The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1915-04-02

touS Importance to us. AS another
says, IL one needs to know the num-
Der Of the saved in this dispensation
he has only to look around him and
compare the ways of man. with the
word of God. He will soon come to
the conclusion, If he Is an honest man,
that the saved are few. It is an aw-
full conclusion, and our souls natu-
rally turn away from it, but Scripture
as well as fact shut us up to it. Sal
walton is offered to all, but few are
willing to- comply with It's terms.
The Need Of Effort.
Our Lord answers the question in
an indirect way by solemn exhorta-
tion to this duty, Strive to enter in
at the straight gate" Whatever 9TH
ers may think about 1t, he would have
us feel the need for exertioIi. This
need is not because salvati'.n is so
difficult in itself, for 1t is written that
whatsoever shall call upon the name
of the Lord shall be saved (Romans
1913. But the striving IS necessi-
tated ~ by the power Of tae counter
acting influences Of the world, whose
gate is "wide," as we see from Mat
thew 7:13 and (2) because of the
subtlety of false teachers, as we see
In the same Scripture; and finally
(3), because of the urgency of the
times, inasmuch as the day is COM
ing, and perhaps sooner than we ex-
pect, when "The Master of the house"
shall "sbut the door"
The seIf.Deceived Ones.
Our Lord enforces his exhortation
by describing that day, adding: For
many, ! say unto you, will seek to en-
ter in and shall not be able" The
long-suffering of God towards men
will some day have an end. It will be
the day when our Lord shall come
again, and we know not how soon it
may be. The throne of grace will be
removed then and the throne of judy
ment set up in its place. 1t is awful
to think that men who are now re-
jecting the blood of the Lamb will
then be exposed to the wrath of the
Lamb.
But the most astounding part of 1t
is that SO many in that day will find
themselves to have been self-deceived
In this place In Luke, and in the
parallel place in Matthews Gospel,
Christ calls attention to four kinds of
self-deception. He speaks Of those
who have been his guests, SO to speak.
eating and drinking in his presence;
he speaks Of those who have listened
to his teachings; Of those who have
taught his word, and Of those who
have wrought his signs. None of these
on that account merely have any claim
upon his blessing in the life to come.
What need there is for solemn self
examination here.
The Meaning Of the Gate.
OF course when our Lord speaks Of
the gate" he really means himself,
and he said at another time. Il am the
door; by me If any man enter in, he
shall be saved and shall go in and
out and find pasture. John 1897"
We enter in by believing on the Lord
Jesus Christ as our Savior and con-
Tossing him as our Lord. Have you
yet definitely done this? II SC, why
not do it now as you think upon these
words? The distinguishing mark that
we are saved, that we are his disci-
pies, and that eternal glory is before
us, is the fruit that we bear. Christ
makes this very plain, in this same
discourse, but blessed be his name.
when we receive him as our Savior
he gives us his Holy Spirit so that we
are enabled to bring forth this fruit,
indeed he himself produces it in US.
Who would not trust himself to such
a friend? Let me urge you to do it
as the first and most important of all
things for your well-being in time and
eternity. I know there are other
things, other allurements, holding you
back, but what are they in compar-
ison with this?
There was a shipwreck on the Pa
ciic one or two winters ago, when
a certain vessel went to pieces, on
which there was passenger who had
with him bag containing $1,000 in
gold Survivors said that he fran
tically offered that bag of gold to any
one who would place him on shore
but his gold lay on the broken deck.
kicked under foot, no one stopping to
pick it up. How this impresses us
with the Importance of salvation and
eternal life above all things which this
world can offer, and the importance
of our striving to "enter in at the
straight gate" while the opportunity
offers.