The Raymer enterprise., 1923-08-23

pang tells Of possible despair.
IN Gods word both the present In
lquity and the impending ruin are full
y stated. Sicknesses. heartaches,
tears, God.defyings. deaths. are fully
stated here. You do not find any stol.
eai heartless ignoring Of our suffer-
!ngs or needs. Every phase Of them
ls dealt with both for time and eterni.
~. lniquity is therefore real. and
ruin may be as real.
Ruin! There Is not a pleasing or
wlnsome consideration attachable to
!ne word. A ruined city. ruined
home. ruined health, ruined reputation,
9 ruined soul! It all stands (nay
taiis) hidden In a night unlit by even
the falntest glow worms light. Ruinl
u means worth, but worth discarded
20 the past. It means value indeed,
put hopelessness. 1t is the guilt Of
nm eternal sin"-a stumbling to
fall.
God. through Ezekiel, wns calling
10 His people, although they were
inlqultlous. His purpose was to end
the wrecklng before II became ruin.
And this is the very business Of the
christians Gospel. It can prevent the
loom. 1t Is uttered that men might
aot PERISH" Is there any subject In
Ill the world one-thousandth so 70.
mantle? Behold! here the ruin Of
ioul Is prevented. not by q fence of
atalism placed between the soul and
uln, but by work of grace wrought
within the soul itself which causes 1t
% turn In Its journey toward ruin and
sternally journey toward increasing
ylory.
First, then, there Is the InIquity
:ure. II the malady were a physical
me, we might hear the physician say
hat there Is one chance In fifty or
perhaps one in twenty for recovery.
But 1t Is never 80 here. "He is able
% save unto the uttermost." The
inner "of whom I am chlef' having
,een saved, certainly 1t "is worthy Of
Ill acceptation" that Christ fails with
lone who accept Him. Find in oil
the universe one, just one failure.
where this remedy has been accepted
md has failed. II You could find one
hen you would find that all had failed
and that there was no real Gospel to
announce to sinful men.
Second. There Is ruin rendered for
ever impossible. It is first saved, then
'afe. 1t Is kept by the power of
Sod,' and with that keeping who could
'e ruinedf ave are not Of the night"
eternal day has begun.
Third. 1t is the very opposite to
'uln. Over against that word there
set for the saved soul. "riches of
yrace," mo condemnation" "salva.
lion." Are you thinking Of ruined
ouslness1 Place them over against It
these riches" Is It the guilt in ruIn1
Place over against It mo condemna.
tlon." Is It wreck7 Then place over
against It salvation" Look Into the
depths and behold the impending ruin,
then look. oh soul, into the heights
and behold the place prepared by Him
who made the worlds. There is what
you escape; here is what you gain.
And 1t Is all personal. Let It be
stated. Il am the man who has sui.
Tered from iniqulty, l the man ap-
preaching ruin; but / am the man,
through grace in Christ Jesus-sayed
and safe" To Israel the call was
national. but In the Gospel Of grace
L Is personal. "Christ loved No and
gave himself for Me-" It Is our Lord
Jesus who says to poor BartImeus.
What wilt thou that should do unto
thee" 1t Is all personal to that blind
sufferer. Now, "Bartlmeus" means
"son Of the unclean." And that IL
my name. That same Jesus appeals
to me. an unclean soul. the son of
the unclean. saying. "What wilt thou