Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 26, Number 1, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 9 March 1904 — Page 2

God’s Message For To=Day IT IS THE SAME SIMPLE, BUT POWERFUL GOSEL STORY g

Sermon X>y the " Highway and Byway" Preacher.

Chicago, Sunday. March fi, 1904. Text:—“Therefore shall the word oi Jehovah be unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and! taken.''—lsaiah 2s: 13.—AM. E. Rev.

OD'S supreme purpose for man is that he should become reconciled to Himself; that the breach made by sin between man and God might he" healed; that where discord prevails, harmony might he restore and; that where estrangement and separation exist, there

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might be' fellowship and blessed union. With man shut out of the —paradise which God had, planted and given to man, how could Cod be content or satisfied until the way back to paradise was opened? "With Israel in Egypt in bondage, God could not be quiescent and forgetful. He says: "I have surely seea the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with ipilk ’ and honey,'i. And neither can God be indifferent to or neglq.ctful of man Tvhile he is in the Egypt of the world’s 'bondage. The father's house had an empty room, and a vacant chair at the table; and his heart had its unsatis- ■ fled longing, while the prodigal was . away in the far country. He watched .and he waited until at last the wancterKing, wayward hoy came back. The \ sorrowing father could know no peqce ■or rest until the wanderer had returned, until the lost had been found, 'until he who had been as good as dead tad sought the safety and protection of the father's house, and had come to life again. And so is it in infinitely greater degree with the Heavenly Father. He yearns for the return of His sinful, wayward children. If we may so reverently speak of God. He is unhappy, and unsatisfied while the world continues to wander far from Him. Jesus’ cry of anguish: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! . . How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not," is but the cry of God to a . lost world, is but the cry of the loving, merciful Creator to the poor, deluded, wayward creature. God's supreme purpose for man is that he should become .reconciled to God. OCR text gives to us God's message to His people. It was to he "precept I upon precept, precept upon precept; iline upon line, tine upon liae; here a little, there a little,” forcibly remind- 1 ing us that God's message is ever a simple message a pertinent message, a persistent message, and an unchanging ! message. And the latter clause of our text is suggestive of the effect of God's message. First of all, then, let. us consider the simplicity of God's message. It is "precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line uron line; here a little, there a little.” When God is dealing with the soj.ls -of men He does not indulge in platitudes, and .high-sounding phrases; He ■does not use the terms and phraseology ■of the wise and learned. Nay, rather, in the quickest and most direct way possible He seeks to administer to the real needs, of the soul. And for this reason nis message is one of simplicity. Simple because of its universal mission. God's message is to all the world. To tlie most enlightened and to the most benighted; to the cultured and refined and to the most vile and degraded; to the man of gray hairs and tottering steps and to the little child with all of life before it. In its simplicity, God's message is most strikingly differentiated from the message §f every other religion in the world. is its one most<markcf characteristic which stamps it as the message of ■God ar.d proves its authenticity. I SAIAII in'another part'Of his book de--1 clares that God's message is so simple that "the wayfaring men. yea fools, shall rot err therein.” Even foois, those mentally deficient, may be able to receive and understand God's simple message. And how often this has proven true. You may go to whatever nation you choose, to whatever quarter of the globe you wish, and you will find beautiful and striking examples' of the truth that God's message is so simple that it can reach to the lowest depths, as well as to those in the most exalted places of learning and authority. It was ever, so when Jesus was on earth, for the learned and cultured Nicodemus, member of the Sanhedrin. was numbered among His disciples, even though secretly, as was also the poor, despised thief upon the cross. Jesus sets a little child in our midst and tells us that except tve become as that littie child we cannot understand God's message and enter Into the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus in one of His prayers says: “I thank T'nee. oh Fa her. Lord of Heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes.” And Paul, in the first chapter of his first letter to the Corinthians, says: 'Not many wise after the flesh, not many

(Copyright 'OO4, by J. M. Edsoa.)

