Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-12-03

God has exhausted himself making a
home for US. Suppose heaven wasn't
beautiful but merely a place where
one could live always. Wouldn't il
pay to give our souls to God on his
promise Of eternal life?
1t is hard to tell the value of a soul.
God tells us it is worth more than
the whole world. He means any soul
You can see what our souls arc worth
to him when you know that he gave
his most precious possession, his only
| Son. to save each Of us. We haven't
but one soul. II our horse dies, oui
house burns down or other property 6
lost we can restore 1t: but II our soul
is lost we can't get another.
Who can think Of what eternity
means? 1t Is forever. These bodily
appetites Of ours that are carrying us
down TO ruin won't last forever Many
men and women think only Of appe-
tites. our animal instincts. They are
only temporary pleasures and yet
they will cause us to lose our souls
which live forever.
1t is dangerous to experiment in
this thing Of salvation, said the evan
gelist. You can experiment with crops.
modes Of dress, ETC.. but to experiment
with our souls is foolish. A great
many people are lost and don't know 1t,
many others are lost and think they
are not.
How do we lose our souls? BY neg
lecting those souls. The people of
Yorkville are a good people morally;
but there are doubtless many unsaved
here, continued Mr.. Black. There are
many Of you who, though you may not
be drunkards. or robbers or perpetra-
tors Of other such offenses, and there
fore think you are above reproach,
are lost because you are neglecting
your duty to your fellow man. to your
church and to your God:
A soul may be lost by remaining
under condemnation which Is a condi-
tional judgment. We can be pardon
ed from the sin by which we are con-
demned from birth only through the
acceptance Of Jesus Christ. He Is
willing to pardon. anxious to do so.
Yet we are unwilling to accept that
pardon and therefore unwilling to
save our souls which is greater than
the world.
In Illustration Of the unwillingness
Of men and women to receive saliva
tior Mr.. Black said: Suppose a man
who was to be hung, would trample a
pardon from the governor received at
the last moment, beneath his feet.
What would you think Of that man?
And yet that Is a poor Illustration Of
what We are doing. 1t cost the life
Of Jesus Christ to give us a pardon
and yet many continually refuse to
receive It."
We can lose our souls by being
ashamed Of Jesus, the evangelist told
his hearers. Some Of us say we be-
lieve In him and yet we refuse to con-
fess him publicly. The man or woman
who Is ashamed to confess him Is as
truly lost as IL they had committed
murder.
None Of you men and women are
going to hell for the things you will
get in the next world. but In this-a
bottle Of liquor. lust. card playing,
fine clothes and other sinful pleasures.
You are blindfolded by the devil.
Just before a criminal Is executed. sad
the speaker, a black cap Is placed over
his head, and he Is blindfolded. Then
the sheriff springs the trap and the
criminal swings into eternity. Il
wonder how many Of us are blindfold-
ed by the devil and are waiting for
the sheriff"
II we don't accept him. concluded
the speaker, God will pour out his
wrath without mixture. On the last
day all will be resurrected. Those who
have not accepted will be resurrected
and cast into hell. God says hell is
the lake that burneth forever. God
put man named Mr.. Dives in hell
fire. II 1t Is not fire and birthstone, II
Is something worse. II we lose our
souls we have lost heaven and earth
and Jesus and are gone down. down,
down. There is no profit In the loss
Of the soul.
To Be a Christian.
1--WE can't be apostles of Jesus
Christ" said DR.. Black Wednesday
morning, because the only apostles
are those who have seen him." But
we can be Christians and saints by
believing on him. Disciples were first
called Christians at Antioch. In the
eleventh chapter Of the book of Acts
there are a number Of word pictures
Of a Christian. A true follower Of
Christ is like soldier, an athlete. a
husbandman, a servant and vessel.
He Is like a soldier In that he Is called
to fight the world, the flesh and the
devil and return a victory for the
Lord.
The first steps in becoming a soldier
Is enlisting and enrolling. The first
step in becoming a soldier Of Christ
Is to enroll your name in some church
and then begin service. II don't see
how any one can be Christian and
not a member Of a church." said DR..
Black. 'I do not say there are peo-
pie who are not church members who
won't go to heaven; but on the other
hand I won't say there are people
who are not connected with church
who will go to heaven.
characteristics Of a soldier are
bravery and endurance, the minister
related. Cowardice cannot be in a
good soldier. Many of us are not good
Christian soldiers. We are afraid to
acknowledge the Master in public,
afraid to take the front seats at SER
vice, afraid to lead in his work, afraid
to ask a blessing Of him when we sit
down to meals, afraid to pray in pub
lie and to go to church. We are not
willing to. endure much, but we want