The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-11-14

CnrlSt1aQ WIFI q pSalnDOOk LII Sout LOU"
and Bible in your lap. but not 80 easy
when you can 90 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.
remark, further, that this laver OF look
Ing Rlss6es spoken OF In the text was very
IVA SzVer. I always thought, from the
MEinat 80 many washed there, and also
from the fact that Solomon afterward. when
he copied that laver In the temple, built 1t
on very large scale, that It was large, and
30 suggestive OF the gospel OF Jesus Christ
and salvation by Him-vast In Its provisions.
The whole world may come and wash In this
laver and be clean.
When our Civil War had passed. the Gov
ernment Of the United States made procla-
nation OF pardon to the common soldiery In
soldiers. The gospel OF Christ does not act
IN that way. It says pardon for all, but
especially for the chief OF sinners.
Now, my brother, do not state this to
put premium upon great inlquity. Imeraly
say this to encou:a :age that man, whoever he
Is. who feels he Is 80 far gone from God that
there Is no mercy for him. I want to tell
him there Is good chance. Why. Paul was
a murderer. He assisted at the execution
OF Stephen. aud 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.
It Is O vast laver. Go and tell everybody
to come and wash in 1t. Let them come up
from the penitentiaries 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 aid wash
away their death. II 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 I will take
hold of his feet, and we will plunge him In
this glorious Bethesda, the vast laver OF
Gods mercy and salvation. In Solomon's
temple there were ten LAYERS and one molten
sea-thIs great reservoir In the midst OF the
temple filled with water-these LAYERS and
this molten sea adorned with figures OF
palm branch and oxen and lions and
cherubim. This fountain OF Gods mercy
ts a vaster molten sea than that. It 1s
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 notice also. In regard to this layer OF
looking glasses spoken OF In the text, that
the washing In It was imperative and not
,ptional. When the priests came into the
tabernacle (you will find this In the thirtieth
..apter OF Exodus), God tells them that they
mus, --o.h in that laver or die. The priest
might have said: "Can't wash elsewheref
I washed In the ,a sGI ct home, and now you
want me to wash here" Go1 says: mo
matter whether or not you have Wasaeo
before. Wash In this laVer or die
Ia rvdtn 4
WWash here" says God, "or die" So it Is
with the gospel Of Christ. It is imperative.
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?"
I do not know but He could have made halt
a dozen. I know He made but one. You
yay. "Why not have long line OF boats
running from here to heavenT I cannot
saw. but I simply know that there Is
only one boat. You say, "Are there not
trees as luxuriant as that on Calvary, more
lu1uriant, for that had neither buds nor
blossoms It was stripped and barkedT
Yes, yes, there have been taller trees than
that and more luxurlant, but the only path
TO heaven Is under that one tree. Instead
Of ouarreling because there are not more
ways. let US be thankful to God there Is
one. one name given unto mon 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
q man can stand stolidly and present It, for
Il is such an exhilarant gospel. 1t Is not
mere whim or caprice. It Is life or death.
II 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 a treasure IN the other
there is not" The child blindly chooses.
But God our Father does not do that
and saws: "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 yourselves" "He that
believeth and Is baptized shall be saved, but
he that believeth not shall be damned"
An artist 10 his dreams saw such asplendid
dream OF the TRANSPORTATION of Chist that
he aHoke and seized his pencil and said.
!Iet me paint this and de-" Oh, I have
seen the elories OF Christ I have beheld
something of the beauty Of that great sacri-
iice on Calvary, and I have sometimes felt l
would be willing to give anything II might
lust sketch before you the wonders OF
that sacrifice. would like to do 1t while l
live, and would like to do 1t when 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. I mis-
take. Nothing was as comfortable as that.
A stone on Calvary would have made soft
pillow for the dying head OF Christ. Moth
in1 go comfortable as that. He does not lie
down to die He stands up to die. His spiked
hands outspread as II TO embrace world.
Oh. what hard end for those 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
And that Is all for you Oh. can you not
love Him2 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
O 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 fioated above
Calvary and burst into the shower OF q
Saviour's tears.
saw In Kensington Garden picture OF
Waterloo a good while after the battle
had passed and the grass had grown
all over the field. There was dis
mounted cannon. and a lamb had come
up from the pasture and lay sleeping in
the mouth Of that cannon. So the artist
had represented it-a most suggestive
thing. Then thought how the war be-
tween God and the soul had ended, and
instead OF the announcement, "The
wages OF sin Is DEATH" there came the
words, MY peace I give unto thee. and
amid the batteries OF the law that had once
uuaked with the fiery hail OF death beheld
the Lamb of God, which taketh away the
sin OF the world.
! went to Jesus as I was,
Weary and worn and sad.