mighty, not many nobles are called; but God chose the foolish things of the world, that He might put to shame them that arc wise.” And this all means, r.ot that God does not want the wise and cultured anil mighty to be saved, but that the very simplicity of His message which is able to reach the world proves a stumbling block, to them. God's message is simple hut profound, easily understood by ail, and mighty to save those who receive it. OOD'S message is also a perlinent message. It is “precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little.” It is to the point It is prepared with the certain, definite purpose of meeting a certain, definite need. Man has one supreme and desperate need, and that is deliverance from sin and it3 consequences. There is universal consciousness in the heart of man that he is a sinner. Even the most untutored savage” is oppressea by the thought of violating the will and pleasure of his gods, and seeks in some way to appease and secure their favor. And man is a sinner and lost, as God'ssimple message declares, and God's message goes on to apply the remedy, the only remedy which can meet the need. That is, God's message'not only diagnoses the case—tells what is the matter with man —but it goes on to prescribe Just the remedy that is needed to cleanse and heal. When Naaman came to the prophet of God, with his desperate and distressing disease of leprosy, and the servant of God delivered God's message to him, he was minded to turn away in anger and disgust because the remedy which he had expected would be' ttpplied was not administered. And yet notwithstanding the fact that he thought the waters of Damascus were far better than those ot the Jordan, it was bathing in the Jordan and the Jordan alone which removed his leprosy and made his skin to return upon him like that of a little child. God's message to Naaman was just such as would meet his need, and God's message to the world to-day is Just such as.the world needsto be saved. Pass before the great Physician, 011, man! oh, woman! Let Him diagnose your ease. He says; "All have sinned and come short of theglory of God.” He goes on to say that that condition of sin will bring forth death —soul death. For the "soul that sinneth, it shall die.” And then having told you the nature of your disease in a simple word of three letters, SIN. having told you the consequences of that disease in a word of five letters —DEATH —He goes on to point to the remedy; He says: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” It is the one remedy for sin. And God's message is a pertinent message, because it speaks of the remedy—the only remedy—for the supreme need of man. GOD'S message is also persistent. "Precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here • a little, there a little.” Over and over, and over ' and over again, God repeats His message to a lost and dying world. See Him as He patiently, lovingly, longingly deals with His chosen people. How persistent He is! Prophet after prophet sent to ;hem to deliver His message. Punishment after punishment inflicted upon them that they might receive and understand His message. In the chapter from which our text is taken we have the prophet- . ic story of Israel's captivity, of Samaria’s destruction, an example and warning to Judah to hear and obey God's message, j It was “precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little.” And I yet they would not hear, they would not heed, hut plunged down to their ruin. And for nearly 2.000 years since Christ came as God's message to tire w orld, He has been persistently trying to bring the world to its acceptance. Ah. Christian, have you grown weary in bearing this message to the world? Have you about the world needs > something else? Have you begun to feel that the simple Gospel message is 1 getting monotonous and is worn threadbare? Look away to God! Learn from ■ Him! Behold .how. persistent He has been in delivering His message! And dare you be aay less persistent? Dare i you falterTaad grow faithless, w hen 1 God says’: “He not weary in we!) doing, for in due season ye shall reap if y faint not”? It is “precept upon preetpt, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, tuere a lit- ! tie.” It is God’s way. He keeps preI scribing the only remedy which w ill effect a cure. What would you think of a : physician who would change his roedi- ; cine at the whim and notion of the pa- ! tient, and instead of giving the remedy ■ which alone could cure, would provide something which would not stay the I disease or cure? No, the successful physician must he persistent in his treatment, not governed by the caprice of the patient, but prescribing over and over again that which will effect a cure. What if the patient will not take the medicine? If the diagnosis has been correct and the remedy prescribed the needed one. then must the physician be persistent and insistent. And so with the patient, loving Heavenly Father, He goes over His message, "precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line i upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little;" because it is the only thing which wi!l meet man's reed. God's message is a persistent, a repeated message.

