The Penn's Grove record., 1916-05-26
GODS GREAT GIFT
Offer of Eternal Life Was the
Message the Savior Bore
to a Sinful World.

SKln for SKID, all that a man hath
will he give for his life" The miser
lives only in his gold; yet surely, if
1t should come to such a pass, he
would let his gold 60. II We could
know all the secret history of the
people among whom we dwell, or
even in our own narrow circle, we
should find some burdened to the last
extremity Of endurance; and yet
what a small percentage Of these it is
that are driven to suicide, and even
of these, how many lose their reason
first! Is not our own life, and that
of those we love, the most precious
thing we have? If it is ever in danger
we do not think of cost. Would we
not sell all that we have to buy life?
One would think, then, that the
offer of eternal life would be one with
which the world would close with the
utmost earnestness, and be only too
glad to obtain it at any cost; that
such things as persuasion, appeal, en-
treaty. argument, need have no place
here! Surely the herald of such
tidings will be everywhere welcome.
Is it so? Is not the fact in most
melancholy contrast to this pleasing
picture? To the young and gay, is
not the preachers voice for the most
part an unpleasant one? To the man
of business, is it not too often an I'M
meaning voice, heard but not per-
ceived, Is one hears the ticking of the
clock while IN reads an absorbing
tale? Do not men embrace every ex-
cuse for not going to hear it that
their conscience will tolerate? This
is strange If you think about 1t.
Eternal Life Is for All.
Lay hold on eternal life" Eternal
life must be to be had, then. 1 won
der how many of US have ever seri-
ously thought of it! "Of course it is"
All, that "of counsel" There's a
mine of diamonds to be had if you
will sell what you have and buy the
next field" The world does not
meekly say, "Of course" and plod
on its accustomed way, in such a case.
No! It opens eyes,, and ears, and
brain, and heart, and says, in an eager
tone, What! Do you mean it? Is it
true?" and on receiving the necessary
proof instantly begins to cast about
for the means of SO enriching itself.
But when one says, in the midst of
dying, sorrowing men, Eternal life
is to be had" all the reply their spirit
gives us is "Of course" Think of it
now. 81 may live forever and ever!
NAV oonnvrlr HaaAL -
through 1t as a victor; bow down at
its thrust, only to rise up again and
laugh at its impotence; may bare my
breast to its dart, only to bound up
to life again. and shout joyously, o
death, where is thy sting? o grave,
where is thy victory?'"
may not only possess life a second
time, but such a life as shall make
this seventy years Of song and sun
shine, signs and shade, a mere cpl
sode, which by comparison with the
surroundings of the new life shall be
but as darkness. / may spurn this
hindering, cramping, lettering body Of
sin and death away from me, and in
some finer, more ethereal shape rise
beyond, upward, to a realm of purer,
stronger life, to find all things re-
vealed in new and frightened SPLEEN
dor; to find life, and love, and work,
and worship grander and diviner
things; to look back upon pain as we
now look back on some troublous
dream Of the night that is passed
away; upon all life's tears, as we
think in our manhood of the sorrows
Of u childhood and youth; upon all
the struggles and strifes and woes Of
these fleeing years as we look, from
the ripe competency of our manhood,
upon the apprenticeship through
which we passed to what we are now.
If this life of seventy years be the
process by which we develop into and
up to the divine, then it Is undeniably
beautiful; otherwise, human life is
the darkest Of problems.
Divine Message.
This, then, is the message of that
Savior who came to earth ito bring
life and immortality to light"-to teach
men how they might begin now to
live the life everlasting, and who set
up his kingdom in the hearts of men.
But you are not to wait for the pos
session of eternal life to happen to
you: you are to begin to possess;
the action must be yours, your
thought, your choice, your resolved
All, my brother, he who would lay
hold on eternal life must have empty
hands; must empty them himself; ay,
for the time being, of anything he may
hold. You must be willing to give up
every kind of pleasure that you shall
find incompatible with eternal life;
eternal life must be the chief thing
with you If o are to possess it; and
you must prove 1t by putting that
cup away-earnestly way.
When we thus meet the conditions