The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-05-27


spiritual ruin, none are so distressing
as that of man or woman who under
similar circumstances have been
brought as near as you now are and
yet refuse the last step.
A sad sight is that of the ship
that goes down when the passen-
gers are within sight of their native
shores, and the towers and spires
of the seaport town make a bright
silhouette against the blue skyline
for a background.
Whatever became OF this young
lawyer to whom Jesus uttered these
words? | do not know. l presume
lie never did profit by them or the
Bible would not have left US to guess
Tor the last 1900 years. I presume
ne never did enter the kingdom of
Heaven, although he was ever as near
as you are now.
If you make a will. that will is not
in force as long as there is a living
breath in your lungs. But the min
ute YOU pass from the realms of the
living. that will is in force. Some
people are nearer the kingdom of
God than others. Until you accept
Jesus Christ and are born again by
dom. The moment you accept Him
and are born again you are in the
Kingdom.
Difference Is
OF Kind.
The difference is not one of degree
but of wind There are no degrees
of salvation.
You find yourself in the middle OF
circumstances that have contributed
to bringing you nearer to where you
find yourself now. The elements OF
character may develop into ctrcum
stances. These circumstances are ap
pealing to the best elements of your
character and by making that appeal
they have brought you nearer to re
alizing that you ought to be a Chris
tian.
Your condition of mind may be due
to elements of character. You are
compelled to admit that you are in {
condition of mind toward good and re
lieon that you were. not in some
weeks aqo. This city is in a condi
ton of mind about God that she was
not in weeks ago. She was looking
cross-eyed at the cross then. Hei
mind and her heart is open now.
That condition of mind is brought
about by circumstances; series oil
meetings, the prayers and everything
that has been said or done, and the
element of character is the condition
of your mind and the circumstances
have brought you where you now flno
yourself.
"Not far from the kingdom Of God
In the cathedral at Strasburg there
is a clock so wonderful that some o.
the ignorant suppose it to have beer
fashioned by the fingers of angels. i
is said that the man that made tina
clock was not paid for his work, anC
was angry. and cTept into the place
AT night and went into the tower ant
touched a secret spring in the clock
Features Refuse
To Work.
The clock ceased to run. The cocl
forgot to crow, the milkmaid faile(
to trip along her way, the anvils die
not clang and the apostles did no
march in solemn procession.
Then they paid the man and h
went and put his finger on the Sc
cret spring and the clock began t
move. Then the cock crowed, tn
milkmaid tripped on her way, tn
anvils changed and the apostle
marched to solemn procession.
The clock would not run, or woul
run at the touch of the makers fiji
gers on the secret spring. The cloc
was an automaton and when the ma
touched the spring it moved.
You are not an automaton, bu
what YOU lack is the secret touch {
. God in your life. When that touc
is apDlted you'll become all that Go
intended you to be; and that touc
will not be applied until you acceI
Jesus Christ.
. The only difference between III
- clock and you is that it was an aut
maton while you have mind 70
have the power of choice. You ca
rebel. You can defy God. You hay
an intelligent medium of commune
ton. God can communicate what tn
will is. l could communicate to
clock or a piece of wood, my vii
That is pliable, plastic. There is
medium of communication, and thu
medium is your intelligence.
Men Need
Touch of God.
1t is sad to see men and wome
that are perfect but for one thin
That clock needed the secret touc
and Jldt Is IHe one ILlAS ILiI =
want. You need the touch Of &C
all YOUR life. and then you will b
come all that God had for you
his plans.
It is sad to see a thing that wou
be perfect if it did not lack or
thinq. There is the electric ligi
that has no current. There is
connective but it has no steam. The
is human being but it has no IT
in il. Things that would be pere
but for the lack of one thing.
You can take the finest mai
spring made in the United States
in Switzerland and you can put
into the handspring barrel of a watC
and then you can jewel the top ar
bottom with rubies and diamonds al
then you go through the rest of Il
assembly and miss one thing and
your watch is all ready and lacks tn
one thing, it renders all the others
no use. You mad left out the tat
spring. That is all, just a hair-sprin
And so great many people la'
one thing. There are many thini
DESTROYS. Education is DESTROYS. 4
honor to the man or woman that d
prives himself or herself of the col
forts of life that their boy or 81
may have an education. But an e
ucation is not necessary TO get in
Heaven. God does not require thu
Many things are desirable, but n