AND above ail. It 1b an unchanging message. To Judah God said: My message has been precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little. I have warned you in the calamities which have overwhelmed Israel. I have given you a respite from your enemies. that you might consider these things, “yet they would not hear. Therefore shall the word of Jehovah be unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; her a little, there a little.” It was to be an unchanged message. It was the same precept upon precept and line upon line which He had been speaking to them throughout the years and generations. His message was the same, it was unchanging. And God's message for to-day is an unchanging and unchanged message. The world, as in Paul’s time, is ever seeking some new thing. The simple, old Gospel message is considered out of datd for this age and generation. And men who claim to he the servants of God, who profess to having been called to deliver God's message, dare to take of the Gospel truth and warp and twist and reshape it into something new and modern. The simple old Gospel which declares man a lost and helpless sinner, and the crucified Jestis an only Saviour, is deemed inadequate for these times, and the so-called popular preacher is trying to accommodate God’s messag# to the taste and vanity and self-esteem of the world. Oh, what travesty! Oh, what a hideous violaTioh of Gou s love! —God pitythe world when it gets too wise and too cultured and too self-centered and egotistical for God’s simple and unchanging Gospel message! There are indications that point to the fact that the world is rapidly approaching that attitude before God; that condition of heart which remains unmoved and unyielding before the oft-repeated Gospel message. God did not change His message to Pharoah. It was over and over again: “Let my people go.” And when Pharaoh hardened his heart and grew so weary of the message that-lie threatened Moses with death if he came with that same message again, did God change His message, or compromise upon the issue? Nay, verily, it was an unchanged message. And God's message to-day, despite the meddlers and the liberalists and the higher critics and the advanced thinkers, "is an unchanged and unchanging message, and it will continue to he such until Jesus shall come in His glory and claim as His own those who have heard the message and been washed clean in His blood, THE message, then, of God to a world estranged from Him because of sin and which He seeks and longs to have brought back to Himself, is simple, is pertinent, i3 persistent, is unchanging. It is so simple that none in all the world may be excluded or lost, for it is to all the world and for ail the world. It Is pertinent, plainly and clearly defining man’s condition and need, and fully and freely providing for that need. It is persistent, for God will never cease His efforts to turn the world to Himself until time shall cease to be. It is unchanging, for there is but one remedy for sin, and that is the shed blood of Jesus Christ; and God cannot come to the world with any so-called ethical message, highly flavored and up to- date, for that will not cleanse from sin; that will not make souls dead in trespasses and sins to live again; that will not make a man over new, giving him anew heart and anew purpose and a hope that will grow brighter until the full glory of Heaven bursts upon his vision. No, God comes with His simple, pertinent, persistent, unchanging message. He ' goe3 over the lesson again, and yet again. It is “precept upon precept, precept upen p-ocopr; lice one” line upon line; here a little, there a little.” It IS in spite of God that the soul perishes. Surely God never fails to improve an opportunity to drive home His message. Through His true and faithful servants in.,the world today, through the circumstances and conditions of life, in a thousand and | one different ways, God goes over and | over the Gospel story of man a sinner j and Christ a Saviour. Dear soul, whoever you are who reads these | words, have you heard God’s message and hearing have you obeyed it? Have you repented of sin and believed upon Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, the one who cleanses from all sin and saves with an everlasting salvation? Have you? I J F NOT, God’s message to you is still 1 "precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; ' here a little, there a Tittle; that you may go and fall backward, and he broken and snared and taken.” The 1 effect of God’s message is finally one of two things: Either it melts the heart and molds the life anew in Christ Jesu3i or it hardens as the clay Is hardened under the burning rays of the sun. God keeps repeating His simple Gospel message over and over again that you may be won to Him. that you who have been estranged and an outcast from the Father’s house, might be reconciled and brought back. And if you will not, if because of the hardness of your impenitent heart you j scorn His gracious message. He keep3 ; repeating it “..hat you may go, and fall ! backward, and be broken, and snared and taken.” Do we’hear it said to flay that the Gospel is not winning the world? Perhaps that is true, sadly tue. But because of this U is not another j message which the world needs, bi t it • is the same old blessed Gospel woich • sounds forth and must sound forth, "precept upon precept, precept upon j precept; line upon line, line upon line; j here a little, there a little; that the ! world may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared and taken.’' “To the one It is a savor from death unto death,” but to those who reeel vt the message, It is a “savor from lift : unto life.”

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Here is located the only Russian dry dock capable of accommodating larg e battleships. It is also Russia’s most important coaling station. f

TARGET FOR THE ~ JAPANESE GUNS ’ K Warships Bombard Vladivostock for Nearly a.n Hour, Doing Little Damage—Five Are Reported Killed —Russian Guns Remain Silent.

