The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1915-08-05

which love thy
law" "Thou wilt keep him In perfec,
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
God, to the wicked" He knows that
he is disobeying God, and he is all the
time fearful. -"Who through fear Of
death were all their lifetime subject 10
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 will hedge up thy
way with thorns, and will make
wall against thee"
AS surely as all things work TO
gether for good to them that 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 1t bad luck, but he suspects that
1t is something more, even the delb
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 hls
way down to hell resisted at every
step by his heavenly father and finally
/ 70 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 man 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 nober
Joys than those which he loses. lie
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.
II 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 Christless soul! A
visitor who was calling on the great
Bismarck expressed the hope that be
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 crea'
ture himself? 1t is folly to think thai
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 ye.
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 nav
ing ones own way here. is to be con
signed hereafter to place where ev'
eryone has his own way. which is hell
That is what makes 1t hell. Heaven
Is place where no one has his own
way, but all delight to do Gods Will
That is what makes 1t heaven. Inc
Christless soul has no hope of heaven
and even If he had, he could not en-
Joy it. Heaven would te 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 |"
part forever from all his dear ones
who have chosen Christ; his mother
who taught him to pray, his faithlu'
wife, his children whose little hanus
have long been beckoning. to WOO nlm
bone to heaven. When Dwight u
Moody died he looked up and said n
this death? If so, 1t is glorious. Earln
is receding heaven is opening. uoa
is calling me-" Instead of this wer
come, the Christless soul will hear tn0
sad words, Depart from me-"
Yes. 1t does cost something to DC =
Christian. 1t may cost you the sac'r
fee of some pleasure. some compan'
ions. some money, but not to DC 7
Christian will cost you the loss y, y,
peace, Joy, Lnd real success. II w,m ~
cost you the loss of your soul. II wiz