The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1894-11-07

us? Do rot spend so much OF
your time in hunting in the
wardrobe for the old, wornout shoes OF
Christian profession. Come this morning
and take the glittering robe OF Christ
Righteousness from the Saviour's hand. You
say YOU were plunged in the fountain of the
Sayiour's mercy q quarter of century ago.
That is nothing to me. l tell you TO WASH
now in this laver of looking glasses and
have your soul made clean.
notice also in regard TO this LAYER 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 in the basin, the
priests washed both hands and feet. SO the
gospel Of Jesus Christ must touch the very
extremjties of our moral nature.
A man cannot fence off small
part of his soul and say, CHOW,
This is to he a garden in which [ will have
all the fruits and flowers of Christian char
acter. while outside it shall be the devlts
commons" No, nc. 1t will be all garden
or none I sometimes hear people say, HE
is a very good man except in politics. IheH
he is not good man.
A religion that will not take man through
an autumn election will not be worth any
thing TO bin in June. July and August.
They say he is a useful sort OF man, but he
oyerreaches in a bargain. I deny the state
ment. If he is a Christian anywhere he will
be in his business. 1t is very easy to be good
in the prayer meeting, with surroundings
kindly and blessed. but not so easy to
he a Christian behind the counter. when
by one skilluI twitch OF the goods you
can hide p fi4w in the silk so that the GUS
toner cannot see it. II is very easy to be
Christian with n psalmbook in your hand
and a Bible in your lap. but not so easy
when you can go into shop and falsely tell
the merchant you can get those goods at
cheaper rate in another store, so that he
will sell them to you cheaper than he can
afford to sell them.
I remark. further, that this laver of look
ing glasses spoken Of in the text was very
large laver. I always thought, from the
fact that so many washed there, and also
from the fact that Solomon afterward, when
he copied that laver in the temple, built it
on very large scale, that it was large. and
so suggestive OF the gospel OF Jesus Christ
and salvation by Him-vast in its provisions.
The whole world may come and wash in this
LAYER and be clean.
When our Civil War had passed the Gov
eminent of the United States made prOcla-
nation ofpardon to the common soldierv in
the Confederate army but not to the chief
soldiers. The gospel Of Christ does not act
in that way. It says pardon for all, but
especially for the chief OF sinners.
Now. nv brother. do not state this to
put premium upon greatiniquity. merely
say this to encourage that man, whoever he
is, who feels he is so far gone from God that
there is no mercy tor him. want to tell
him there is a good chance. Why. Paul was
a murderer. He assisted at the execution
of Stephen, and vet Paul was saved. The
diving thief did everything had. The dying
thief was saved. Richard Baxter swore
dreadfuIly. but the grace Of God met him,
and Richard Baxter was saved.
It is vast laver. Go and tell everybody
to come and wash in it. Let them come up
from the pententiaries and wash away their
crimes. Let them come up from the aims
houses and wash away their poverty. Let
them come up from their graves and wash
away their death. If there be any one so
worn out IN sin that he cannot get up to the
laver. YOU will take hold Of his head and
put your arms around him, and l will take
hold Of his feet, and we will plunge him in
this glorious Bethesda, the vast laver OF
Gods mercy and salvation. In Soomon's
temple there were ten LAYERS and one molten
sea-this great reservoir In the midst OF the
temple filed with water-these LAYERS and
this molten sea adorned with figures OF
palm branch and oxen and lions and
caerubim. This fountain Of Gods mercy
is yaster molten sea than that. 1t ls
not adorned with palm branches, but with
the wood of the cross; not with the
cherubim, but with the wings OF the Holy
Ghost, and around its great rim all the race
NAV come and wash in the molten sea.
But I notice also in regard to this LAYER OF
looking glasses spoken of in the text, that
the washing in it was imperative and not
optional. When the priests came into the
tabernacle (you will find this in the thirtieth
chapter OF Exodus). Godtells them that they
must wash in that laver Or die. The priest
bo, 7 plGnwhnrpC
I washed in the laver at home, andnoW YOU
want me to wash here" God says; "No
matter sWhether or not you have washed
before Wash in this laver or die"
Out" says the priest "there is water Just
as clean as this. Why won't that do?"
'Wash here" says God, cor die" SO it is
with tie gospel Of Christ. 1t is imperative.
There is only this alternative-keep our sins
and perish. or wash them away and live.
But. saws some one "Why could not God
have made more ways to heaven than one?"
do not know but He could have made half
n dozen. I know He made but one. You
say. "Why not have a long line of boats
running from here to heaven" / cannot
saw. but I simply know that there is
only one boat You say, care there not
trees as luxuriant as that on Calvary. more
Iuxuriant, for that had neither buds nor
blossoms it was stripped and barkedY'
Yes. yes there have been taller trees than
that and more luxuriant. bat the only path
to heaven is under that one tree. Instead
of Quarreling because there are cot more
WAYS. let us 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
gospel this is preach. do not know how
a man can stand stolidly and present it, for
it is such an exhilarant gospel. 1t is not
mere whim or caprice. 1t is life or death.
1t is heaven or hell. You come before your
child. and you have present in your hand.
You put your hands behind your back and
say: (Which hand will you take? In one
hand there is treasure; in the other
there is not" The child blindly chooses.
But God our Father does not do that
L.. 18th Nc He snrnnAs ont both hands