The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1894-12-22
}. We were born with it. We got

turC. We were born WITH III. we ~"
It 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 fostered.
well" you say, II can't believe that
to be So" Ahr my dear brother, that
is because you have never looked into
this laver of looking glasses.
If you could catch 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
If q man does not feel his lost and
ruined condition before God, he does
not want any Gospel. think the rea-
SON that there are SO few conversions in
this day is because the tendency of the
preaching is to make men believe that
they are pretty good anyhow-quite |
clever, only wanting little fixing up
"a few touches of Divine grace, and
then You will be all right; instead OF
proclaiming the broad, deep truth that
Pavson and Whitefeld hundred to
race trembling on the verge OF infinite
and eternal disaster. "Now," says
some one, "can this really be true? Is
there no good in us?" In Hampton
court / saw a room where the four
walls were covered with looking
glasses, and it made no differ
ence which way you looked, you
saw yourself And so it is in
this Gospel of Christ. If you
once step within it's full precincts you
will find your whole character reflect
ed; every feature of moral depravity;
every spot of moral faint. If 1 under
stand the Word of God, its first an
nouncement is that we are lost. care
not, my brother, how magniicently
you may have been born, or what may
have been your heritage or ancestry,
you are lost by reason OF sin. But"
| YOU say, 'swhat is the use of all this
| of showing mans faults when he
! can't get rid of them?" None!
what was the use of that
FURNISHED surface to that laver
of looking-glasses spoken of in the
text, If it only showed the spots on the
countenance and the need of washing.
and there was nothing to wash with?'
Glory be to God, l find that this laver
of looking glasses was filled with
fresh water every morning. and the
priest no sooner looked on its FURNISHED
side and saw his need of cleansing,
then he washed and was clean-glori-
GUS type of the Gospel of my Lord
Jesus. that first shows a man his sin
and then washes it all away.
want you to notice that this lavel
in which the priest washed-the 1avel
of looking-glasses-w filed with
fresh water every morning. The ser
wants of the tabernacle brought the
water in buckets and poured it int
this laver. So it is with the Gospel o
|, Jesus Christ; it has fresh salvation
' every day. 1t is not a stagnant poo
{ filed with accumulated corruptions
, 1t is living water, which is brough
: from the eternal rock to was
a away the sins of yesterda.
y of one moment ago. 'Oh,
saws some one, II was a Christina
twenty years agor' That does no
mean anything to me. What are 20
y now? We are not talking, my brother
e about pardon ten years ago, but abou
: pard on nova fresh salvation. SUI
e nose a time of war should com,
n and / could show the governmer
t that had been loyal to
X twelve years ago, would that excus
IL me from taking an oath of allegianc
e now? Suppose you ask me about m
5. physical health, and should say wa
It well fifteen years ago-that does M
d say how l am now. The Gospel
ir Jesus Christ comes and demands pre-
Ell emit allegiance, present fealty, presel
l. moral health; and yet how mar
d Christians there are seeking to live e
1T tirely in past experience of preset
o, mercy and pardon! When ] was
err the sea, and there came up gre
lie storm, and officers and crew and pa
10 sengers all thought we must go dow
W. began to think of my life i
IS. surance, and whether, ii / we
or taken away, my family won
or be cared for; and then l though
Is is the premium paid up? and
he said: Yes. Then l felt comfortably
1t Yet there are men who, in religio
at matters, are looking back to past
IN surance. They have let it run out, al
m they have nothing for the present,
de hope nor pardon-falling back on t
vs. old insurance policy of ten, INVENT
at thirty years ago. If want to find o
III. how friend feels toward me, do
no to the drawer and find some old yellt
,ot letter written to me ten or twel
ad years ago? No: ! go to the lett
nd that was stamped the day befe
I'm Yesterday in the post office,
-ce find how how he feels toward
ad 1t is not in regard to old commune
cir tions we had with Jesus Christ; it
ms. communications we have now. 4
M we not in sympathy with Him t
in morning, and is He not in sympat
The with us? Do not spend so much
your time hunting in the wardrobe
do the old, worn out shoes OF Christi
;no profession. Come this morning 9
we take the glittering robe OF Chris
,e,, righteousness from the Saviour's ha
erv You say you were plunged in the to
Cd tain of the Savior's mercy quarter
for a century ago. That is nothing to
for / tell you to wash now in this la
en-. of looking-glasses and have your
is made clean