The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1923-09-07

| our stand at the
Cross of Christ
| and insists that all other standardss0f
living are vanity. Is such a position
tenable? Can we persist in the claim
that this is the standard Of Truth?
Does the empty boast Of our ambitions
and attainments become fully exposed
| there? If this Scripture alludes to
apostate Judaism undertaking by vain
oblations to buy the boon Of Gods ia
vor, then, with greater certainty, any
standard we might propose with like
purpose must be classed as discarded
tradition" and a vain manner of
life" If men can buy redemption, 1t
is too cheap to be worthwhile. II,
say, men can, by expanding money or
time, or toll, buy 1t, redemption Is
neither what the Bible declares 1t to be
for the present life, nor can 1t be "eter-
nal redemption" The idea that we can
earn 1t discounts the very nature Of J,
God Since God provided redemption
of His own will, so graciously because
GOD so loved" how manifestly vain II
his little gathered up and unwashed
fragments-an act denying his need to
receive gift so unmerited and free as
Gods grace! How like an unclean
thing, like '.fllthy rags must 1t be in
Gods sight! How basely wrong is
every grade and shade Of religious
teaching which afflrms that we can, by
any or all means, buy the least fraction
Of our redemption AS bubble 1t must
soon burst and reveal its absolute
emptiness.
Let the signal be unobscured so that
all may read the warning, beware Of
the traditions Of men. In false philoso-
phies that claim, on the basis Of rigid
materialism, to account for all that is,
and that deny outright that a standard
Of morals can be reasonably estab-
lished; in poetry which, while rich and
splendid in diction and In sentimental
attractiveness, speaks not the essential
and only Truth, In rules Of conduct Or
namented with courtesies and tokens \
Of chastity, which neither root nor
fruit In purity Of heart; in schemes Of
human comfy that assert goodwill
and fair play but eschew the call to a
surrendered will to God, which can
alone produce fair play-thus do we
meet today these delusive traditions.
Some of them are hOary with age and
some Of them scarcely out of their era
dies. Confronting them, shall we not
brand them as the output Of apostate
Gentilismf They persist In rejecting
the Cross. They insist upon the value
of what they can do. Their call is,
often enticing and charming, but II we
follow it let 1t be understood that we
have chosen the vain manner Of living.
Our piled up exhibits Of generosity and
pluck cannot prove otherwise. All
must be classified either as the cross
or as vanity.
No wonder that this surfeit of tradi-
tons cannot pacify the nations, har-
monte capital and labor, or fortify the
home, much less save the soul. It has
no heart. And nations are constituted
of men who have hearts; laborers and
capitalists are men with hearts; home
Is the place Of hearts.
In contrast with the "Vain manner
of life" behold life based upon this:
"Forasmuch as We know that We were
not redeemed with silver and gold, but
with the precious blood Of Christ, as of
lamb without blemish and without
spot" How came this Lamb to be Of
fered? A heart Of love offered 1t. Why
does that offering SO avail? God so
loved" But does It surely avail for
me? Christ loved me and gave him
self for me-" If believe this what
effect will be produced in met 1.-THE
love Of God Is shed abroad In our
hearts by the Holy Spirit given unto
u.s." Yes, Christian redemption has
heart. And that heart is none else than
the pure, stainless heart In which ]
deathless love has Its source.
Once you really see the Cross by
faith you no longer marvel that imam
by wisdom knew not God" You no
longer Imagine that philosophy false
ly so called" can possibly save soul,
or that "excellency of speech or mans
wisdom" can make human diScord into
harmony or cure human sin. You have
seen by faith the holy, unfailing, eter-
nal heart of love. You have seen that +
from that heart came the paying Of the
price that set the sin-bound slave free.
You have seen reality; in its presence
how hateful is vanity. And the Lamb
will be 'in the midst of the throne"
when all mans vain schemes tumble In
failure. 1
The revised version renders "eov
vnrcatinnO stnaannar ~ Iffayy a., &Lte