BEING GOOD, YET NOT LOVING GOD.
I MEAN to do right, said one, I would not do a wrong to any human being. Within my circle of near friends and relatives, I find scope enough for my benevolence. But I make no profession of religion; I do not think much about it. I often think of death; but I do not give myself much anxiety about it. I have no fear that God will do anything unjust with me; and as for the rest, I see no reason to suppose I shall ever feel differently from what I now do. I do not see how I can. This friend remarked also, incidentally, that most of the persons within his circle of personal acquaintance, felt much as he did, and he presumed this to be a very common experience. What should we say to such a friend? We knew him too well to question the general truth of what he had said of himself. There could be no doubt that he was just in his dealings, amiable in his temper and bearing; and even generous within the circle of special friends and near relatives. There was manifestly no occasion to deny or even question any of these things. This:—It is in vain for even you to account your heart and life sinless toward God. You say yourself that you do not often think of God; of course you restrain prayer and refuse him praise. To that God who has given you existence, and has filled your cup with good ever since you were born, you return no grateful acknowledgments; you offer no humble homage. Can this be right? If the favored friends within your circle, upon whom you have conferred favors so freely, were never to recognize your kindness, never to speak to you nor of you with affectionate regard, would you account it all right, and altogether satisfactory? Does it strike you that such a thoughtless, thankless bearing toward benefactors comes fully up to the obvious demands of duty? But again: this really gracious Father above knew and felt your abuse of his love; yet he did not at once draw back and say, "Not another mercy!" but he proceeded to provide and to offer you yet more and richer71blessings. He gave you his Son to die for you, and his Spirit to touch you and to turn your heart fully to himself. With these offered blessings there would come, if accepted, a glorious wealth of spiritual good to your soul—peace, purity, the sweet consciousness of being forgiven through the Saviour's blood, and brought home to the bosom of God's eternal love. You might know what it is to live in the communion of abiding peace and friendship with the great and blessed God, and with his incarnate Son. All this is now a blank in your personal experience; but would it not be a change, beyond measure great and precious, if it might soon pass over you and all this new state become in you a conscious reality? You certainly can see that it must be a great blessing to know that your heart is in sympathy with God, and that between him and yourself there exists a friendship and fellowship that never can cease, but shall assuredly grow stronger and more blessed to yourself throughout eternity! It seemed fitting that we should also say in this case— We beg you to seek this gospel salvation, not merely for God's sake, although he will enjoy your real happiness and salvation exceedingly; nor for our sake alone, although we should enjoy it too, more than we have words to express; but we commend it to you especially for your own sake; because, although you have no reason to fear any injustice from God, yet you cannot afford to be satisfied with mere justice. You can have something far better! Justice, though glorious to God, might be dreadful to yourself! For there must be fearful guilt in "denying the Lord that bought you," and in "trampling under foot the Son of God, and counting the blood of his covenant an unholy thing." Can you afford to meet the righteous doom of that sorer punishment of which he will be worthy who hath done this? Besides, you cannot afford to forego the positive blessings which God, in the gospel, provides and proffers to you without money or price. And as to the remark that you see no way out of your present state, God himself says, "Then shall ye find me when ye shall seek me with all your heart." The gospel is not written like Draco's laws, too high to be read. It is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart. A spirit of docility will ensure you right instruction from God himself; and a firm purpose to act up to all the light God gives you, will surely put you in the right way to eternal life. No sinners perish from under the gospel's light, simply because there is no way for them out of a state of sin and unbelief into pardon, peace, and full salvation. It is the glory of God that, in his gospel, salvation is provided and offered honestly, in full sincerity, and made acceptable to all who will come to Christ for life. Every word in this last statement is both true and full of meaning, and you can never find it otherwise. Will you put these exceeding great and precious promises to the proof? Will you test the sincerity of God's love in the gospel of his Son? Will you give your hearty consent to become the loving child of such a Father—the willing servant of such a Master—the confiding friend of one so great and good?—Oberlin Evangelist.