The Alaska citizen., 1916-01-03
Sermon to the People
THE RESULTS OF OBEDIENCE. (
BY THE REV. C. c. BRUCE

THE RESULTS OF OBEDIENCE.
 And being made perfect, he be came the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" Heb. 5.g
 The subjec, of obedience is one that is not very popular when f comes to the subject of eternal life. Most people will obey the laws of business and reap the rewards for so doing. but when it comes to God they don't seem to like the word nor the idea But it often happens that the medicine We do not like is just the medicine that We ought to take Talk about the subject of love and heaven, and one can always the speaker take up the subject of obedience he soon finds that people do not like his style" nor his words either. A slave was preaching with great power in the days before the civil war, and his master learned of his influence among his people. One day he visited the old darkey and asked him to prepare sermon Cn the ten commandments, with especial emphasis on the one re garding stealing, as none of the chicken roosts on the plantation had been safe for some time. The coun- tenanse of the old man fell. for he knew the subject was rather deli cate one among his followers There are great many people who are delighted when you talk about the yins Ct the patriarchs, and the sins oi tne fathers" but when it comes [ menioning anything about their UEu shortcomings they are at once out of harmony with the situation
 God tells tfat without faith it is impC sible to please Him. and we learn the same thing about obedi ence, that it is impossible to please God without being obedient to Him. And being made perfect, he be- came the author of eternal salvation urto all them that obey Him" You see the eternal life is unto all them that obey Him; not unto all that feel HIm. talk to Him. that say Lord, Lord" but that obey Him,
 Just a glance at the things in the world will convince anyone that all but the heart obeys God In the beginning of history We find this Is true. God said, Let there be light" and there was light Let the wa ters bring forth" and the waters brought forth abundantly Whenever he spoke to nature the response was ever an immediate obedience. He spoke to the sea and the sea obeyed Him. He spoke to the fig tree, and there was an immediate re- Sponse. He spoke to the devils, and they trembled, and when He com manded them to depart they fled at once. He spoke to the dead and trey came forth to life. and the grave gave up that which it could not hold in His presence But when he speaks to man, man will not obey Him; that Is why man is cut of harmony with God, and it can never be different until man will listen to the gracious words that are ever proceeding out of His mouth. God wants obedience from nature and He must have, and He gets 1t. He also must have it from man before there can be harmony between God and man.
 It is not a matter of picking out the things We like to do but it is doing the things He chooses for us to perform that makes men happy in this life. You have noticed that Adam lost everything by dis obedience, and the second Adam gained everything by obedience. For as by one mans disobedience, many were made sinners, so by the obedi- ence of one, many shall be made righteous"
 The Bible is a true record of the lives of men, giving their short comings as well as their virtues. Saul, the king of Israel, thought he could please the Lord by bringing home part of the animals for sacrifice, but sacrifice without obedi- ence is an abomination to God. If Adam and Eve had obeyed God there would have been no need of sacrifices, but they were confident along with God was to do as they pleased. Men want to bring Him a sacrifice and think He will be pleased with their service. Here is a boy who delights in trout fish ing. His father has sent him on an important errand and faithful obedience is imperative. But he knows his father likes trout, and instead of going about the mission upon which he was sent, he goes to the stream and obtains a fine catch for the days work. He presents these to his father and relates the sacri- flee among the mosquitoes to obtain him just what he knows he wants. It is left to your imagination what that boy receives for his disobedi- anca Tho cacrifjcas Of the wick ed