Vladivostock, March 7. —A fleet of five Japanese battleships and two cruisers appeared'oft this place at 1:25 o’clock Sunday afternoon and bombarded the town and shore batteries for 55jninutes. The fleet approached from the direction of Askold island, at the east entrance to Ussuri bay and about 32 miles southeast of Vladivostock. Entering Ussuri bay the enemy formed in line of battle, but did not approach to a closer range than a mile and one-third. They directed their fire against the shore batteries and the town, but no damage resulted, as most of the 200 lyddite shells failed to burst. Russians Remain Silent. The Russian batteries, commanded by Gens. Veronetz and Artamonoff, did not reply, awaiting a closer approach of the enemy. The Japanese fire ceased at 2:20 p. m. and the enemy retired in the direction of Askold island. Simultaneously two torpedo boat destroyers appeared near Askold island and two more near Cape Maidel. The Japanese ships were covered with ice. The attack resulted in no loss to the Russians, but cost the enemy 200,000 roubles ($100,000) in ammunition. Most of the projectiles were six and 12-inch shells. The population of Vladivostock was warned of the presence on the horizon oi the presence of a hostile fleet and the prospect of attack during the day, but it remained tranquil. Alexieff Reports. St. Petersburg, March 7.—A communication from Viceroy Alexieff to the czar from Mukden, bearing Sunday’s date, says: "I most humbly inform your majesty that the commandant at the fortress at Vladivostock reports that at 8:50 this morning seven vessels were sighted south of Askold island. At 9:45 they were seen to be warships making lui naiiu.u *o*&a.u. ALuut my’s squadron was midway between the coast and Askold island, making for Ussuri bay. They were out of reach of the shore batteries.- At 1:30 the enemy opened fire. Two vessels in the squadron were probably the first-class cruisers Idzum and Yakumo, but’ the names of the other vessels are unknown.” Five Reported Killed. St. Petersburg, March 7.—Official dispatches received here concerning the bombardment of Vladivostock by a Japanese fleet Sunday afternoon do not mention any Russian losses, but private advices say that five were killed, four sailors and the wife of an engineer. It is apparent the Japanese were afraid to risk exposing their ships tQ the plunging fire of the land batteries and it is considered probable here that the attack was really for the purpose of drawing the fire of the Russian forts, compelling the Russians to disclose the positions and the caliber of their guns, ar.d also for the purpose of ascertaining whethett the Russian squadron is in port. iSthis was the object of the Japanese it is believed to have failed signally, as the batteries did not fire a shot, and if the squadron is in port it could not be seen from the Japanese position in the bay of Ussuri on account of the high land which rises from the coast on that side, obstructing the view of the harbor. Immense Force Landed. Vladivostock, Wednesday, March 2. via St. Petersburg.—According to inCollege President Resigns. Oxford, 0., March 4.—Dr. Leila S. McKee has resigned the presidency cl the Western Female college, effective next June. She will be succeeded by Dr. Lillian W. Johnson, of Memphis. Tenn., a woman of eminent qnalifications. She ha3 accepted. The Western Female college is one of the foremost for women in the west. Miss McKee succeeded Miss Helen Peabody as president 1G years ago. During that time the number of students has been the faculty and facilities largely increased.

THE TOWN AND HARBOR, VLADIVOSTOCK.

