The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1916-09-08

life. but he has
now come to the light, and in his light
he shall see light. Eternal life is Gods
free gift and no man inherits 1t by
doing, but by being "born from
above"
The Lord meets the lawyer on his
own ground when he demands: What
is written in the law? how readest
thou?" And he answered.: Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart, and with I'LL thy soul, and
with all thy strength, and with all
thy mind, and thy neighbor us thy
self" And Jesus said unto him:
Thou hast answered right: this do,
and thou shalt live"
Does the gospel preacher contradict
the Lord when he speaks of eternal
life as the free gift of God for all
who will receive it? Not in the least
Ideally, there is n way of salvation
that is not of grace, for Moses said
of the law, "rhe man that doeth
these things shall live by them" But
who has ever done them? The most
God supremacy nor its neighbor as it
self. and this righteous requirement
of the law is the condemnation of all
mankind Why, then, did the Lord
answer the lawyer so? He was using
the law for the purpose for which it
was given: For by the law is the
Knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3 :20).
Purpose and Failure of Law.
That the law has had its designed
effect is revealed in his next queS-
ton: "But he willing to Justify him
self, said unto Jesus. And who is my
neighbour" No one had accused him.
Why did he seek to justify himself?
The law has done its work: in its
holy light his conscience is accusing
him. There he stands, revealed by
the law i'm the presence of the Sa-
viour, who will now tell him who
mans neighbor is. He Joys to tell it!
1t is himself. the Saviour, the only
being in the universe who loves his
neghbor as himself!
"a certain man went down from
! Jerusalem to Jericho" In the first
five words Of the parable the Lord
reveals mans downward course: man
will tell you he is going up. the Lord
says down The last four words
of the sentence completes the picture
Of human depravity-"from Jerusalem
TO Jericho" From Jerusalem, the
holy city, to Jericho, the city of the
curse, What picture. Man has
! turned away from the light and is
walking in his own shadow to destruc-
| ton.
But lost man is not without hope
Along this dangerous road many
! traveller is seized with the conviction
Of sin: "And he fell among thieves
which stripped him of his ralment,
! and wounded him. and departed, leav-
ing him half dead" What n picture
Of the helpless misery to which sin
/ has reduced every man.
"By chance there came down q GER
tain priest that way likewise
Levite" the parable continues. No
help for him from either of them,
divinely appointed ministers Of bless
! Ing though they were! Their service
has to do with the temple, and the
traveller has turned away from the
! temple. They represent the law. which
! Is good If one can keep it, but cannot
help the helpless. The priest and the
Levite are mere chance passers-by,
not heaven-sent messengers to dying
men.
Salvation Through Riches of Grace.
"But certain Samaritan. as he
! journeyed :" He was Journey
ing: out. Of the fathers bosom came
| he who alone can help us.
came where he was, and when he
saw him he had compassion, and
went to him, and bound up his
wounds, pouring in oil and wine. and
set him on his own beast, and brought
him TO an inn, and took care Of him"
It is truism that "the Jews have
no dealings with the Samaritans." but
this Samaritan will have gracious
dealing with this jew. "When we
were enemies we were recOncied to
God by the death of his SON" A help
less enemy, yet had he compassion
| and met all my desperate need with
| out question or condition. Observe
the manner Of his dealings: pouring
in oil and winel" His grace is meas
ureless, and all he does for the sim
ner Is after this pattern.
The narrative closes with the COM
| mand: 600, and 90 thou likewise I"
Your ministry to men of misery: moth
with the mere relief OF misery: moth
ing meets his mind short of bringing
men into the new creation.