The Winslow mail., 1923-08-31


pang tells of possible despair.
In Gods word both the present in
| lqulty and the impending ruin are full
~ stated. Sicknesses, heartaches,
tears, God-defyings, deaths, are fully
stated here. You do not find any stoi-
cal heartless ignoring of our suffer-
ings or needs. Every phase of them
Is dealt with both for time and eterni-
". Iniquity is therefore real. and
ruin may be as real.
Rum There is not a pleasing or
wlnsome consideration attachable to
the word. A ruined city, a ruined
nome, ruined health, ruined reputation,
ruined soul! 1t all stands (nay
IaIlS) hidden in a night unlit by even
the falntest glow worms light. RuinH
IL means worth, but worth discarded
10 the past. It means value indeed.
out hopelessness. 1t is the guilt Of
an eternal sin"-a stumbling to
fall.
God, through Ezekiel, was calling
TO His people, although they were
lnlqaitious. His purpose was to end
the wrecking before it became ruin.
And this is the very business of the
christians Gospel. 1t can prevent the
uoom. 1t is uttered that men "might
not perish" Is there any subject in
Ill the world one-thousandth so ro-
mantle? Behold here the ruin Of a
'oul Is prevented, not by a fence Of
atal1sm placed between the soul and
'uin, but by a work of grace wrought
within the soul itself which causes it
% turn in it's journey toward ruin and
sternally journey toward increasing
| glory.
First, then, there is the iniquity
sure. If 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 it is never so here. "He Is able
70 save unto the uttermost." The
timer 'Of whom I am chief' having
been saved, certainly it sis worthy Of
Ill acceptation" that Christ fails with
hone who accept Him. Find in all
the universe one, just one failure.
where this remedy has been accepted
and has failed. If 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. 1t is first saved, then
safe. 1t is kept by the power Of
God," and with that keeping who could
be ruined? eve are not of the night"
eternal day has begun.
Third. 1t is the very opposite to
ruin. Over against that word there
Is set for the saved soul, riches Of
grace" mo condemnation" "salva-
tion." Are you thinking of ruined
business2 Place them over against it
these "riches." Is it the guilt in ruin?
Place over against it mo condemna-
tion." Is 1t wreck? 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 it is all personal. Let 1t be
stated, II am the man who has Suf-
fered from iniQuity, 1 the man ap-
preaching ruin; but 1 am the man,
through grace in Christ Jesus-saved
and safe." To Israel the call was
national, but in the Gospel of grace
It is personal. Christ loved Me and
gave himself for Me-" 1t 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, "Bartimeus" means
"son Of the unclean" And that Is
my name. That same Jesus appeals
to me, an unclean soul, the son of
the unclean, saying, "What wilt thou
that / should do unto thee?" And
ae gave me cleanness