Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-07-16

of democracy and the rule of the
masses, as well as a time when there
Is little respect for authority. When
you come to the realm of religion, it
Is said that we must approach its con-
sideration with open minds; to hava,
settled convictions would make US
bigots and pharisees.
Was that the theory that actuated'
the prophets of the Old Testament,
that actuated Jesus Christ as he.
taught among men, or that actuatedi
the apostles? The positive teaching Oh.
Jeremiah brought on him the enmity
IF Israel, resulting in his most crues
persecution. The uncompromising
words of Jesus Christ sent him to the
Cross, and when Paul faced the Cross
and thought of the many things he
might glory in, with intensest convic-
ton he said, God forbid that I should
| glory, save in the Cross of our Lord
| Jesus Christ" Here was 10 qualif
cation. no suggestion of doubt, no
| peradventure. Precisely so has it al
! ways been with great leaders, and it
is one of the saddest aspects of pres
ent religious teaching that they give
the impression that it is not neces.
sary to hold fixed purposes or views
on doctrinal subjects.
! 2. Let US note that Paurs fixed pure
! pose was with reference to only one
/ thing, everything else to be shut out.
| Would such a fixed purpose be wise
/ 41, lev
| Our Christian fathers and mothers
were people of few theories; indeed
they were practically people of one
thought. They permitted some great
idea to obsess them, and everything
else had to submit to that. They saS
different aspects of the thought, bpt
the thought was unique and alone
Man must have his pole star and not
several stars.
But we must have good reasons for
entertaining a fixed purpose. Paul
evidently had good reasons for his
| purpose, for he had seen the Lord by
the gate of Damascus; he had spent
three years in Arabia, doubtless max
ing himself intelligent in the things of
! Christ; he had seen how the simple
story of Christ crucified had moved
hundreds, and probably thousands,
under his own teaching to accept
| Christ; he had seen the religion of the
dying Jesus spreading over Asia Minor
and taking strong hold in Europe. and
| had experienced in his own life that
old things had passed away, and that
| ~
knew that all this came from Jesus
! Christ.
8. Pauls fixeu purpose waste
know nothing among the Corinthians
but Jesus Christ and him crucifed.
Christ crucifed, everything must cen
ter at the Cross, everything in Christ's
life and experience previous to his
death must hav the Cross in view,
and everything in Christ's after inf1u-
ence among men must go back to the
| Cross; it is on the Cross that the
atonement for the sins of the world
| is found. AS a distinguished COM
mentator has said, "The atonement is
the diamond pivot on which the Chris
tian religion turns" There is moth
ing, unless we except Christ's glorious
return for his people and as the Judge
of all men, that so stirs the enemies
of truth as the doctrine of the atone
ment.
/ Jesus Christ and him crucifed-
that is the power of God unto saliva
ton. The weakness of the preaching
of so many ministers today can bs
explained by the fact that their ser
mons do not contain the dynamite o.
the Cross. Wherever that message il
delivered, the slain of the Lord art
many. That explained the conquest O.
Asia Minor and large part Of Eu
rope in the first three centuries O
the Christian era; that explained th'
phenomenal success of George White
field, Jonathan Edwards, Charles II
Spurgeon and every man of God tn
world through, who has been a sue
cessful winner of souls. Oh, that ou
Young men VINO have the ministry il
view would catch the vision! The
it would not take from thirty to lift,
members of the Christian church I
lead a single soul to Christ in tn
course of year.