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2 (122) THE
uoned, where Napoleon's l'atal military blunder
changed the current of history and the whole
map of Europe. If you wish to read an interesting
description of this battle read Major Cotton's
"Voice from Waterloo."
Brussels, with its beautiful streets, Palace of
justice, Koyal -Museum and Royal Palace and
Antwerp, with its Zoo, second largest in Europe,
the Cathedral which contains Ruben's masterpiece,
"Descent from the Cross," and the Royal
Queen Wilhelmina of ilollaud, who stirred
Paris last June to admiration by placing a beautiful
wreath on Admiral Coligny's monument.
Museum containing many of ltuben's, Van
DyeU's and Jordaen's celebrated paintings are
the most interesting cities of Belgium. No city
in Europe can produce a larger list of world
famous painters than Antwerp. Quiutem, Teniers,
Jordaens, Segher, Kubens and Van Uyck
livi'il lli'fl" irni'n In it iiinnli rwt" ita I'qiiio A
description ol' their paintings can be done only
by an artist, and so no attempt is made.
"What shall we say of Holland 1 A country
with a great history; a people with an intense
love for independence and self government.
When you read of the Spanish tribunal known
as the "Court of Blood," and the Spanish army
of over (iO.OUO endeavoring to crush this liberty
loving people, you will gain some conception of
the many sacrifices they made for national and
reliirious freedom. In no ennntrv did Protest
autism furnish a larger or nobler army of martyrs
as in Holland.
But sad to say there seems to be a blight upon
the national Protestant Church of Holland.
Rationalism has crept in and disrupted it. A
new organization known as the Christian Reformed
Church with such leaders as Dr. Abraham
Kuypcr is becoming a large leaven which
may bring the State Church back to its moorings.
A rather amusing incident occurred to the writer
in Amsterdam. Speaking to the porticr in the
hotel on the political conditions of Holland, he
asked. "Do ycu like Abraham Kuyper as a polit
ical leader?" At once came the reply, "No.
ho had too much religion when he was prime
minister," and gave his reasons for making the
: i- * :r
V. ' '' '
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ill ?.li f t k.
The beautiful Castle of Chant ill
PRESBYTERIAN Of THE 80
otutciiieiii. Tiie writer iiad no more to day to
tins intelligent young man on politic*.
OTATXTf vn A XIT A t> niTi w rv a tr ^
uui n -Lil vjr t\ W/4.X A XIX. L?ii X UJ? UiCAUJi
BY REV. M. B. LAMBU1N.
In a letter recently to i.and from sonic unhnown
person, who appears to be m deep spiritual
distress, we are ashed to explain, through the
columns o; The iTesOyterian oi' the JSouth,
"what is meant by sinning away the day of
grace.''
The request would have received earlier attention,
had not the letter been misdirected, and
1 litis] iiniiwwliii'ulilii ImiA liuo lww*??
V.? liUit UUO UCVU iUdt Ul'lUlC II
tinally readied as.
Tlie lurui, "sinning away the day of grace,"'
liiough a lamiliar one, and heard frequently
from the pulpit, occurs 110 where ui the Bible,
l'here arc a number of such near expressions as
Fallen l'roiii grace," <Jal. i>:4; "Lest any man
Tail oi' the grace oT Trod," literally, "Tall i'roin,"
liebs. While the precise terminology is
not found in the lloly Scriptures, the idea or
truth involved is unquestionably there.
In the tirst chapter of Proverbs, from the
24th to the 41st verses, tve have a prediction of
the doom liwaitilic rh<i>ie uiin treat the rnnnotoil
calls of \\ isdom, or Kcligion, with'an iuditferent'
ear and heart, as they are left to "eat the fruit
of their own ways, aud to be tilled with their
own devices."
Jesus Christ, also, in Matt. 12:31, 32; Mark
3:28, 2(J, Luke 12:10, speaks of a sin "that hath
no forgiveness." The apostle John likewise, "a
sin unto death," 1 John 5:16.
In llebs. 6:4-6 and 10:26-29 there is a warning
note against running m such a way, that it
will be "impossible to renew them again unto
repentance-"
The clear and obvious import of these and similar
passages is, that there is such a thing as
"sinning away the day of grace."
