Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1915-08-05

family. Various schemes and vari-
Gus ways have been tried to disprove
this but the grave continues to receive
its due. However strong and however
great, n universal end awaits us for
I'VE must needs die"
2. A universal condition-"we are as
the water split on the ground which
cannot be gathered up" We were
innocent when we were born, but
alas, how quickly the innocence was
destroyed. We were helpless to re-
tain 1t. A few days in the forgotten
time of our early childhood and then
1t was as water spilled out. The fresh
innocence of the morning quickly
died away and we became In deed
what we are In nature, sinners. We
could not avoid the spilling out as
water and we were helpless to gather
1t up again. Once lost 1t was lost
for good and try as we might to for
get and try as we might to turn over
the new leaf and begin again, each at
tempt just tended to show US the
helplessness of all effort. All have
become guilty, and all are helpless to
get rid of that guilt. We are as water
split which cannot be gathered up
again.
3. A universal standing-"neither
doth God respect any person"
God judges all alike in respect Of
sin. One may be great in this world
and another may be unheard Of, but
before God they stand on the same
platform as sinners. One might be
learned and another ignorant but 1t
Is In respect to sin that they come
before the Lord. One may be a good
man and tell the Lord about his fast
ing and his praying without any rec
ignition of his sinfulness, and he has
less favor with God than the poor
publican who merely stands and
pleads for mercy. They are both sim
ners there, for there is no respect Of
persons with him. This would make
the Ease Of sinners to be hopeless
were 1t not for the fact that that
which is impossible to man is posi-
BILE to God.
4. A universal opportunity-"He
doth devise means that his banished
be not expelled from him" When
man sinned and automatically put
himself away from God, the God he
had sinned against Immediately set
about devising means to have man
brought back to him. God commend
ed his love towards us in that while
we were yet sinners Christ died for
u.s." 1t was God who began the work
Of redemption, not man. The first
movement was from Gods side. He
it was who provided the precious
blood Of the Lamb Of God, the only
e for putting away sin, for
is no remission" as the Bible declares
from cover to cover. Not only must
the sin be put away, but the sinner
must be cleansed, and here again we
remember the word that "the blood
of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us
from all sin" The justice and the
holiness of God are upheld and vim
dictated by the blood and a way made
open for the sinner, the banished one,
to be brought back to God. The blood
meets every objection Of the law and
every objection of the devil and ad-
mits the one who was banished back
to the Fathers house. The Lord him
self does this that "His banished may
be with him." go so loved the world
that he gave his only begotten son,
that whatsoever believeth on him
might not perish but have everlasting
life" The redeemed sinner can now
sing of him who loved and ave him
self for me-"
God has done all he can to have the
banished one back with him and all
that remains Is for man to accept his
terms and come to him without fear.
The work is all finished and finished
in such a way that God can be just
and yet the justifier Of him that be-
lieves in Jesus. And Christ says:
Him that cometh unto me l will in
No .,,t.a' NN-N 1917,