Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-10-24
"7hou Art Not Far from the
Kingdom" is "BiLly's" Topic

ana fell on bis face before Jesus, and
was saved.
Then they went home and ralded the
hen roopt and had one glorious feast.
When I saw him again he said:
We'll BILL I'm on the road to heaven.
My wife starved mo into IT,"
He was thinking seriously. He was
moved by reverent inquiry.
Some say: "If you want to lead me 20
God convince my reason"
! have all respect for the doubling man
who is in earnest. But the man with a
modicum Of sense and q big lot Of self
conceit. who questions when he doesn't
know any more what he Is talking about
| than a dog knows about astronomy or
than tom cat on the backyard fence
knows about the oratorio Of The Mes
siah." I've no respect for him. He's
! mutt.
Lawyers Are sceptical.
! This young man belonged to a profess
sion. No man is more exposed to assaults
! OF infidelity and Ia more prone TO scepti-
cism than a lawyer. lie lives In an at
mosphere OF argument. He IL moved by
no emotion Of faith.
! And yet the legal profession has fur
nished some OF the brightest lights that
have blazed for God
| don't know a man who Is farther from
the kingdom Of God than the man who
does not think seriously.
Talmage was educated TO be a lawyer,
and 30 was John a. Finney trained for
| the law-Finney. whose preaching is re-
sponsible for the religious condition Of
Central and Western New York to this
day.
once when he preached the chief Jus
tice Of the New York supreme court of
appeals was in the gallery; and as Fin
ney preached the chief Justice said;
III were sitting in that case, I'd have
to decide for him.
Finney preached on, and the chief JUS
tlce said to himself:
III he came before me with a case like
that I'd take It from the Jury and find
for his side"
up and picked up his coat and hat and
walked down from the gallery and went
TO the platform.
He said: 'Mr. Finney. II you care To
interrupt your sermon and give the invi-
tatlon. I'll lead the way
Ffnney stopped right there and said:
my friends. the chief justice of the
supreme court of appeals will lead the
way TO Christ. How many OF you will
:, conner"
In twelve months over 10000 men had
come into the Kingdom, among them
nearly every barrister IN New York.
lie attached more TO the spirit than he
did to the letter of the law.
lie was willing to live up to the light
no had.
Christ and High Church People.
49, IL waAf
ligion to an ethical code. II Jesus Christ
were on earth today. and II He would
delgn-I don't know that He would stop
to do it--but II lie would deign to notice
high church people He would say: Thou
art not far from the Kingdom OF God"
No honest man or woman Is left in the
dark. Some skeptcs are argumentative-
They are religious pugilists. Their hands
are against every man.
. stop fighting against every man. StoI
fighting aainst God--you are fooli
o Thou art not far from the Kingdom
4 OF God" Hang your hopes on the cross
4 where your mother hung her hopes. and
I where thousands have done here Ia
Omaha
} Morality Didn't save Him.
: This young man was amiable and ht
was moral, OF sound principle. He was
, a gentleman from head to his feet. but
! that wouldn't save him He was an up
/ right man, but that would not save him.
Some OF the best of men are In the
legal profession. And some OF the men
, in that profession are the most precious
most nnendacious, two-by-four four
, flushers on earth.
But his good qualities were not enough
TO save him. They brought him near
but they did not bring him in and they
can't get you In.
II doesn't make any difference whether
you are moral or whether you are not;
so long as you are out Of the Kingdom
you are lost.
This young man was not a oze-hoister
He didn't go down the line so fast you
couldn't see him for fog. He didn't knock
/, the collar off glass OF suds and put Il
under his. belt and try to drink the bunch
under the table. He was a good man.
, II morality would have saved him. Jesus
Christ would have said SO. I'll never
save you.
I'll venture that no man or woman look
ing into my face Is living according to a
higher standard OF morals than thai
young man. but that didn't save him and
that won't save you.
Understand me; think his morality
and hts gentility were in his favor. Jesu.
|. said that the publican and the harlot
would pre-, ede tho moral man into heaven
What He meant was. that II isn't so harS
to convince q publican or a harlot that
he or she needs Jesus Christ.
II isn't hard to convice a drunkard OF
a down-and-outer that he's all wrong and
needs to get right: but Il is hard TO con
. vince a moral. virtuous, respectable and
refined man that he needs to be borr
again.
In the days OF Jesus the hardest peopl,
TO win from sin were the respectable,
and refined The same Is true today
The last people to come into the King
dom OF God are the refined. respsctabl,
and virtuous men and women.
Your morality is to be admired. IL q
the best thing outside OF religion, but 4
Isn't religion and It isn't enough. You
must confess Jesus Christ.
Gods Law the Compass.
. You may say TO me, isn't that q small
thing to keep me out of heavenS"
I've never had the audacity TO sit In
judgment on the DEGREES OF God. The
only law OF salvation know Is His law
You wouldn't think OF getting on a shiF