"The day of grace" is that period of time
within which we may lay hold of God's gracious
offer of mercy through Jesus Christ as our Saviour.
There is none other way to be saved, than
through this unmerited grace of God. Salvation
is not a right, but a gift. "By grace are ye
saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God." Eph. 2:8.
How blessed arc the terms of the gospel offer!
" Whosoever will may come," and stretching out
their empty hands may take the grace of pardon
and salvation 'without money and without
price."
Though their sins be as scarlet and red like
crimson, that "grace," through the cleansing
blood of Jesus Christ, will make them as white as
snow.
The day of grace is limited to this life only.
There is not the remotest hint, throughout the entire
volume of Divine Revelation of a "second
L .i! n . (<r t r ? .1 ' * -
jHouiiiiuii, u uarger nope" in tne worm to
come. "Now is the accepted time; now is tho
day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2.
y, the ancient seat of the Condte.
1 U T H iFebrunry 12, lyib
l'tie love ut Uod uot ouiy exteuda to ua this day
i gru.ce, but that same love warns us against its
;utai abuse. We can sin it away.
By u deliberate rejection of Jesus Christ as
our only Hope ami Saviour.
lly an infatuated choice of the world as our
eJnef good. "The lust of the llesh, the lust of
the eyes, and the pride of life," way be chosen
rather than "glory, honor and immortality."
lly building our hopes of future salvation on
i lie sandy foundation of false doctrines.
Hut the larger number "sin away their day
of grace ' by simple neglect. They do not out
right s|ium the oilers ui' grace, follow a luiae
faith, live reprobate lives, they simply?do nothing.
Just drift through life; let these golden
ilays of grace slip away unheeded and unused,
ami suddenly pass out of life uusaved. "How
shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?"
While the Bible is full of warnings against pursuing
any sinful course that may result in the
loss of the sold, no one need fear that he is
"sinning away his day of grace" who is truly
anxious to he saved, and who is honestly and
diligently striving to "work out his own salvation
with fear and trembling." For the positive
assurance is that, "God is working in them, both
to will and to do I lis good pleasure."
The man or woman, boy or girl, who truly
repents of sin, hales sin, turns from sin, and
turns to God "with full purpose of and endeavor
after new obedience," can be absolutely
sure that God has graciously accepted them, and
need have no tear whatever that they have "sinned
away their day of grace "
Because one may have a morbid fear that he
lias thus sinued, is no more in evidence than the
tear that the rock-ribbed mountain has shifted
its base, because its towering form is
hidden from sight by the circling vapors of the
miasmatic log bank. The person who lias actually
"sinned away his day of grace" is the very
last person to be conscious of it or concerned
about it, for he is "past feeling," and "given
up to believe a lie." lie is spiritually dead to
all fear and apprehension. The dead never ache
nor quake, moan nor groan.
The troubled heart that cries out in contrition,
"God be merciful to mc a sinner;" "Keep back
thy servant from presumptious sins," has the
very best,.proof possible of being in a state of
grace.
Judas sinned deliberately and presumptuous
ly, and died in despair and remorse, with not a
syllable of a prayer for pardon aud recovery to
lall from his lips. David and Peter sinned
grievously, but inadvertently, but with then
you hear the penitent heart cry, "Have mcrey
upon n?e, O God! Take not Thy Lloly Spirit
from me.'
And we look upon the broken-hearted Peter as
he "went out and wept bitterly." In these
Scriptural instances of sinning, we sec the wide
distinction between total apostacy, as in the case
of .Tildas. and tpmnnpnrv h.ii?lf-sliilin<? nc with
- ?v 1 J ^ David
and Peter.
Not to encourage us to continue in sin, but to
encourage as to abandon sin, that the beloved
Word says, "If \vc confess our sins lie is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse
us "from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9.
But does not that same apostle say, "Whosoever
is born of God doth not commit sin"? 1
John 3:9. Yes. In the sense of a deliberate intent
to sin. Tt is not his habit to sin. If he sins
it is by accident, not by design. P?ut the worldling
seeks the places and occasions of sin. lie
sins hv nreforenoo. for he follows the law of his
unrp^pnernte nature.
While the tnio child of God prays to be kept
from sin and strives to avoid sin, the indifferent
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