African expositor., 1886-10-01
THE PURE IN HEART.
BY REV. JOS. BAYsMoRE, WELDON. \. c.

notice how we are delighted 10 see our
friends who have been gone long journey
and returned home TO their beloved ones
hence It will be an unspeakable JOY to see
God especially those that love God, FOR we
think ourselves happy To see our great men
Of this present day. The Queen of Saeba
admireth the wisdom OF Solomon and said
" Happy are thy servants who staud con-
tinuaIly before thee and hear thy wisdom.
lst Kings 10th chapter 0tn verse. Blessed
are the pure in heart for they shall see God.
And it is written in Thy presence is lulness
Of JOY; at Thy right hand there are pleas
ures forever more. But none can see God
but the pure in heart--a clean heart wholly
free from spots or stains of sin, the inward
purity produced by tie Holy Spirit through
faith in Jesus blood. These are they which
shall see God, those who rejoice to do HIS
will here below and they shall be glorltied
in the world to come; and it is written he
that has this hope III HIM purIheth himself
even as He is pure And there Is a common
purity that is suited to the thiugs of this
world, such as pure gold and pure heart
timber, which is suitable to build SHIPS to
sail upon the ocean, and build dwelling
houses, and no man will have carpenters
and pay them wages to build a ship or a
house out OF rotten timber, hence men will
refuse rotten hearted trees for the building
OF ships to carry goods and tidlngs to ma
tiOns Likewise God refuses the unclean
hearts to bear His message to the world.
For as the insects live in otten-hearted and
hollow trees and hollow limbs, so do devils
and bad words dwell in an unclean heart.
But by the influence OF the Holy Spirit, the
unclean hearts may be washed out, as it is
written, "Oh, Jerusalem, wash thy heart. "
have seen tree look beautiful outside, but
When 1t was rocked by a storm and the out
side was broken through, then the rottenness
was seen See Romans Sd and 18th. Their
throatS are open sepulchres, with their
tongues they have used deceit. the poison of
asps under their lips, and that is a figure of
SeIl-fl2hteOus person, for when the storms
oI temptation cOmeth his lips will show the
irulL oI MS heart, for as bugs and scorpions
i've IN rotten trees and hollow limbs, and
when those are annlied to the Gro tl.9 I.o..t
DWnl drive those poisonous insects out, so the
heat OF passion will fire the heart of man :;
for out OF the abundance of the heart the
mouth speaketh, and it is written, for by thy
words shalt thou be justified, and by thy
words thou shalt be condemned" See
Proverbs 18th chapter 22nd verse.
Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.
but they that deal truly are His delight.
Hence as bugs and scorpions cannot live in
pure-hearted trees and limbs, an evil spirit
cannot dwell in pure heart. Blessed are
the pure IN heart Tor they shall see God. A
pure heart consists OF pure conscience to-
wards G0d and man, and a consistent men,
Der in the church, Hence pure-hearted
christian will not seek to take ADVANTAGE Of
the Lords house by going into dissipated
places and taking part in sinful habits of the
world, for pure-hearted christian will not
walk contrary to the rule of Gods bonse
and hide himself under a false policy. and
then uphold himself by saying if he asks
pardon the church is bound to forgive hIm
But pure-hearted christian will keep him.
self from sin by taking heed to the Word of
God. See 51st Psalm 10th verse. "Create
III me clean heart, o God, and renew q
right spirit within me-" And it is written
thy Word IS very pure, therefore thy SER
wants lOveth it, and we NAV tvpifv tbe
cleaning of the impure heart by block Of
wood that has rotten heart, tor we can
take boring instrument and bore out the
rotten core and fill it with gold without do
stroying the block, and then the gold will
fill the place OF the heart, and it NAV then
be called golden heart, and it will then he
valued according to the weiQht of gold that
Was put into the block. so the HOLY Shirt
can clean the heart, and He will not DESTROY
the soul and neither the body. And il is
written: i: Purge me with hyssOp and I shall
be clean; wash me, and | shall be whittier
than snow" Hence the Holy Spirit can
clean the impure heart by faith in Jesus. and
He will not destroy the soul, neither the
body. And now may the God Of Peace be
with you all. Amen.