The Southern herald., 1915-05-14
MESSAGE For ALL
That Today Is the Day Of Sal
walton Is the Teaching
Of the Gospel.


Thousands Of persons have done
mature thinking about the place and
value Of religion IN their lives. They
have calmly and with full knowledge
Of themselves and their circumstances
taken stock Of life in terms of re.
ligion and have made vows for re-
form. They have decided to renounce
the old man, to use the apostles
phrase. and his ways and to put on
the new man. They have come to
the conclusion that godliness is prof
table unto all things, having prom
ise Of the life that now is as well as
the life that is to come. Yet they
are waiting for some extraordinary
Indictment or inducement to pay their
vows to the Lord. Like Naaman OF
old they are expecting some spec
tacular work Of reform in their lives.
For such persons to postpone their
duty toward God until there comes
some prophet Of the people who has
peculiar powers of arousement would
be most unfortunate No man knows
what a day may bring forth and
there is no moment more opportune
than the present for the fulfillment Of
matured VOWS for Better living
One Spirit Prevails.
The churches that follow the plan
Of conserving spiritual forces through
the agencies of regulated church ordi-
nances are ever ready for the re-
ception Of those who maturely and
under proper instruction Lecome can
didates for membership within the
church. There are differences Of ad.
ministration, but the one spirit. Some
lay the emphasis upon evangelical en-
terprise; others lay the emphasis
upon instruction and confirmation Of
the young and the instruction and re-
ception Of the mature. These
churches are as capable Of extending
the instructions Of religion as any
other. They revere ordinances and
some Of them sacraments, and they
believe and preach that in these are
found the avenues Of grace.
All Christians believe in common
that the only recommendation to Cod
is a pure heart, and life that seeks,
however feebly, to conform to the
standards of the Founder Of the
Christian faith. So that those per
sons who have maturely reflected
upon the facts of time and eternity
and have come to the decision to turn
their hearts toward God, have the
wide-open doors Of opportunity to
enter, either by the churches that
thrive by evangelization or those that
grow by confirmation. It must not
be forgotten in times when so many
thousands are rejoicing in the wave
of evangelistic fervor that is spread
ing over the country that the
churches as such are doing the regu-
lated and simple work of proffering
the grace Of God to the hearts Of
men, and that they are not dependent
upon any particular agency for so do
ing.
Now the Day Of Salvation.
The gift Of God is eternal life and
today is the day of salvation. II is
not to be believed that the interest
excited in one remarkable agency for
the spreading Of the message of re-
pentance is looked upon by any Of
the churches as justifying delay upon
fha mort oP opxy {pdix,id,,nI q, ....a.a-..
good his VOWS to God and entering
the way Of his commandments. Day
In and day out, the faithful ministers
Of the living Word are carrying the
gospel of God to the homes and hearts
Of the people. Week in and week out
the ministers are proclaiming the liv-
ing word with or without elaborate
ritual and sacramental impressive.
ness. These faithful and earnest
men Of God are keeping the way Of
salvation open to those who would en-
ter. Many of them are truly evangeI-
lists in their power to persuade. But
of them little is heard outside their
parishes or the communities.
So, while the thrill Of the throng
is upon the Imagination Of the masses
of the communities where great
evangelistic enterprises are being con-
Quoted or are projected, let it not be
forgotten that the living present, the
hour that now is, is the time to full.
fill vows to God. The future is Who'll
ly in his hands. Today, if ye hear
my voice, harden not your hearts, IL
the message Of all the churches