The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1915-06-25

#&&&&8#$###?l Primitive Method
~ odist chapel where
gray-haired serv-
ant of God was about to preach,
choosing for his text the passage
we have before us. Mr.. Sturgeon says
that this was the time and this the
text from which he dated his con-
version Some ten years afterwards
he had the pleasure of standing in
this Methodist chapel and preaching
from the same text, the words Of
which tell us two things concerning
Gods way of salvation.
A Simple Way.
I. The simplicity of the way-"Look
unto me and be saved" The way of
salvation has been made SO simple
that the wayfaring man though fool
need not err therein. Could anything
be simpler than just to look away
from one object to another? From
the time when man first was lost from
God it has been a simple thing to be
saved. Think of Gods treatment of
Adam after the fall. He did not de-
mand that Adam do some great thing
to save himself, but, coming down, he
made for the man a coat in which
he might appear before him. 1t did
not require much reasoning power to
wear a coat already provided. When
the prodigal son returned to the ia
Their, the father ordered the best robe
to be brought and placed upon him,
and soon the boy was clothed and fit
to go into the fathers house again.
1t required no great understanding to
allow the robe to be placed upon him.
The word is that ito as many as re-
ceived him (Jesus), to them gave he
power to become the sons of Cod"
Think Of Noah being invited into the
ark. 1t was not difficult thing for
him to step across the threshold and
be saved, but it was that step that
settled his destiny. Today the Lord
says 81 am the door, by me if any man
enter in, he shall be saved" How
easy a matter to cross the threshold
and be safe!
Difficulties to Be Overcome.
II. The difficulty of the way-"Look
at me-" Put the emphasis on the
word "me." The great difficulty in
being saved is to really look away
from everything else to him alone. The
people to whom Isaiah was writing
were looking to their idols, and he
was attempting to draw their trust
away from them to God, in whom
alone salvation could be found. The
same trouble exists today because OF
idols in the land. There are two great
idols in America today to which many
of the people are looking for saliva
ton. One Of them might be termed
the good mans idol and one the bad
mans idol. The one the good man
trusts in is sincerity, and 1t has many
devotees 1t says il man follows
his conscience and does what he
thinks he ought to do that he will be
saved of a certainty. The apostle
Paul worshiped the same idol. be-
cause he says, 81 verify thought within
myself that / ought to do many things
contrary to the way" What Paul
thought he ought to do he attempted
to do. He was sincere man, willing
to go to any expense to do what he
thought he should do. But after he
was saved and had been taught the
truth, he says that while he was doing
the things he thought he should, he
was a blasphemer and prosecutor. 1t
is not always true that when man
follows his conscience he is doing
what God would have him do.
Reformation Inadequate.
The other great IDOL the bad mans.
might be called reformation. This
says that the man is to turn over
new leaf and begin again, to put away
the things which are known to be
wrong, to quit this or that evil thing
and to change his way of living gen.
orally. 1t would be a good thing If
some men would change their way OF
life, but merely changing the outside
would never secure salvation from
God We do what we do because we
are what we are. This is why Nlco-
demus must be turned from his relig-
ious ceremonies, and Nathaniel from
his prayers, although all these are
good things in their place. Some years
ago the U. S. S. Oregon went aground
on the coast of China near the port
of Shanghai and comparatively near
Canton. 1t was discovered that dry
dock would be necessary to make the
needed repairs, and neither of these
ports had such. 1t became essential
for the salvation of the vessel that she
be taken to Nagasaki, in Japan. She
could be cleaned or coaled, and even
victualed in the nearer ports, but all
would be valueless unless the boat
could be placed in dry dock. The
damage must be repaired If the ship
was to be saved. So with the sinner;
morality and rectitude of character,
prayers and Bible reading are all good.
but valueless without salvation, and
that can only be had in the Lord Jesus
Christ The difficult thing is to turn
from everything else and put ones
whole trust in him.