Sunday, February 23,1896.11 A.M.

We want our readers to learn to keep out of the way of sin and its companions, and to shun all manner of evil, for we read in Psalms, chapter 1: "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord: and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season: his leaf also shall not wither: and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish."

We want the reader to note what it is to sin and then to be a sinner. To sin, in its primary sense, is, to depart, or to wander. It is the voluntary departure of the moral agent from a known rule of rectitude or duty, described by God; any voluntary transgression of the divine law, or violation of a divine command; a wicked act, iniquity. Sin is either a positive act, in which a known divine law is violated, or it is the voluntary neglect to obey a positive divine command, or rule of duty clearly implied in such a command. Sin comprehends not actions only, but neglect of known duty: all evil thoughts, purposes, words and desires, whatever is contrary to God's command or his law. See 1 John 3 ch., Matt. 15, James 4. We can assure you that whomsoever may come in contact, or touch these forbidden fruits shall not stand in the day of judgment. Neither shall they be admitted into the gates of pearl, where there is no pain, nor death to trouble those who lean their lives upon the Savior's breast. You can see sin approaching in many ways: in the saloon we see the very picture of sin as it invites men, women and children to come in and sup the bitter drugs of an everlasting hell. Oh! yes it invites the high, the low, the rich, the poor, great and small to come and partake of that miserable cup that has dragged hundreds and thousands; yes, millions have gone to that horrible and damnable pit, where not one has or will ever return. Reader will you keep out of the way. Yes we see sin as it comes to us by the way of gambling, with cards, dice and many other ways too numerous for us to mention, but we see thousands, we may say millions that are traveling the broad road of eternal night by the way of this sin. Both men and women, fathers and mothers, leading their sons, daughters and little babes down: yea, down to hell. Oh! fathers and mothers we call to thee, with the spirit of God to help us to say unto thee: "stop! stop! and listen to the gospel call." Remember that our Savior has said for of such (little babes) is the Kingdom of Heaven: yet you will lead them astray. We see many fathers down upon their knees, not only in the six days God has given them to prepare daily bread for themself and family, but we can view them on the blessed Sabbath morning as they kneel down to pray: we answer to play a game of marbles with little Johnnie or Mary, thus learning them the first step to the card table, then to the saloon, then to crimes, from thence to the prison walls or to the gallows, then we hear father and mother of the victim, say I can't see how my son has reached this end. We will answer if you look well to the past life and see how you have packed the vocabulary of your son and 00055daughter you can soon tell why he or she has been caused to enter into these horrible crimes. Oh! fathers and mothers, we again call unto you with the trumpet of the Lord to stop! take these little boys and girls of yours by the hand, say unto them come, children, let us give this day to the Lord in praise and thanksgiving. Dear fathers and mothers we call unto thee again for the little minds that you are to train up in nurture and admiration of the Lord, for the sake of Christ Jesus, we say keep out of the way, for broad is the way that leads to hell, and many there are to travel therein without you leading the little children in that dark and endless hell. Will you think and keep out of the way. Oh! listen, if any of you lack for wisdom let him ask it of God, see James 1. He that gathered little had no lack. See Ex. 16. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger, Ps. 34. You may see more light now as we have been pointed to God, if we lack for wisdom let us ask it of God, that we may be able to train up the young minds that are rendered unto our care. May the spirit of the Lord press further and deeper this work upon every mind that has the care of their own or some poor orphan child, and lead them to the Savior's waiting arms. Again we see that, "he that gathered little had no lack;" what we need is to gather more of that loving zeal that will cause us to take greater and deeper interests in the young minds, to cultivate them in that way which will cause our hearts to leap forth and rejoice in Holy Ghost, We need to gather our children in our homes and around our fireside and teach them them the way we would have them to go, teach them to obey both their father in heaven and on earth: yes, teach them the ten commandments and the Lord's prayer. We have visited many homes where neither father, mother, nor children knew the Lord's prayer; we have read the Bible to them, sang and prayed with, and for them, that they will be gathered in to the ark where they would not be drowned by the great floods of sin and all of its combined forces, that hell should not make its prey out of those bodies which were prepared by the hand of the Lord. Oh! yes, we need help in Macedonia, that we may keep out of the way. May the time soon roll around that all men will keep out of the way. What the reader should do is to keep the way open so as to let his way be lost in the way of God's Now let us see about this young lion that suffers for hunger, when the lioness has gone out in search of prey, or food for her young, they become faint and hungry before she can return to their rescue: if this be so, of the wild beast of the forest, how much more should our children 00066whom God has blest with a more beautiful and bright talent; then we should not wonder that our dear little children should want to keep out of the way. Let us again say to the parents: take care of those little ones that play about your knees. We would say more upon this sinful act, but, for the many others, we will move on to them. We shall only touch the subject just enough to let the light shine through the curtain. What we want is to keep out of the way, then keep in the way.

