The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-11-07

IS FG8G iSfCEs w Hlu sC4i GN6I J UJCS
to como and wash in it. Let them come
up from the penitentiarIes and wash
away their crimes. Lst them come u
fcom the almshouses aud wash ava !
their poverty. Let them come up from
their graves aud wash away Their death.
If there be any one so worn cut II SIN
that ho cannot get up TO the LAYER, you
will take mold Of bis head and put your
arms around him, aad | will take hold
Of bis feet, end We will plu7gs him in
this glorious Bethesda, the vast lavec Ci
Gods mercy and salvation.
Ia Soiom0n's temple there were ten
LAYERS and one mol5on se2-this great
reservoir il the midst of the temple
filed with water-these LAYERS and th!s
molten sea adorned with figures Of palm
branch and oxen and lions and cherub'm.
This fJunajo Of Gods mercy is vas
ter molten sea than that. Ii is adorned
not with plan branches pu5 with ,Ae
wood Of tbs cr0ss; not with cheru biGl,
hut With the wings OF the Holy Ghost,
aud around its crest rim al the ra2e
may come and wash in the molten sea.
! was reading the other day Of Alsx21.
der the Great, who, when he was very
thirsty and standing at the head OF bis
army, had brought to him a-cup of water
He Looked off upoa his host ard sad: Il
cannot drink this. My man arc all thirs'
- aud he dashed It TO the gcCuud.
Blessed be God, there II enough wafer
for ali tie host-enough for captains aod
hos! "Whosoeger will may cOme and
take OF the water If life freely" q LAYER
broad az tbe earth, high as the heavens
End deep as hell.
ButI notice also. 10 regard to this
laver Of looking glasses spoken Of il the
text, that the washing il 1t was impera-
tive and not optional. Whsn the priests
come into the tabernacle (you will fad
this in the thirleth cbspter Of ESodus),
God tells them that they must wash IN
that iarea or Gle. The priest might have
said Cant wash elsewhere? washed
ipsths laver at home, and now you want
me to wash here" God ssyt: No
matter whether or not you have washed
before. Wash in this laver or die"
But" says the priest, There ls 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 cur sins and perish, or wash
them away and live. But, says some
one, why could not God have made
more ways to heaven than one?" do
not know, but he could have made half
a dozen. know he made but one.
You say, "Why not have long line
Of boats running from here to heaveL?"
I cannot say, but simply know that
there IS only one boat. You say, Are
there not trees as luxuriaatas that on
Calvary, more luxuriant, for tnst had
neither buds nor blossoms; it was stlip.
PED aud harke6?" Yes. yes, thers have
peen taller trees than that and more
luxurant, but the only path to heaven is
under that one tree. Instead of quarrel.
ing because there sre not mora ways, LEI!
us be thankful to God there ls one-one
name given unto men whereby we can
be saved, one LAYER II which all the
world may wash. 50 you see what a
radiant gospel this is preach. L do not
know how maa can stand stolldly and
present it. for 1t is such al exlilarant
gospel. It is not mere whlm or cap
rec. It is Hfa or death. Il Is heaven
or bell. You come before your child,
and you have a present in your hand.
You put Youc hands behind your back
and say: which maud will you take?
In one hand there is treasure; 10 the
other there is not" The child blindly
chooaes. But God our Father doss not
do that way with Us. He spreads out
both hands and sayf: NOV, this shai!
b3 very PLAN. In that hand are pardon
and peace aud life and the treasures Of
hesvsc; in that hand are punishment
aud sorrow and woe. Choose, choose
fer yourselves" "He that beiieve!h and
is baptized shall be saved, but he that
belleVeth not shall bs damned"
Oh, my dear friends, ~ which
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 ny sermon, begin to tell about it.
The love OF Christ! D. not talk to me-
about a mountain; it is higher than
that. Do not talk to me about sea; It
is deeper than tnat.
Az artist in his dreams saw au3h 8
splendid dream Of the TRANSPORTATION OF
Christ that be awoka and seized his pen
Gil and said, LET me paint this end de-"
Oh, I have seen the glories of Christ! I
have beheld something Of the beauty OF
that sacrifice on Calvery, aud | have
sometime felt would De willing to give
anything if I might just sketch before
you the wonders Of that sacrifice. !
would like to do It while l live, and !
would ike to DO it when I die. Let
me paint this and die" He comes along
weary and worn, his face vet with tears,
his brow CRIMSON with blood, and he lies
doWn OF Calvary for you. No, | mis-
take. Nothing WAS as comfortable SIS
that. a stone on Calvary would have
made soft pillow for the dying head ot
Christ. Nothing so comfortable as that
He does not lie down to die. He stands
up to die, his spiked hands cu!spread as
if to embracs world. Ga, what hard
end for those fest that had travelled all
over JuCal on ministries Of mercy!
What a hard end for those hands that
wiped away tears and bound up broken
hearts! Very hard, 0 dying Lamb d
Goo! Aud yet there are those who know
it and who do not love thee. They say;
"What is all that to me? What if he
does weep and groan and die? L don'i
want him." Lord Jesus Chrs!, they
will not help thee down from the cross
Tue soldiers will come, and they will
tear thee down from the cross aud put
their arms around thee and lower Lhee
into the tomb, but they will not help,
They see nothing to move them. 0 dy'
lng Christ, turn on them thine eyes oi
affection now and see if they will not
change their minds!
I saw one hanging on tree
In agony and blood
Who fixed bis languid eyes on me
L.