Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1894-11-09
A religion that will not take = man through


be in his business. It is vo-v easy TO be good
In the prayer meeting, with surroundings
kindly and b!esse1. hut not so easy 10
ne n Christian benin the counter. when
by one sklliul twitch OF the goo Is you
Fan hide n nIw IN tLe silk so that tha Gus
toner cannot see il. It is very aasv to he n
Christiqn with a psalmboOk in your hand
and Il Bible in yOur lap. but not so easy
when You can 90 into shop and falsely tell
the merchant you can get those goods nt n
cheaper rate in another store, so that he
will sell them TO you cheaper than he can
afford 10 sell them.
Iremark, further that this laver Of look
Ing glasses spoken Of in the text was a very
large laver. | always thought, from the
fact that 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
50 suggestive Oft gospel Of Jesus Christ
and salvation by Him-vast in its provisions.
The whole world may come and wash in this
lavar and be clean.
When our Civil War had pissed. the Gov
eminent Of the United States made procla-
nation ofpardon to the common soldiery 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. my brother, do not state this to
put premium upon great intquity. 1merey
is, who feels he is so far gone from God that
there is no mercy for him. I want to tell
him there is a good chance. Why Paul was
q muir lerer. He assisted at the execution
Of Stephen, and yet Paul was saved. The
dying thief did everything bad. The dying
thief was saved. Rtchar1 Baxter swore
dreadfuIlv. but the grace Of God met him,
and Richard Baxter was saved.
1t is q vast laVer Go and tell everybody
to come and wash in it. Let them come up
from the penftnntiaries AM 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
lavnr. you will take hold Of his head and
put your arms around him. and | 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 filed with water-theso LAYERS and
this molten sea adorned with figures OF
palm branch and oxen AMI lions and
cherubim. This fountain Of Gods mercy
is a Yaster molten sea than that. 1t ID
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
may come and wash in the molten sea.
but nOllC6 also, IN regard 10 CuiS laV6r
looking glasses spoken Of in the text that
the washing in it was imperative and not
optional. When the priests came into the
tabernacle (yOT will find this Ill the thirtieth
chapter Of EXOdus), God tells them that they
must wash in that laver or die. The priest
might have said: ''Can't I wash elsewhere?
washed in the laver at home, and now you
want me to wash here" God says: "No
matter swhether or not you have washed
before. Wash in this laver or die"
HBut," says the priest ''there is water Just
as clean IS this. Why won't that do?"
with the gospel of Christ. 1t 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 moro ways to heaven than one?"
do not know but He could have made hal:
Il dozen. I know He made but one. You
say, "Why not have long line OF boats
from here to heaven?' I cannot
say. but l simply know that there Is
only one boat. You say, care there not
luXuriant, for that had neither buds nor
blossoms it was stripped and barked?"
Yes, yes, there have been taller trees than
that and more luxuriant, but the only path
to heaven is under that Cne tree. Instead
Of Quarreling because there are not more
ways, let us be thankful tc God there ls
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 a
mere Whim or caprice. 1t is life or death.
It 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.
Il hot
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 yourselves ~ "He that |
oelieveth and is baptized shall be saved. but
ne that believeth not shall be damned"
An artist In his dreams saw such asplendid |
1ream of the TRANSPORTATION of Chst that |
10 awoGe and seized his pencil and said,
Let me paint this and die" Oh, I have
seen the gIorle5 OF Christ I have behed |
Of the beauty of that great sacri-
Ice on Calvary, and have sometimes felt
would be willing to give anything If I might |
ust sketch before you tho wonders of
nat sacrifice. would like to do it while |
i've, and 1 would like to do it W len [ die.
Let me paint this and die" He comes |
long, weary and worn, His face wet with |
ears, His brow crimson with blood, and He |
les down on Calvary for you. No, | mis- |
AXE. Nothing was as comfortable as that
. stone on Calvary would have made a soft
iIlow for the dying head Of Christ. Moth
ng 50 comfortable as that. He does not lie |
own TO die He stands up to die, His spiked
ran Is Udtspread rs if to embrace a world.
On, what a hard end for those feet that had
ravalei all over JUDAH ON ministries of
mercy! What hard end for t2ose hands
hat had wiped away tears alI bound up
yroken hearts!
And that is all for you! Oh cal you not
Ove Him? Come around this iaver, cid and
young. Iti so FURNISHED you can see your
sins and so deep you can wash them all away.
, mOurner, here bathe your bruised soul,
md, sick one, here cool your hot temples in
his lave ! Peace Do not cry any more,
ear SOU! Pardon for all thy sirs, comfort
or all tEy Affections. The black cloud that
lung thGndering over Sinai has foated Above
calvary and burst into the shower of a
Saviour's tears.
Waterloo a gOOi while after the battle
laa passed and the grass had grown
Ill over che field. There was a dis
mounted cannon, and a lamb had come
1p from the ,lsture and lay sleeping in
ne mouth CT that cannon. So the artist
la3 represented it-a most suggestive
hing. Then 1 thought how the wer be-
ween God and the soul had ended, and
instead OF the announcement, ''The
wages of sin is DEATH" there came the
words, MY peace l give unto thee" and
lmid the batteries OF the law that had once
Iuaked with tle fiery bail OF death beheld
ne Lamb OF God, which taketh away the
in OF the world.
went to Jesus as | was
Weary and worn and sad.
F-,,,r, I q =