Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1915-08-12

which love thy
law" Thou wilt keep him in perfect
peace whose mind is stayed on thee
This is the portion Of the Christian.
he has peace with God, and the peace
of God, and the God of peace besides.
The Christless soul knows nothing of
this. for there is no peace, saith my
he is disobeying God. and he is all the
! time fearful. Who through fear OF
| death were all their lifetime subject to
bondage"
Besides, he is conscious OF an un-
seen force which is continually work
ing against him. The way of the
~transgressor is hard" we are told.
Yes, God makes it hard. in order that
the sinner may weary Of it. and turn
his feet into the path of righteous
ness. Behold l will hedge up thy
way with thorns. and l will make a
wall against thee"
As surely as all things work to-
gether for good TO them hat love God.
so surely does God work against the
sinner. The same love which prompts
him to send blessings to the righteous,
leads him to send hindrances and
warnings to the sinner. The sinner
calls it bad luck, but he suspects that
1t is something more, even the DELHI
crate purpose of God.
A father once said to his son who
was determined to obtain more liquor,
My son. If you go out of this house
tonight. you will have to go over the
dead body of your father" Even so
the sinner who is lost has TO fight his
way down TO hell resisted at every
step by his heavenly father and finally
to trample under foot the son OF God.
2. Not TO be a Christian costs the
sacrifice Of the highest joy. | do not
say that the Christless nan will have
no joy. He may know the Joy of
health. and friendship. and domestic
life; he may acquire money, and pow
er, and fame. But there are nobler
Joys than those which he loses. He
cannot know the Joy Of sin forgiven
or the comfort and companionship OF
the Holy Spirit, or the Joy of becom.
ing like Jesus Christ.
It. is Gods purpose that all his chill
dren shall be joyful-full Of. joy
These things have ! spoken unto you
that my JOY may be in you. and that
your Joy may be full" How different
the feeling of the Cfristless soul. A
visitor who was calling on the great
DE = rnt axnraEcaI tho hnna thof hQ
might live many days, and this was
Bismarck's reply: There is only one
happy day left for me. 1t is the one
On which ] shall not wake up again"
3. Not to be a Christian costs the
sacrifice of the highest success in life.
Everyone wishes to make the most Of
himself, but this is impossible unless
he yields his life to Christ. God has
a plan for every life, and this plan
alone assures the highest success
Does not God know what is for the
creatures good better than the e
Iture himself? 1t Is folly to think that
one can live in Gods world and
achieve success. and yet disobey the
laws of God.
Remember that money and popular
'ity and power do not constitute sue
cess. One may have all these and yet
be a consummate failure. The true
object OF life is TO know Gods will
and do It, and the Christless soul
misses that completely.
4. Not to be a Christian costs the
loss Of heaven. The penalty of hav.
ing ones own way here. Is to be con.
signed hereafter to a place where ev-
eryone has his own way. which is hell.
That Is what makes it hell. Heaven
ia a place where no M has his "
way, but all delight to do Gods will.
That is what makes it heaven. The
Christless soul has no hope of heaven,
and even il he had, he could not en-
joy 1t. Heaven would be hell to one
who is not heavenly minded, to one
who does not love Jesus. and who does
love sin.
The Christless soul must prepare to
part forever from all his dear ones
who have chosen Christ; his mother
who taught him to pray. his faithful
wife, his children whose little hands
have long been reckoning. to WOO him
home to heaven. When Dwight l..
Moody died he looked up and said, rs
this death? II 30, il is glorious. Earth
is r~eceding. heaven is opening. God
is calling me" Instead Of this wei
come. the Christless soul will heal the
sad words, Depart from me"
Yes. it does cost something to be 4
Christian. 1t may cost you the sacr:-
flee Of some pleasure, some compan.
ions. some money, but not TO be Il
Christian will cost you the loss Of
peace, Joy. and real success. It Win
cost you the loss Of your soul. It S1l
cost you heaven.