The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-06-06
For the Elk Advocate.
CATHOLIC CHRI sTIANITY---NO. 7.

CATHOLIC CHRI sTIANITY--N0. Z.
Suppose an Israeltc, bitten by one Of
tie deadly sorpents, and knowing that
the bite would prove fatal in a few hours,
if he did not obtain relief from some
source, should say nevertheless that he
would not look for healing to the brazen
serpent which Meses had lifted up be-
cause lie Jelieped 1t was hunsbug
should We not say that such man de.
served his fate? Yet man might say
it was contrary to reason and common
sense to suppose that looking upon the
brazen imitation of the serpent which
had bitten him would cure the fatal bite.
But all such objections were out of
place. This was the way which God
appointed far the healing of the people,
"a way, indeed, which was entirely
arbitrary, but which none could misun
derstand, and which cost them moth ing
against which no honest man could have
the least objection. After this, if any
died of the scrpeuja bite, it was their
own fault. God mad promised certain
cure if they would only LOOK refusing
to do this was evidence of an unbolieving
or rebelliops spirit, though they might
boast of reason, and accuse Moses of
humbuggiug the people.
Now with 'I;- ~--''---ri, hnfore us. we
hear the glad sound of the Gospel: GAS
Moses lifted up the serpent in the des.
ert, so shall the Son of man be lifted
up; " and accordingly he was lifted up
on the cross "that wHos0EvER believ-
eth in Him shall not perish, but may
have'liie everlasting" And net as in
case of the serpent IA the desert but
now VIC are informed as to the way in
which the lifting up of Christ effects
the salvation of those that look TO Him.
His death was a sacrifice to divine JUS
tice-an atonement for human guilt -
so that God may be just and justify the
believer in Jesus.
But l wish now to insist on the FACT
that salvation (which includes the for
giveness of sins and blessed immortali-
ty] is freely offered to all men through
faith in Christ. And for any sinner to
doubt that God will save him if he
looAS to Jesus, is just as wicked as it
would have been for any Israelite to
doubt that God would heal him of the
serpents bite if he would look upon the
serpent Of brass. And since, in the
one case as in the other, there is no
other 'cay to escape the impending evil,
We can understand why unbelief is the
prevailing sin of the world. [See John
l6, 8.
But why is it that all men are not
saved, when a sufficient atonement has
been made for all, and all are invited
70 come and "take of the water of life
freely?" Why is it, than when Christ
is preached as willing and able to save
forever ALL mho come to God Jy Him,
so many refuse to come? The fact,
strange and sad as it is, cannot be de-
MED. There are very many, even IN.
der the fall light of the gospel, who
,oW not come to Christ that they might
have life. They would rather die than
be saved in this way or at least run
tie risk Of death, than look to the Sa-
vior noW-the only opportunity they
are sure of Z; and this is unaccountable,
except on the ground that the human
heart is deaeitful above all things, aud
desperately wicked -" cRmity against
God"
But some believe and since all are
by nature essentially alike-all are
dead in sin we must inquire whence
the diferenceY - G. G.
fna