But, let us now take up the characters that stand, walk and sit with the sinners. They are not only in the seats of the sinners, but get in their way and partake of the same cup with them. Jesus has said: "not everyone that say unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven," [so true are these words]. But he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven--see Matt. 7-21. In this sermon you can see that Jesus plainly described that character who has so many circumstances that he or she cannot attend prayer meeting, class meeting, no not even public worship on the Sabbath day; they wilfully neglect the means of grace, and when they come to the house of God they cannot sit still until the preacher has delivered to them the message sent through him, to them, by God, and when the benediction has been said they then are ready to kick, like unto the wild ass when the rider has thrown the saddle across his back and has mounted therein, with the spurs on his feet and whip in his hand, then the ass began to kick, but he is rode just the same as if he had not kicked at all. Just the way of this character in the church of God. The preacher with the spur and whip of Christ Jesus. (the gospel), he began to spur and whip sin, so heavy, deep and hard, until this character cannot be still; there is something about the church that does not suit him, the seats are not made to suit him and the paper has not been put up just to his notion, or it is either too hot or too cold for him or them, they must go out of doors or go to the stove, they must be seen; if not one thing, it is another, there is something in the sermon that does not suit at all, the preacher has said things that was not right for them; they go from church mad with the preacher, officers and all the rest of the members. Why is this? Let us answer: because the preacher has rode the ass colt into Jerusalem with the spur and the whip of the gospel of Christ Jesus and never failing to use the means, (gospel), that such characters need, they become offended, going to leave the church and join another, this done to see who will say: "Oh! please don't leave us; we can't do without you." Still they have not 00077paid one cent of the general funds and pastor's salary, they never think of such, and the officer may speak to them about it, then they begin to rear, some will curse and swear, let the preacher speak to them, you will hear them say: "Oh! my circumstances will not let me, if I could I would. Brother B., you know I love my church." Let us answer: "No they don't love the church." They are like an old sister whom we read of, had been in church for 15 years; one day she invited the pastor home to dinner with her, he went, and while sitting at the dinner table she remarked: "Brother D., I have been a member of the church for fifteen years, and what do you think it cost me." Brother D. remarks: "Well, my sister, I have no idea how much; but a great deal I suppose." She said "Well, sir, it has cost me 15 cents." The likeness of many others that are trying to get to heaven "on the flowery bed of ease, while others fought to win the prize, and sail through bloody seas." This character can be found in the theatres, billiard rooms standing around the gambling table; they never play, but they hold stakes; they never bet but they will lay or bound you that A. will beat B. out should A. beat D. out, you can hear them with great laughter: I told you so. Give me my money, if I had lost you would have taken up the money. Still they don't bet, but they just lay $500 or $10.00 that this or that will be done. Oh! hark, listen, we cry with all our soul, mind and strength, and with power from above: will you keep out of the way, then keep in the way. Sin comes in many shades, forms and ways, but we must keep the way of the Lord. Remember therefore from whence thou art falling, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.--See Rev. 2-5. This shows plainly that if we neglect the known rule, or the divine command, that we just do the first work over again. We shall not take up this subject, but let us see about sin and her way. "Good Lord, deliver us from deceitful tongues and living lips," this is the voice of the Psalmist: this may seem strange, yet it is true. We can see sin even among the divines. We must remember that sin is original or actual. Actual sin, above defined, is the act of the moral agent in violating a known rule or duty. We should learn that original sin, as generally understood, is native depravity of heart; that want of conformity of heart to the divine will, that corruption of nature or deterioration of the moral character of man, which is supposed to be effect Adam's apostasy, which manifests itself in the moral agents by positive acts of disobedience 00088to the divine will, or by the voluntary neglect to comply with the express command of God, which requires that we should love God with all the heart, and soul, and strength, and mind, and our neighbor as ourselves. This native depravity, or alienation of affection from God, and his law, is supposed to be what the apostle calls the carnal mind, which is enmity against God, and is therefore denominated sin or sinfulness.

Reader, let us keep out of the way. As the writer is one among the divines, we can see clearly by the eve of faith that sin creeps in through the divines, carries off the shepherd and causes the flock to wander far away from the fold of God, and the wolf of hell gets in among the sheep and destroys many, if not the old sheep; he falls upon the young lambs and carry them away into captivity, while the shepherd stands off upon a barren mountain and sees them plunge into that damnable pit of hell: while he stands quaking, shivering and trembling over the very brink of damnation himself. Shepherds gone, flocks wandering about for food, and failing to find it they then are lost for the want of a true shepherd to feed the flock or place food within their reach. As I am one of this number, let us tell the reader that "We are just a little shepherd,And feed my master's sheep,And on the hills of Zion,I with them, long to keep."

We must as divines, leaders must, be awaken to this end, and keep out of the way

Well did Charles Wesley write when he wrote these lines to the minister of the holy word. Oh may you catch the sound of the word. Listen: "Jesus the truth and power of divine,Send forth the messengers of thine;Their hands confirm, their hearts inspire,And touch their lips with hallowed fire.Be thou their mouth and wisdom, Lord,Thou, by the hammer of thy word,The rocky hearts in pieces break,And bid the sons of thunder speak.To those who would their Lord embrace,Give them to preach the word of grace,Sweetly their yielding bosoms move,And melt them with the fire of love.Ministers of God, note the above and let us keep out of the way. For well did Christ say to Peter: "Feed my sheep," the words reached Peter again, but in a sweeter voice: "Peter, feed my lambs," thus we find Peter feeding 00099both the old sheep and the lambs. By so doing he kept out of the way--the way that leads to hell. Then we find him in the way to life eternal. Thus may every heart pray that we as minister for Christ Jesus, keep out of the way of sinner, but stand on the watch wall of Zion, and cry with trumpet voice: "Come back! come back! this is the way to Beulah land; come, let us go to God hand and hand."