THE BRIDGE OF RECONCILIATION.
THAT is a wonderful expression which occurs in one of Paul's epistles to the Corinthians—"as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." The positions seem to be reversed. The apostle does not describe a guilty rebel suing for mercy, but an outraged sovereign begging the rebel to come and seek forgiveness. The wronged and insulted father is entreating the disobedient son to hasten back from the starvation and the swine, and receive pardon and restoration. It is as though the infinite Love went down on bended knee and besought sinners not to commit eternal suicide. Where a quarrel has long existed between two persons, it is a great point to bring the parties together to talk over the differences between them. The holy God makes the first advance. He makes it to every sinner who is in willful, wicked insurrection against him. He proposes his own terms of reconciliation, just as a sovereign has the right to do. Perhaps the reader of this article is, and long has been, in a wretched controversy with his heavenly Father. If so, let me tell you, my friend, that God beseeches and entreats you to end this deadly quarrel with him at once. If continued into another world, it means eternal death. Two things are indispensable to a full reconciliation. One of these has been done already; the other must be done. 1. You have sinned, and sin deserves punishment. A government on earth or in Heaven without penalties for wrong, is anarchy. Divine justice requires that your sins should be punished. Your Bible in this very chapter tells you that God hath made Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for you, that you might be made righteousness in him. Paul means by this that Jesus Christ, by his atoning death on the cross, took your place, and was treated there just as you, the sinner, deserved to be treated. If you, in penitence and honest faith, will accept the crucified Saviour as your substitute, and yield yourself to God, you will be forgiven. You will be treated as righteous for his sake. Scoffers sneer at this as a "blood theology." It is such; it is blood warm with infinite love from the heart of God. It is a glorious theology to preach and to practice. When Jesus Christ made his full, rich, complete atonement, he threw a bridge across the otherwise impassable chasm that separated human guilt from God's eternal favor. Of all the marvels of the divine architecture, the atonement of Jesus Christ is the masterpiece. 2. The first essential to your reconciliation with God has been accomplished. Christ has reared the bridge, and now you must cross it. The movement toward God must be on your part. Listen to the beseeching God, who calls out to you, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." You must submit to God on his own terms. Those terms are repentance of your sins, and acceptance of the atoning Saviour. It is for your indescribable benefit that you cannot set foot on that bridge of reconciliation until you surrender your heart to God, and are willing to abandon your sins—not sin in the abstract, but your own individual wickedness and wrong-doings. Your holy and loving Father says to you, "Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well." As to the particular sin or sins that you are to abandon, ask conscience, consult God's commandments. My friend, God pleads with you. If you will only let him, he will lavish untold blessings on you. At the end of yonder bridge of love is his outstretched hand and open door. He waits to bid you welcome. How rich is that old Saxon word "wellcome"! It is well to come, but death to stay away. He will welcome you, not to a selfish religion of lazy luxury, but to a hard and noble fight, and an armor for the victory. He does not promise you a trip to Heaven in palanquin or palace-car, but he invites you to the highest, holiest manhood and womanhood in this world, and in the world to come a flashing crown and the life everlasting.—Selected.