Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-09-14
SIGNS THAT REVEAL
The HEARTS OF MEN
Synopsis Of Morning Sermon, September
IS, 1914, at Jason Lee Memorial
Church, by J. H. Irvine, Pastor

sign unto them; and they shall know
that / am the Lord.
The Man Of God AS a sign.
Things get mixed and confusing, be-
times in this old world Right and
wront, truth and error get to wearing
the same garb. The eloven foot is con
eealed By the robes of 'an angel OF
light. The cause Of truta being
fame and frofit.
And 'tis prosperous to be just
And the multitude make virtle
OF the faith they once denied.
But God is not deceived, md lie
seeks TO undeceive men ere it is too
late. So ever and arr0n He sets mp a
sign, and touchstone, and criterion, and
revealer Of hearts in the presence or
which men advertize their true inward.
ness by their attitude for Jr against
God "sign." "
Zone TO every man and nation comes
the moment to decide.
In the strife of Truth with Falschood
for -.ie good or evil side.
Some great cause, Gods new Messian,
offering each the bloom or blight,
Parts the goats upon the left hand, and
the sheep upon the right,
And the choice goes by forever twixt
that darkness and that light.
Ezekiel was God s chosen sig" to
his time and place. 81 have set thee
for sign unto the house of Israel, and
thou shalt be a sign unto them. And
consciously or unconsciously, the men
Of that hour Judged themselves and
advertised their true character in Cod
sight by their attitude for or against
Ibis man of God, and mouthpiece of the
almighty TO the church and world in
That confused generation.
And in the judgment Of the great
day, the actors Of that age will find
their place among the sheep or goats,
As they took their stand for or against
God 8 sign and tOuchstone in the midst
Of Israel of that day.
The Son Of God as a Sign,
Luke 2:34-35-This child is set for a
aign that the thoughts of many
hearts may be revealed.
Jesus of Nazareth was Gods sign, and
tpuchstone and revealer Of hearts among
men in his time. The times were be.
Willering. The Viarisees were Beau
tIful Without The priests and seribes
'lmade clean the outside" of the human
''dish and platter Annas was more
ptoper than Andrew, the Jews more re-
ligious than the Johns, and Caiphas
more cultured than the Christ. Aud
Cpd sets His "signh amid this motley
mixture, and men voluntarily choose or
refuse, and hasten to take their place
according to their true nature and in
whrdness among the sheep, or with the
goats.
And at last when ''the books are
opened, all the men of that hour viii
tind themselves classified exactly as
they aligned themselves for or against
God : sign snd revealer of hearts, and
"Faithful Witness of their day and
generation
But men and signs come and go, and
ihP times change and new confusions
arise. Even the Dear Name ceases to
moan anything as indicating the true
character Of men. Many that mouth
il are viler than many pagans who
meyer heard il. Professors prove moth. (
ing, church membership is no sure
"sgn."
" For Humanity sweeps onward: where
today the martyr stands,
On the morrow crouehes Judas with the
silver in his hands,
Far in the front the cross stands ready
and the cracking fagots burn,
While the hooting mob of yesterday in
silent awe return
To CLEAN up the scattered ashes into
Historv's golden urn
Gods Day as Sign.
lEx, 3l:l3-V Verify my Sabbath We
she'll keep; for il is u sign between me
and You.
Ex. 3l;l7.-lt is sign between ma
aud the children of Israel forever.
Itze. l5;l2.20.-I gave them my Sab
bath 10 be a sign between me and them,
And hallow my sabbath; and they shall
be sign between me and you, that ye
may know that am the Lord your
God.
Men may come and men NAV 90, and
signs may pale, but this most ancient
institution, 1.-The sabbath Of the lord
our God !, goes ON as a sign forever :
II Is God $ sign, and tOuehstone, aud
revealer Of the hearts Of men ia the
midst Of us, in our time, as truly as
was Ezekiel in his generation, or the
Natarene in his ministry among the
sons OF men.
Fy this sign and perpetual coven.
ant God is;
Sitting out the hearts OF reu
Before His judgment Seat
Whether men 'Remenlhcr the Sab
bath TO keep Il Holy or whether they
secalarize Good 5 day and sign, aud
profane Il into holiday, is their sure
Advertisement Of their true inwaF,lnesS
and the revealer OF their hearts as God
sees them and the final Judgment will
reveal them.
Nothing in history has Wrought ~
swift destruction upon men as the sin
Of sacrilege Of making common what
I God has set apart as holy, AS for in
stance, the fire from heaven that con-
suuIed Nadah aud Abihn for this sin;
or the earth that opened and swallowo,
mp korah aud his company; or tbs
leposy with which USxiah the great
3 king was smitten for making commof
Whit God had hallowed.
lifevctcnee y an all.tootommor
American sin. But in nothing 10 W,
adv igtise II 50 braEcnly as ~ secularix
hihr the sacred sabbath and turning tn,
hoh day Into a holiday.
AID nothing ean avert swift destrue
+ tiOnl III we do not fcnent and cease thi.