Evening journal., 1916-02-07

think you are all right. It is very
certain that you are about all wrong.
The nearer you approach Christ and
the more Of His grace and love YOU
have in your heart the more you Will
be conspicuous OF your own short
comings and unworthiness. The bet
ter you are. the more readily VIII
you. in humility, confess your sinful
ness.
In the next place. that one is not
far from the kingdom OF God who has
real love for the things that are
good and true and godly. / have Of
ten been greatly gratifed at the close
Of a service when many come forward
expressing their purpose to begin a
Christian life by asking 'all Of you
who are glad to see so many COM
/ ing out for God will lift your hands"
( And many who are not yet Christians
/ themselves often have been among
the first to signify their pleasure in
seeing others taking this step VIII
you just now apply this test to your
own life? When you have seen SO
many men and women walking down
these aisles. night after night. and
declaring their purpose to begin the
Christian life. have you been grati-
fed by the sight, or. on the other
hand. has there been a secret annoy
ance and displeasure? In your heart
OF hearts. have you said TO yourself,
Il wish there would not be so many
coming out for Christ" Have you
been pleased or dspleased by these
great victories for the Lord? More
over. do YOU enjoy the fellowship OF
Gods people? DO YOU take delight in
hearing the Word OF God preached
and the gospel sung2 Is there In your
heart a real love for the things that
are true and pure and good2 or, on
the other hand do you take more en-
, ioyment I'm the evil and impure and
, the ungodly? Answer these ques-
, tions for yourself. believe there arc
. many here tonight that. although yor
. can not say as yet that you are Chris
! tians. you do not have the conscious
y ness that you are saved. and yet yo'
n take sincere pleasure in seeing tn
, cause OF Christ built up You enio
u the fellowship OF Christian people an
N enjoy hearing the gospel preached q
m sung. II you come under this elias
,e TO you Christ Is saying, as He sal
~ 20 that scribe. centuries ago. "Tho
al are not far from the kingdom {
e. Cod
Now we are led TO face a solem
e truth. Nearness 20 the kingdom q
r. God Is not sufficient A man may b
,r within a block OF the station when tn
s train pulls out. or at the wharf whe
Al the ship weighs anchor. and puts on
A. to sea. and he will get left just al
N much as II he were a hundred mile
away Supposing a man were a can
N didate for office. and at the election
Ie got within one vote OF the successfu
le nominee. he would be defeated jus
s. as much as il he got no votes at all
M Surprising a man were out west t
r one OF the United States land Office
4 when the drawing was TO take plac
n for government lands. When he r'
re- turns home you ask him; "Did yo
p get a piece OF land? We're you sue
a cessful in the drawing?" Almost
IN he SAYS. "the fortunate number wa
m five thousand eight hundred and nin'
ty-eight and my number was nv
O. thousand eight hundred and ninetl
in seven" You say to him. We'll, th'
xe did not do you any good. You migl
II- just as we'll have had no number 1
Ie ALL" The fact that you are near
IN the kingdom OF God, unless you hay
We crossed the threshold and entered in
I'd TO the kingdom, leaves you outsio
is the gate just as much as If you weI
a. far. far away.
a In the next place, nearness TO N
ar kingdom OF God is apt to produce
re your mind a feeling self-suticienc
We The very fact that you have lived
a good life, that you are honest NJ
ss right and moral. that you have
ne your heart a love for the things thi
on Continued on Page Six.