formation received here 40 Japanese transports, escorted by the enure naval fleet, have been energetically landing troops in Korea at Fusan and Chemulpo. It is estimated that fully 100,000 men have disembarked, and it is supposed that an immediate advance into northern Korea is contemplated. From the fact that the Japanese fleet is thus employed it is felt that no immediate attack upon Vladivistock or Port Arthur will be made. The reported landing of 2,500 Japanese at SoagChln, Plaksin bay, on the east coast of Korea, has been confirmed. Bombarded for Three Days. Tientsin, March 5. —There has been a three days’ bombardment, at intervals, of Port Arthur, on Monday, TuesdayandWednesday. The Japaneseship3 first fired from a range of 15 kilometers distant from the forts, and then reduced the distance to seven kilometers (about four and one-third miles). Japanese Advancing. St. Petersburg, March 7.—Advices from Vladivostock say that the 2,500 Japanese troops who landed at Plaksin bay, on the east coast of northern Korea, are advancing toward Musan, 218 miles from Gensan, with the intention of ultimately reaching Hunchun, on the left bank cl the Tumen river 4 about 100 miles west of Vladivostock, and threatening the Russian flank. In order to checkmate this move the Russian outpost, 1,500 strong, which recently crossed the Tumen, is advancing to occupy Koyryong, on the Tumen river, a walled city.-com-manding the trails along which the Japanese must pass. Vast Army to Ojjpose Japan. St. Petersburg, March 7.—Russia’s plan for the campaign in the far east includes the dispatch of four army corps, each made up of two divisions 1^r..7. 4 ry, ' CT:“ of noTTQlrv and one brigade of artillery. The total strength of the four corps will be 74,527 officers and men, 07,860 horses and 496 guns. This immense force does not include the army which will be required to man the fortresses at Port Arthur, Dalny, Mukden, Harbin and other strategic points. Neither does it include the army that will be detailed

A JAPANESE TORPEDO FLOTILLA IN A ROUGH SEA; FULL SPEED AHEAD.

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Three Reported Killed. South McAlester, I TANARUS., March 3. George K. Pritchard, United States marshal. left for Bokoshe, in the eastern part of the Choctaw nation, where it is reported a fight between whites and blacks is in progress. A telegram received here said that three men had been killed. Acquitted. Cripple Creek, Col., March 3.—Sherman Faskerand Thomas Foster, miners’ union leaders, accused of attempting to wreck a passenger train were acquitted by the jury.

to gugrd the 1,500 miles of railway In Manchuria. Means Delay Until April. It Is admitted that this army cannot all be transported to Manchuria before the Ist of April, and that serious land operations cannot begin before the middle of that month. All the skirmishing along the Yalu river Is regarded as only preliminary and as not having an important bearing on the real campaign. May Evacuate Newchwang, Yinkow, March 7. —The removal of the furniture of the police and military quarters at Newchwang. the withdrawal of unnecessary rolling stock and equipment from the Newchwang railway terminus and the removal of silver from the bank indicate an intended evacuation of Newchwang. The The bank authorities have arranged to leave French and German agents in charge of their interests. A large force of cavalry is expected to return to Newchwang before the river opens, for the purpose of maintaining patrols between the main railway and the sea, and of reconnoitering the coast. Russian private letters disclose the fact that in the recent engagements between the Yalu river and Ping-Yang the Russians with superior numbers defeated the Japanese, but lost heavily. Russian Ships Bottled Up. Berlin, March 2.—The position of the Russians at Port Arthur Is described by a St. Petersburg correspondent of the Schlesische Zeitung as desperate. The damaged Retvizan, he states, blocks the narrow entrance to the harbor against all their battleships. It can neither be repaired nor moved from the spot where it lies stranded. It Is thus the only battleship that can take part as a kind of fixed battery in the war. All the other battleships are land-blocked. Scarcely anything is heard of torpedo boats| It Is assumed they are without ammunition. There are consequently still in action only the three cruisers, the Bayan, the patched-up Novik and the Askold. According to accounts published here both the Novik and the Askold have been put out of action. Battle Expected. Chefoo, March 4.—Six Japanese cruisers, escorting ten transports, have been sighted steaming in the direction of the Gulf of Liaotung. The movement, it is believed, is connected with the reported intention of the Japanese army to effect landing north of Saddle bay, a short distance 1 below Newchwang. From Russian sources come reports of an engagement in the vicinity of the Yalu river between small parties of scouts, who exchanged shots and retired. The Japanese forces are approaching to within three days’ march of the Russian encampment. The latter have retired to await reenforcements.

Asphyxiated. Kansas City. March 3.—W. F. Helm, of Louisville, Ky., and W. G. Huber, of Terre Haute, Ind.. each about 30 years of age, were found dead in a rooming house here Wednesday, having been asphyxiated. Annual Convention in Session. New York, March 3.—Representing SO organizations and a membership of 10,000, the National Consumers’ league is holding its fifth annual convention inthis city. Delegates are 11 states. mam