"Born of the Spirit;" or, Gems from the Book of LifeOsborne, Zenas
Religion
"Born of the Spirit;" or, Gems from the Book of Life
Osborne, Zenas
Free Methodist Church of North America; Osborne, Zenas
Dear reader, remember every act goes to the account; every vain and
trifling word; every misspent hour; every neglected Sabbath; every
time Christ has been offered you and rejected; every gospel sermon
that you have heard and have not given heed thereto; every profane
word uttered; every lie told--yea, every act of life, and all the
upbraidings of conscience, are treasures of wrath laid up for you to
reap through all eternity! But if you have been sowing to the Spirit,
life everlasting. Be not deceived, God is not mocked.
XXI.
TO ACTUAL SETTLERS.
Our government has been very generous in making a law, giving to
every man a homestead, upon the simple condition that he will settle
upon it. To enjoy this he must be an actual settler. He may talk much
of the beautiful West, how inviting it is; how independent people
become who go West; how strong his desires are to go, and that he
means to go; but unless he packs up and moves on, he will never get
there; he will never know anything about the grandeur of possessing a
home in the West.
God has provided a home in the land of Canaan, the land of perfect
love for all actual settlers. Holiness is a blessed theme; many love
to talk about it, and speculate about the fruit that grows in that
fair clime, where the sun never goes down; “a land of corn, and wine,
and oil, favored with God’s peculiar smile, with every blessing
blest.” There are no obnoxious weeds, such as anger displayed in
kicking back; no pride, as seen in the wearing of gold, and pearls,
and costly attire; no gay churches, too grand for the poor.
No, blessed be God, in that land of perfect love all is pure; the
fountain-head is holy. Every desire is unto the Lord. The stream
of life is without mixture, full of health and life eternal. But
as lovely as this land may be, to possess it we must move upon it,
_be actual settlers_. When we purchase a farm and pay our money for
the same, we receive a warrantee deed, made out correctly, signed
by proper authorities, and sealed by the government seal. It is
precisely so with those that settle down upon a _homestead_ in the
land of perfect love; their title is made as clear as ten thousand
suns could make it. The Holy Ghost writes, ’Tis done, the great
transaction is done; “thou art cleansed from all unrighteousness,”
and this produces a sensation and the soul cries out, “Glory to God!”
Then comes a very comfortable feeling, “I am washed in the blood of
the Lamb.” “His Spirit beareth witness to this great truth, that
we are citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem.” “Now we have received
not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that
we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” A
_homestead_ or entire sanctification is one of the things that are
freely given to us of God, and it is the office of the Holy Ghost to
make us know that we have received it.
XXII.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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