National Baptist world., 1894-11-09

!
says small sinner may be saved, but
I do think Of passages that say
| great sinner may be saved. If there
be sins only faintly-hued. just little
/ tinged, SO family colored that You can
| hardly see them, there is no special
/ pardon promised in the Bible for those
sins; but if they be glaring, red like
crimson, then they shall be as snow.
| Now, my brother, | do not state this to
put premium upon great iniquity. |
merely say this to encourge that man,
whoever he is, who feels he is so far
| gone from God that there is no mercy
for him. | want to tell him there is a
good chance. Why, Paul was muir
derer; he assisted at the execution of
! Stephens; and yet Paul was saved. The
dying thief did everything bad. Tie
j dying thief was saved Richard Baxter
swore dreadfully; but the grace Of God
met him, and Richard Baxter was
saved. It is a vast laver. Go and tell
everybody to come and wash in it. Let
them come up from the penitentiaries
and wash away their crimes. Let them
come up from the almshouses and wash
away their poverty. Let them come
up from their graves and wash away
their death
But [ notice also, in regard to this
laver of loolzing-glasses spoken of in
the text, that the washing in it was
imperative, and not optional. When
the priests came into the tabernacle
| (vou will find this in the thirtieth chap
ter of Exodus), God tells them that
they must wash in that laver or die.
The priest might have said: Cant [
wash elsewhere? l washed in the
laver at home, and now you want me
to wash here" God says: "No matter
whether or not you have washed be-
fore. Wash in this laver or die"
But" says the priest, there is water
just as clean as this-why won't that
do?" "Wash here" says God, 'or die"
So it is with the gospel of Christ-it is
Imperative. There is only this alterna-
| tive: keep our sins and perish, Or wash
| them away and live.
Instead of quarreling because there
are not more ways, let 1Is be thankful
| to God there is one-One name given
unto men whereby we can be saved
| one laver in which all the world may
wash. So you see what radiant Cos
| pei this is I preach. | do not know
how man can stand stolidly and pre-
sent it, for it is such an exhilarant gos-
| pei. 1t is not a mere whim or caprice:
it is life or death; it is Heaven or hell.
| Oh, my dear friends, l wish I could
coax you to accept this gospel. If you
could just take one look in this laver
of looking glasses spoken of in the
text, you would begin now spiritual
ablution. The love of Christi dare
not, toward the close of my sermon
begin to tell about it, The love of
Christ! Do not talk to me about
mountain; it is higher than that. Do
not talk to me about a sea; it is deeper
than that.
An artist in his dreams saw such
splendid picture of the TRANSPORTATION
of Christ tl'at ne awoke, and seized his
pensil, and said: Let me paint this
and die Oh. 7 have seen the. G1aniAs.
of Christ! I have beheld something OF
the beauty of that great sacrifice on
Calvary, and I have sometimes felt
would be willing to give anything if I
might just sketch before you the won
ders of that sacrifice. would like to
do it while I live, and would like to
do it when I die. LET me paint
this and die!'' He comes along
weary and worn. His face wet with
tears, His brow crimson with blood,
and He lies down on Calvary for you.
No, mistake. Nothing was as com
Portable as that. A stone on Calvary
would have made soft pillow for the
dying head of Christ. Nothing SO COM
Portable as that. He does not lie down
to die; He stands up to die; His spiked
hands outspread as if to embrace a
world. Oh, what hard end for these
feet that had travelled all over Judea on
ministries of mercy! What hard end
for those hands that had wiped away
tears and bound up broken hearts!
Very hard, Oh dying Lamb of God!
and yet there are those who know it
and do not love Thee. They say:
what is all that to me? What
if He does weep, and groan, and die?
don't want Him." Lord Jesus Christ,
they will not help Thee down from the
cross! The soldiers will come, and
they will tear Thee down from the
cross, and put their arms around Thee
and lower Thee into the tomb; but
they will not help. They see nothing
to move them. Oh, dying Christ! turn
on them Thine eyes of affection now,
and see if they will not change their !
minds!
saw one hanging on tree,
In agony and blood,
Who fixed His languid eyes on me,
AS near His cross stood.
Oh, never till my latest breath
Will forget that look!
He seemed to charge me with His death,
Though not word He spoke.
And that is all for you! Oh. can you
not love Him? Come around this laver,
old and young. It is so FURNISHED you
can see your sins; and so deep you can
wash them all away. Oh, mourner,
here bathe your bruised soul: and sick
one, here cool your hot temples in this
laver. Peace! Do not cry any more,
dear soul! Pardon for all thy sins,
comfort for all thy Affections. The
black cloud that hung laundering over
Sinai has foated above Calvary, and
burst into the shower of a Saviours
tears.
saw in Kensington garden a pic
r.