Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-11-02


er. He assisted at the execution OF
Stephen, and yet Paul was saved The
dying thief did everything bad The
dying thief was saved. Richard Baxter
swore dreadfully, but the grace Of God
met him, and Richard Baxter was saved
Wash and BE Clean.
1t is a vast laver. Go and tell every
body 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.
Is 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 Solo
mons temple there were ten LAYERS and
one molten sea-this great reservoir in
the midst of the temple filed with wa
ter-these LAYERS and this molten sea
adorned with figures Of palm branch
and oxen and lions and cherubim. This
fountain of Gods mercy is a vaster
molten sea than that 1t is adorned not
with palm branches, but with the wood
Of the cross; not with cherubim, but
with the wings Of the Holy Ghost, and
around it's great rim all the race may
come and wash in the molten sea- Twas
reading the other day of Alexander the
Great, who, when he was very thirsty
and standing at the head Of his army,
had brought to him cup Of water. He
looked off upon his host and said, II can
not drink this; my men are all thirsty"
and he dashed it to the ground.
Blessed be God, there is enough water
for all the host-enough for captains
and hostl "Whosoever will may come
and take Of the water Of life freely"
a laver broad as the earth, high as the
heavens and deep as hell.
1t Is Cleansing or Death.
But I notice also, in regard to this
layer Of looking glasses spoken Of in the
text, that the washing in twas impera-
tive and not optional When the priests
came into the tabernacle (you will find
this in the thirtieth chapter of Exodus1
God tells them that they must wash in
that laver or die. The priest might have
said Cant wash elsewhere? ! wash
ed In the LAYER at home, and now you
want me to wash here" God says: mo
matter whether or not you have washed
before. Wash in this laver or die. Z"
but" says the priest, There is water
Just as clean as this Whywon'tthat dor"
wash here" says God, "or die. So
it is with the gospel Of Christ. 1t is i'm
perative. There is only this alternative
keep our 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 a long line Of boats
running from here to heayen?" | can
not say, but l simply know that there is
only one boat. You say, Are there not
trees as luxuriant as that on Calvary,
more luxuriant, for that had neither
buds nor blossoms; 1t was stripped and
barkedi" Yes yes there have been tall
er trees than that and more luxuriant,
but the only path to heaven is under
that one tree. Instead Of quarreling be-
cause there are not 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 I preach. ! do not know
how = man can stand stolidly and pre-
sent it for it is such an exhilarant gos-
pei It is not q mere whim or caprice
1t is life or death. 1t is heaven or hell
You come before your child, and you
have a present in your hand. You put
your hands behind your back and sayi
(Which hand will you take9 In one
hand there is a treasure; in the other
there is not" The child blindly chooses.
But God our Father does not do that
way with us. He spreads out both hands
and says; NOW this shall be very plain.
In that hand are pardon and peace and
life and the treasures Of heaven. In
that hand are punishment and sorrow
and woe. Choose choose for yourselvesP'
"He that believeth and is baptized shall
be saved, but he that believeth not shall
be damned. "