The Penn's Grove record., 1915-04-23
MESSAGE FOR ALL
That Today Is the Day Of SAL
walton Is the Teaching
of the Gospel.

mature thinking about the place ana
value of religion in their liver. They
have calmly and with fun knowledge
of themselves and their circumstances
taken stock of life in terms of re-
ligion and have made vows for re.
form. They have decided to ~renounce
the old man, to use the apostles
phrase, and his ways and to put on
the new man. They have come to
the conclusion that goodness is prof
liable unto all things, having prom
Use of the life that now is as well as
the life that is to come. Yet they
are waiting for some extraordinary
Indictment Or inducement to pay their
vows to the Lord. Like Naaman of
old they are expecting some spec
tacular work of reform in their lives.
For such persons to postpone their
duty toward God until there comes
some prophet of the people who has
peculiar powers of amusement would
be most unfortunate. No mar knows
what a day may bring forth and
there is no moment more opportune
than the present for the fulfllment of
matured vows for better living.
One Spirit Prevails.
The churches that follow the plan
of conserving spiritual forces through
the agencies of regulated church ordi-
nances are ever ready for the re
ception of those who maturely and
under proper instruction become can
didates for membership within the
church. There are differences of adj
ministration, but the one spirit. Some
lay the emphasis upon evangelical en-
terprise; others lay the emphasis
upon instruction and confirmation OF
the young and the instruction and re.
ception of the mature. These
churches are as capable of extending
the instructions of religion as any
other. They revere ordinances and
some of them sacraments, and they
believe and preach that in these are
found the n of grace.
All Christians believe in common
that the only recommendation to God
is a. pure heart, and a life that seeks,
however feebly, to conform to the
standards of the Founder of the
Christian faith. So that those per.
sons who have maturely reflected
upon the facts of time and eternity
and have come to the decision to turn
their hearts toward God, have the
wide-open doors of opportunity to
enter, either by the churches that
thrive by evangelization or those that
grow by confirmation. 1t must not
be forgotten in times when so many
thousands are rejoicing in the wave
of evangelistic fervor that is spread.
ing over the country that the
churches as such are doing the regu.
lated and simple work of proffering
the grace of God to the hearts OF
men, and that they are not dependent
upon any particular agency for so do
ing.
Now the Day of Salvation.
The gift of God is eternal life and
today is the day of salvation. 1t is
not to be believed that the interest
excited in one remarkable agency for
the spreading of the message of re.
pentance is looked upon by any OF
the churches as justifying delay upon
the part of any individual in making
good his vows to God and entering
the way of his commandments. Day
in and day out, the faithful ministers
of the living Word are carrying the
gospel of God to the homes and hearts
of the people. Week in and week out
the ministers are proclaiming the liv
ing word with or without elaborate
ritual and sacramental impressive
ness. These faithful and earnest
men of God are keeping the way OF
salvation open to those who would en-
ter. Many Of them are truly evangel
lists in their power to persuade. But
of them little is heard outside their
parishes or the communities.
So, while the thrill of the throne
Is upon the imagination of the masses
of the communities where great
evangelistic enterprises are being con.
Quoted or are projected, let it not be
forgotten that the living present, the
hour that now is, is the time to full
fill VOWS to God. The future is Who'll
ly in his hands. Today, if We hear
my voice, harden not FOUR hearts, is
the message of all the churches.