The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1915-10-07

peace. oTeht
peace have they
which love thy
law" Thou wilt keep him In perfect
peace whose mind is stayed on thee"
This 10 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 IL disobeyins God. and he Is all the
time fearful who through fear Of
death we're all their lifetime subject to
bondage"
Besides. he is conscious OF an un-
seen force which is continually work
ing against him. The way Of the
transgressor 10 hard" we are told.
Yes. God makes II hard. In order that
the sinner may weary Of It. and turn
his feet into the path OF righteous
mesa Behold win hedge up thy
way with thorns. and win mako .
wall against thee"
As surely a. 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 II bad luck. but he suspects that
II Is something more, even the delib-
crate purpose OF God.
.. Not to be Q Christian costs the
sacrifice of the highest Joy. ] do not
say that the Christiess man will have
no Joy. He may know the Joy Of
health. and friendship. and domestic
life; he may acquire money. and pow
or. and fame. But there are nobler
joys than those which he loses. He
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 10 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 no
might live many days. and this was
Bismarck's reply: There 10 only one
happy day left for me. II IL the one
on which shall not wake up again"
3. Not to be q Christian costs the
sacrifice Of the highest success In life.
Everyone wishes to make the most of
himself. but this 10 impossible unless
he yields his life to Christ. God has
q plan for every life. and this plan
alone assures the highest success.
Does not God know what IL for the
creatures good better than the crea-
ture himself II IL folly to think that
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 yet
be q consummate failure. The true
object OF life is to know Gods will
and do II, and the Christless soul
misses that completely.
y. ANot W Dc NObtb tho
loss OF heaven. The penalty OF hav-
ing ones own way here. is to be con-
signed hereafter to a place where ev-
eryone has his own way. which Is hell.
That is what makes II hell. Heaven
is a place where no one has his own
way. but all delight to do Gods will
That is what makes II heaven. The
Christless soul has no hope OF heaven.
and even II he had, he could not en-
Joy It, Heaven would be 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 TO
part forever from all his dear ones
who have chosen Christ; his mother
who taught him to pray. his faithful
wife. his children whose little hands
have long been beckoning. to WOO him
home TO heaven. When Dwight l.
Moody died he looked up and said. us
this death? IL 80. II is glorious. Earth
is receding. heaven is opening. God
Is calling me-" Instead of this wei.
come, the Christless soul will hear the
sad words. Depart from me-"
Yes, II does cost something to be a
Christian. II may cost you the sacri.
fee OF some pleasure. some compan-
ions. some money. but not to be a
Christian will cost you the loss OF
peace. Joy. and real success. II will
cost you the loss Of your soul. II will
cost you heaven.
what shall II profit a man II he
gain the world world and lose his own
soul"