian principle make
itself visible. We see it In the mer-
chant who gives Christ the key Of his
safe, and never soils it with ill-gotten
gains. We see it in the statesman
who cares more to win Gods smile on
his conscience than reelection to
Office We recognize 1t In the min
lister who is more greedy for souls
than for salary. We see it in the
young man who would rather endure
comrades laughter than his Savior's
frown; in the maiden who obeys
Christ sooner than fashion. / some
times detect this wellspring of cheer
full piety in the patient mother, whose
daily walk with God Is fount OF holy
influence amid her household. ! know
of poor mems dwellings in which
grows a plant of contentment that is
an exotic rarely found in marble man.
sions. Its leaves are green and glossy;
II is fed from the Well
In dying chambers we have often
heard this spiritual fountain playing
and its mnrmur was as musical as the
tinkle OF a brook in the leafy month
of June"
Perfect love had cast out fear
Peace reigned. Joys sparkled In the
sunlight of Gods countenance. There
was a well there which death could
not dry-the well Of water springing
up into everlasting life. REV. Theo-
dore /. Cuyler
LOVING and Scrvinu