The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-07-10
NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH.
" The LAfe-giving River" at New Jeru-
salem Church.


salem Church.
Rev. Henry Clinton Hay discoursed at
the New Jerusalem church yesterday
morning upon "The Life-giving River"
from the text, " He brought me again to
the door of the house, and behold water
issued out Of it,"
This stream Of Ezekiel's vision we
meet constantly throughout the Bible.
Ezekiel feels its wonderful powers and
John Is baptised In 1t. Jesus is baptised
are the words, "He showed mo the
river OF life, clear AS crystal; the same
description as that / nave read to you
from Ezekial.
These rivers have the same spiritual
bearing as the river Jordan. The Jordan
WIS clneasing river. We find the sig
nificance OF having everything pass
through this holy river. The people must
be purified and prepared. SO we begin
to see why the Savior labored above these
waters He spent a world Of philanthro-
pic energy here. All these things point
To the purification OF the people to holy
living. Aaoeher thin, the river waters
the garden OF Innocence. SO 1t Is wit Ia
the Bible in both history and prophecy.
The river is Indispensable. Take it away
and all life departs. The trees shed their
healing leaves and all life departs.
Drainage and irrigation are modern func-
tions OF the river.
It is not TO teach its adaptation to ma
terial wants that God puts forth the
simile OF river. 1t is IIs spiritual ef-
fort that lie wishes TO portray, Without
spirituality we are all that is unholy.
Adulier thieves, liars. Their sins
must be washed away, as water separa-
tes dirt from the body, and this can be
done only by Gods truth flowing like
HOLY xva N ri ms from nj ~
wrong dolnRs. The Kingdom of heaven
Is within the divine commands. Thc
spiritual rIver not only cIeanses us but
supplies US with the bread of life. We
ind this river flowing everywhere i'm
the Bible, In the garden of Edeu., in the
The signs of perfect life are pour ID down
the river for the instruction Of all
The redeemed have passed. through
these waters and now abide upon their
banks. They know the advantage OF all
holiness. In some States OF mind IL is
difficult to be Interested In these things.
We do not care TO learn about the ancient
church. We believe nothing that the
Bible associates US with tue angels.
Where the treasure is then our heart is
also. The Bible Is not needed, say some,
To forbid great sins. Tnis way OF
thinking is brought into the
church even. In the early period of
the church's history this idea AID prevail
The world was full of IL at the time of
Christ. There is Always a more interior
church being formed about the Lord.
Ezekiel saw all these things. He saw
tue external church swept away by the
separation Of the river from God. In his
vision of a reformatio he beheld the
river taken up and issuing forth from be-
meath the altar. We must look up to tho
hills of Jerusalem and benold a river of
life issuing fortl there. The river from
the throne of God will heal all because it
il from the sanctuary OF God.
This is the season when we descend into
the pleasures aud recreations of mate
rial pleasurex Let us not fail to see
their relation to the holy river OF life
and let US not for moment forget in
the pleasures of sense the spiritual life
beyond, tie life eternal.