The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-11-01

this Ia 10 he gar len In which I will hava
all the fruits and flowers OF Christian char.
acter, while outside II shall be the devils
commons No. nc. II will he all garden
or none. / sometimes hear people saw, Gle
Is very good man except in politics. +" Then
he is not good man.
religion that will not take man through
an autumn election will not bo worth any.
thing TO him In June, July and August.
They say he Is n useful sort OF man. but he
overreaches In bargain. I deny the state
ment. II he is n Christian anywhere he will
be In his business. IL IL very easy TO he good
IN the prayer meeting. with surroundings
kindly and blessed. hut not so easy 10
he Christian behind the counter. when
by one skilllul twitch OF the gools YOU
can hide n flaw In the silk so that the cue
toner cannot see It. II is very easy TO be a
Christian with n psambook in YOUR band
and Bible in your lap. but not 50 easv
when YOU can 90 into shop aud falsely tell
the merchant you can get those eools at a
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 lnvpr Of look
ing glasses spoken OF in tho text was n very
| large laver. I always thought. from the
| fact that 40 many WASHED there, au1 also
| from the fact that solomon aiterwtr1, when
he copied that laynr In tho temp'e. built II
/ on n very large scale. that II was large aud
so suggestive OF the gospel OF Jesus Christ
and salvation bv Hlm--vast in its provisions.
| The whole world may come and wash In this
laver and b. clean.
when our Civil War had ptssel. the Gov
/ ernment OF the United States made procla-
/ nation oi pardon TO the common solierv IN
/ the Confederate army. but not 20 tho chief
soldiers. The gospel OF Christ does not net
/ in that way. II says pardon for all, but
/ especially for the chief OF sinners.
! Now. my brother. do not state this 10
Ill. =
/ say this to encou :age that man. whoever he
/ IL, who feels he IL so far gone from God that
there Ia no mercy for him. I want to tell
him there Is a GOOD chance. Why. Paul was
murderer. He assisted Mt the execution
OF stephen. and yet Paul was saved. Tho
dying thief did everything bad. The dying
thief was saved. Richard Baxter swore
drenhiully. hut the grace OF God met him,
and Richard Baxter was saved
1t Is a vast laver. 90 and tell everybody
10 come and vast in II. Let thom come up
from the penitontiarles au l wash awiv their
crimes. Let them como no from the aims
houses and wash awav their poverty. Let
them come up from their graves and wash
away their death. II there he any ono 50
worn out IN sin that he cannot get up to .he
laver, you will take hold OF his head and
put your arms around him, and I will take
hold OF his feet, ami we will plunge him in
this glorious Bethesda. the vast lav,r Of
Gods mercy and salvation. In Solomou's
temple there were ten LAYERS and one motion
sea-thls great reservoir in the midst OF the
temple filled with watcr-these LAYERS and
this molten sea adorned with figures OF
palm branch and oxen and lions and
cherubim. This fountain OF Go1's mercy
Is vaster molten sea than that. II IA
not adorned with palm branches. but with
the wood OF the cross; ; not with tho
cheruhim. but with the wings OF the Holy
Ghost. and around its great rim all the race
may come AMI wash in the molten sea.
But | notice also. in regard TO this laver OF
looking glasses spoken OF in the text. that
the washing in II was imperative and not
optional. When the priests came into the
tabernacle (vou will find this In the thirtieth
chapter OF Exodus). Godtels them thar they
must wash in that llver or die. Tho priest
might have slid Cant wash elsewhere?
/ washed in the laver at home. and now YOU
want me to wash here" God says: "No
matter whether or not you have washed
bgiure: Wash IN this iaver or lie.
"But." says the priest. ''thers Is water Just
rs clean ms this. Why won't that do?"
'Wash here" SAYS God, cor die" so II is
with the gospel OF Christ. 1t is imperative.
There Is only this alternative keep our sins
and perish or wash them away aud live
But says some one. "Why could not God
have made more ways 10 heaven than one?"
do not know but He could have made halt
n dozen. | know He made but one You
running from here TO heaven" ! cannot
say. but | simply know that there Is
only one boat. You say. care there not
trees as luxuriant as that on Calvary, more
luxurilnt for that had neither buds nor
blossoms il was stripped AMI harkei?'
Yes, yes. there nave been taller trees than
that and more luIuriant, but the only path
10 heaven Is under that ona tree. Instead
of quarrelng because there are not more
ways, let US be thqnkful to Col there IL
one, one name given unto men whereby we
can be saved. one laver in which all the
world may wash. SO you sec what radiant
gospel this is | preach. do not know how
man can stand stolldly anf present it, for
IL Is such an exhilarant gospel. II Ia not n
mere whim or caprice. II is life or death.
II is heaven or hell. You como before ycIr
child, and you have n present in your hand.
You put your hands behind your back and
say: (Which hand will you takel In ore
hand there Is II treasure in the othe-
there Is not" The child blindly chooses.
But God ouf Father does not do that
way with u. He spreads out both hands
and says "Now this shall be very plain.
In that hand are pardon and peace and l!fe
and the treasures OF heaven. In that hacd
ARE punishment and sorrow and woe.
Choose, choose TOR yourselyesl' ale tina.
beleveth and Is baptized shall be saved. BIZ.
he that heleveth not shall be damned"
An artist In his dreams saw such "A plendid
uTeiul OF lut tTunslBuTaNlou OF iulst tuat
he awoke an | seized his pencil and said,
"Lnt me paint this and die" Oh, have
seen the glories OF Christ / have beheld
something OF the beauty OF that great sacri,
flee on Calvary, ani have sometimes felt
would he willing to give anything II | might
just sketch before you tho wonders OF
that sacrifice. | would like TO do II while |
live. and would like to do II wien die"
"Let me paint this aud die" -Ie comes
along, weary and worn. HIS face wet with
tears. His brow crimson with blood. aud Ee
lies down on Calvary for you. 10, mis-.
take. Nothing wassis comfortable Rs thar.
stone on Calvary 'would have made "A soft
pillow for the dying head OF Christ. lioth.
ing so comfortable rs that. He does not lie
down 10 die He stands up TO die, His Spiked
hands ouGspredd rs II 10 embrace Il wcrld.
o., what a hard end for those feet that had
travelled all over JudRt on ministries OF
merry What hard end ior those hands
that had wiped away tears and bound up
broken hearts!
And that is all Tor you Oh, can yol not
love Himp Come around this layer, old ami