The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-12-01
G OR \ GIFT"

II a All
dcavor. etc.-For December &.
Twelve Great Nerse-N1I. The
Life Ncrse."-Rom. 6:23.
(By William T. Ellis.)
Certain terse passages from the
Book which has given more epigrams
to civilization than any other are in
the memory of every cultivated per
son. These golden texts of truth
have been eXpounded a myriad times
in exhaustive sermons, and yet they
do not grow threadbare or barren.
One of h most pregnant of them is
the assigned topic for this week
For the wages of sin is death; but
the free gift of God is eternal life
in Christ Jesus u Lord"
One great contrast between Chris
tianity and all other faiths is re
vealed by the topic verse. Chris
tianity offers life and salvation as a
free gift, other religions set them
forth as something to be earned.
Acquire merit is the Oriental
phrase. Pilgrimases. pen
anCes and formal aims are all en-
Joined by the non Christian Crceds.
Men have to work their way to es-
cape from the burden of existence.
In the philosophy of Hinduism and
incarnation through thousands of
years. Different beyond words is the
Christian teaching. Salvation is not
a goal to be struggled toward; not
something to be agoniZed for through
a SUGGESTIONS of lifetimeS, but o free
gift through the sacrifice of Gods
Son, Jesus Christ.
AT the devils booth are all things
sold.
Each ounce Of dross costs its ounce
of gold;
For a cap and bells our lives we
Bubbles we buy with a whole souls
tasking:
'Tis Heaven alone that is given
way,
It's only God may be had for the
asking"
The beauty Of Christianity is not
that it gives men what they deserve
but that it gives them more thar
they deserve. They receive not wha1
they arm but more than they ever
could earn. Only by the lavishness
Of the love Of God may we hope fol
the otherwise unattainable boon o,
life in two worlds.
While WI all rejoice in the new
) social and brotherly spirit of oul
times, and the new social objective.
} in legislation and reform and reli
giOus work. we cannot be blind to {
/ great danger which lies athWart thi
path. 1t is nothing less than tn.
tendency to regard lightly OF to ig
more entirely the fact Of sin. We ar
building programs for the gradua
elevation or sudden transformation
Of life into goodness and happiness
without giving heed to that grin
| reality which we have come to nam
sin. So long as sin abideS, sorrow
and suffering and u%nsoCial deeds viii
remain. We cannot set the worl'
S right until we provide for the hair
ing or overthrow of sin If men an
women are free to go on sinnin
\ every social of helpful
ness will be nullified. Instead @
new and beautiful life, we sinai
have death and desoiation. The lay
runs inevitably: The a Of 81
is DEATH" Our day needs few thing
: more than it needs a deep sense G
sin, and longing for sinlessness.
Times without number it has bee
( said hat Christianity is not a les
son in subtraction, but in addition
a Il am come that We may have If
and that We may have it more abur
e dainty Christ takes away from
/; life nothing worth keeping and ado
i; to it everything worth having. Lik
n Solomon to the Queen Of Sheba
S adds gifts "of his royal bounty"
Two families. close friends. wer
e discussing their life plan. Said on
y "We/have been laying by so that {
l. the age Of fifty We may quite wor
1t and enjoy ourselves. We hope
travel and rest and do all the thins
# we have desired" The other ma