Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-10-08
FIRST STEP IN BRIDGE OF SALVATION
MUST BE HEART-LOVE FOR LORD GOD

subject on which Rev. Mr.. Sunday
this afternoon spoke at the taber-
nacle. "The bedrock upon which
every pin in our bridge OF salvation
rests is Jesus Christ, in you tht
hope of glory" Mr.. Sunday said
and continued THE first step in the
bridge of salvation must be heart
love for God" Continuing he said
It is not possible to make the way
to heaven any broader than it Is
through suffering, for then hell
would Immediately apply as suf-
ferer. You cannot make the way
to heaven any broader by good
deeds and works and philanthropy
/ and culture, for il you could, hell
| would join you. If you could make
the way to heaven any broader by
good behavior, the devil would start
for glory this afternoon.
! You see what he did in the Gar
den of Eden, how he lied and de-
ceived Adam and Eve. They
thought he was trustworthy, and
! they were fools enough The
world has become a graveyard be-
cause Of it. Everything that damns
humanity and wrecks character
+ comes from the devil, because Adam
and Eve were fools. You are just
as big fools today as Adam and
Eve were, so I am not denouncing
them wholly.
/ There are always people who are
striving to reach heaven on their
Z own merits. / think the worst
( slaves in existence are those that
are always striving to get TO
( heaven by some superior attain
ment of their own. They are never
walking beside the still waters.
4 They are never resting in green
pastures, and they are never trust
| ing in the atoning merits Of the
| blood of Jesus Christ for their sal
walton. Hence they are always
worried and troubled for fear they
are not doing quite enough. And
so you will find them busy instead
of trusting in Jesus Christ.
You never can get to heaven II
you do the way the devil tells you
to do. You have got to work, and
then you are a fool in the end. l
wish people would stop doing what
they thing will save them and have
sense enough to do what God tells
them will save them
The bedrock upon which every
Din in our bridge Of salvation rests
is Jesus Christ, in you, the hope OF
glory. Salvation by faith in Christ,
not by work. Nobody has ever got
ten it that way. Don't be fool
enough to try 1t, then. Don't BE-
feoI enough to try in the Twentieth
century what nobody has ever been
able to do in nineteen hundred cen
turtles. Don't try to worship some
vague notion you have gotten out
of some book. That is no better
than burning incense to the devil,
because you are wOrshiping the
devil.
The first step IN the bridge of
salvation must be the heart, love
for God.
God does not begin with the
head, but He begins with the heart.
We do not know God first with our
minds. If you had to wait until
you comprehended God beore you
could be saved, nobody ever would
be saved. for nobody has ever
comprehended God. God is not an
explanation; he is a revelation.
Why, If brains alone could save
US, then we ought to stop building
churches and so to building col
leges. II brains alone could save,
why then, instead Of going to Sun
day school, go TO school; instead OF
going to a revival and to a church,
go to a university.
Brains are all right in their place.
God can use men of brains. God
used Paul, the brightest man, the
man of greatest intelligence that
has ever entered the church.
Heart, love and God, what are its
what kind of a
bargain does it make; how much
does it charge a day for serving
God? Don't you know, we are get
ting so nowadays that you won't !
do thing unless you are paid
fCr it.
Quality of Heart Love.
Talking about heart love, how !
much does it charge a day for ser
vice; how much of its pay must be
spot cash before it will ever take !
of its coat in the world; what kind |
Of a marriage settlement must be !
made upon it before it can go to the |
altar of sacrifice?
Now, heart love never gives up |
and turns back. There is no ocean |
too wide for heart love to cross,
no mountain too high for it 20
climb. 1t will drill q tunnel /
all the mountains Of OPP
position.
Some nut gets up here and
breaches about Sundays he'll.
Why, you little idiot you, I have
not any hell. You act as though
[ had made hell. Why, God made
hell I am not the author of the
plan of salvation. God is the au-
thor. And if 1 preach it, then it is
NJ to humanity. If 1 don't preach
il, God will damn me; and If 1 d.
preach 1t and you don't accept 1t,
God will damn you. That is the
whole proposition.
Do you suppose I am fool enough
to stand up here and give you my
opinions and theories? Why, the
man who says there is no hell is a
fool. 1 am preaching that there is
l hell, and I am preaching the word
If God. Who is the safest to fol-
ow2 /
Love, the kind to which Paul
-efers, never has to be coaxed to
20 to work, does not have to be
carried On a cushion for fear it
Kill burt itself. 1t does not pick
tut the nickels from a purse filed
With gold, throw them in the col