The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1915-01-26

meets with people inquiring for the
Bread Of Life. These seem to know
that there is something radically wrong
with the preaching Of the nominal
churches. They tell that they are i'm
portuned for money; but that when
they ask for soul-food they meet with
evasion and subterfuge from many of
the great and learned, who appear to
have lost sight of the Bible and heart
conversion.
Or, on the other hand, they are met
by the Salvation Army, with traditions
as indigestible as a stone, to anybody
of ordinary intelligence. They are told
with all seriousness that God created
our race, with knowledge and intention
that nearly all of them would spend
eternity in torture. They are told that
to be saved from that awful fate they
should become SaIvationists, and storm
the slums for Jesus. Their experiences
remind one Of Jesus words respecting
a father who, asked for bread, would
give his son a stone; who, asked for
fish, would give him a serpent.
The Pastor hoped that some of these
hungry souls were present in his au
dience. He proposed to give them no
esuman theories or speculations-nor
would he compromise the Truth nor
dodge the question. He would endeay-
or to make the way to God so plain
that a wayfaring man need not err
therein; and he would do this by pre-
senting Gods arrangement and quot
ing Gods own Word.
Where Eternal Torture Error Leads.
No doubt those who invented the
theory of eternal torture thought that
they were taking the proper steps to
drive the whole human family to God.
But, on the contrary. it seems to drive
away from God and the Bible the most
intelligent people Of every land, who
have naturally a more reasonable and
just conception of the Creator than the
n presented in the church creeds.
Instinctively they are repealed with
the thought that the Creator would
pursue a course which would be be-
meath the most degraded.
Undoubtedly the Bible is true in de-
claring such fallacies doctrines of de-
MONS q Timothy 4:1.) From this
Bible viewpoint we can see that it was
a master stroke on the part Of Satan
and his subordinates to misrepresent
the teachings of the Bible, SO as to re
pei those who might be feeling after
God and desiring to draw near &c
Him.-Acts 1927.
Truth-tsIling Provokes the Clergy.
To tell the truth to the people. even
on SO simple a subject, mean the an
gering of the clergy: Why, do you
ask? Because it proves them to be
in the wrong, and proves that they
have not been feeding the people with
the Bread of Heaven. Instead Of
building up the House of God, the
Church. they have been building meet
MISUNDERSTANDING for numbers and
popularity rather than to instruct the
people in Gods Word. Remarkably
few church members of any denomina-
ton know what they believe. They
give evidence that, If Christians at all,
they are the merest babes in Christ.
None is able to judge another's heart.
but all should be able to Judge of each
others lives-fruits. by their fruits
ye shall know Them" said the Master.
Matthew 7:20.
If the majority of Christians have
the fruits of the Holy Spirit, they keep
them hidden; and surely many Of them
manifest the fruits Of the Evil Spirit
anger, malice, hatred, envy, strife, bit
terness, SANDER" etc.-which the Apos-
ties style works Of the flesh and Of the
DeviL-Ephesians 4:31; Galatians 5:19-
81; ] John 3:8.
We would not be misunderstood; we
are not complaining that there are not
nice people connected with all the
churches. On the contrary, we com
! pliment them on their education, their
refinement. their wealth, their infiu-
ence. Moreover, we compliment them
on their humanitarian sympathies, as
other benevolences. But all these
things are shared evenly by people
I who are not members of churches. AZ
] participation in good works is by no
means a proof that n is a Christian.
A Christian Is a person who has come
into a very special relationship to God
through Christ; and this relationship
exists not in respect to education.
wealth. color or sex.
, With the popularizing of Christianity
came such a modification of teachings
as invited all decent worldly people
into the Church. and made them think
that they were consecrated saints of
God and heirs Of the blessings prom
ised in the Scriptures. BY inference.
rather than by direct statement, the
theory has zone forth that the penalty
for sin will be visited only upon those
who neglect to say, God forgive me-
a few moments before they die. Not
the creeds, every funeral discourse
lands the dead in Heaven. so far as
the auditors can understand. A misin-
depreciation of the Savior's words to
the dying thief is made the basis for
this absurdity.
Let me say, then, with all kindness
toward those who are deceiving them
selves and others. that the vast majori-
ty Of church members and of preachers
are not Christians at all, according to
the Bible standards. This does not
mean that the Bible condemns them
to eternal torment. Thank God. mol
1t does mean, however, that these self
deceived ones will have neither part
nor lot in the wonderful blessing pro-
vided for Gods elect Church. 1t
means, further, that Gods Church is
separate from all human institutions:
and that only sanity persons, regard
less Of UNCONVENTIONAL lines, are mem
bers of the true Church, "whose names
are written in Heaven
Surrender Self-Sacrifice to God.
According to the Bible, no human be-
ing is fit for Divine fellowship or eter-
nal life. The reason is given that all
are sinners. The explanation of the
sin is that it was committed by Father
Adam when he was perfect, in Gods
image: and that, cut off from God, the
race deteriorated. passing imperfee-
lions Of mind, morals and body from
parent to child. psalm 51:5l. I'M
perfect beings would be quite out Of
place amongst the perfect; and SO long
as i~mperfection continues. sin win con-
tnue. and with it, necessarily, sorrow.
pain and death, sins consequences.
God declares His sympathy for the
sinner. and that He has made provision
for mans recovery from his present