Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1894-11-03

it. We got il from our parents. They
got it from their parents Our thoughts
are wrong, our action is wrong, our
whole life is obnoxious to God before
conversion. and after conversion not
one good thing in us but that which the
grace of God has planted and fostcred.
Well, You say, Il can't believe that
to be So" All. my dear brother, that
is because You have never looked into
this laver of looking glasses.
II Is Full Of Evil.
If you could catch n glimpse of your
natural heart before God, you would
cry out in amaZement and alarm. The
very first thing this gospel does is to cut
down our pride and self sufficiency. II
q man does not feel his lost and ruined
condition before God, he does not want
any gospel. think the reason that there
are SO few conversions in this day is be-
cause the tendency of the preaching il
to make men believe that they are pref
ty good anyhow-quite clever, only
wanting little fixing p, few touch
es Of divine grace, and Aen you will be
all right-instead of TToclaiming the
broad, deep truth that Payson and
Whitefield thundered to race trembling
ON the verge of infinite and eternal
disaster. Now" says some one, 'can
this really be true? Have we all gone
astray? Is there no good in u.s." In
Hampton Court / saw room where the
four walls We're covered with looking
glasses and it made no difference which
way you looked you saw yourself. And
SO it is in this gospel of Christ. If you
once step within its full precincts. you
will find your whole character reflected,
every feature of moral deformity, ev-
cry spot of moral taint. If understand
the word Of God, its first announcement
is that we are lost. care not, my broth
er, how magnificently You may have
been born, or what may have been your
heritage or ancestry, you are lost by
reason Of sin. But. you say, what
is the use Of all this-of showing n
mans faults when he can't get rid of
them:" None! What was the use of
that FURNISHED surface to this laver of
looking glasses spoken of i'll the text, if
it only showed the spots on the counte
nance and the need of washing, and
there was nothing to wash with" Clio
~ be to God, l find that this laver of
looking glasses was filed with fresh
water every morning. and the priest no
sooner looked ON its FURNISHED side and
saw his need of cleansing than he wash
ed and was clcan-glorious type of the
gospel of my Lord Jesus, that first shows
q man his sin and then washes it all
away!
The Daily Need.
want you TO notice that this laver
IN which the priest washed-the laver
of looking glasses-was filled with fresh
water every morning. The servants of
the tabernacle brought the water in
buckets and poured it into this laver.
So it is with the gospel Of Jesus Christ.
1t has fresh salvation every day. 1t is
not stagnant pool filed with accumr-
lated corruptions. 1t is living water.
which is brought from the eternal
rock TO wash away the sins Of yester
day, Of one moment ago. "Oh." says
some one, II was Christian 90 years
ago! That does not mean anything to
me. What are you now? We are not
talking. my brother. about pardon ten
years ago, but about pardon now, .
fresh salvation. Suppose time of war
should come, and could show the gov
ernment that l had been loyal to it IL
years ago. would that excuse me from
taking an oath of allegiance now? Sup
pose you ask me about my physical
health, and / should say was well / )
years ago. that does not say how am
now. The gospel of Jesus Christ comes
and demands present allegiance. present
fealty, present moral health, and yet
how many Christians there are seeking
to live entirely in past experience. who
seem TO have no experience Of present
mercy and pardon! When was on the
sea, and there came up great storm.
and officers and crew and passengers all
thought we must go down. / began to
think of my life insurance. and wheth
CT, if were taken away, my family
would be cared for, and then thought,
Is the premium paid up? and said.
Yes. Then felt comfortable. Yet there
are men who. in religious matters, are
looking back to past insurance. They
have let it run ont, and they have moth
ing for the present, no hope nor pardon,
falling back on the old insurance policy
of 10. 90. 30 years ago.
If / want to find ont how a friend
feels toward me, do 60 to the drawer
and find some old yellow letters written
to me 10 or 12 years ago? No. go to
the letter that was stamped the day be-
fore yesterday in the postoffice, and
find how he feels toward me- 1t is not
in regard to old communications we had
with Jesus Christ. 1t is communications
we have now. Are we not in sympathy
with him this morning. and is he not in
sympathy with us: Do not spend SO
much Of your time in hunting i'll the
wardrobe for the old, wornout shoes Of
Christian profession. Come this morn
ing and take the glittering robe of
Christ righteousnessfr from the Saviour's
hand. You say you We're plunged in the
fountain of the Saviour $ mercy a quarter
Of a century ago That is nothing to me.
tell you to wash now in this laver of
looking glasses and have your soul made
clean.
Made Wholly Clean.
notice also In regard to tins laver OF
looking glasses spoken of in the text
that the priests always washed both
hands and feet. The water came down
in spouts. so that. without leaving any
filth III the basin, the priests washed both
hands and feet So the gospel of Jesus
Christ must touch the very cxtremities of
our moral nature. A man cannot fence of
small part of his soul and say. Now,
this is to be a garden i'll which l will
nave all the fruits and flowers of Chris
tian character. while outside it shall be
the devils commons. No. no. 1t will
DO all garden or none. l sometimes hear
people say. HE is a very good man ex-
,ept in politics. " Then he is not n good
nan.
A religion that will not take a man