The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-05-15
converted and the fireproof safe is

converted, and the freproof safe is
converted, and thepigeonhole contain
ing the correspondence IS converted,
and his improvement is noticed even
bv the canary bird that sings in the
parlor. and the cat that licks the plat
ter after the meal. and the dog that
comes bounding from the kennel to
greet him. A man half converted, or
quarter converted, or a thousandth
part converted is not converted at all.
What will be the great book IN the
day Of iudgmet? Conscience. Conscl-
ence recalling misimproved opportun-
tiles. Conscience recalling unforgiv-
en- sins. Conscience bringing up all
the past. Alas. for this governor,
Pontius Plate. That night after the
court had adjourned and the sanhedr-
lists had gone home and nothing was
heard outside the room but the step of
the sentinel, I see Pontius Plate arise
from his tapestried and sleepleSs couch
and 60 to the laver and begin to wash
his hands. crying: Out, out, crimson
spot, Tellest thou to me and to God
and to the night, my crime? Is there
no alkali to remove these dreadful
stains? Is there no chemistry to dis
solve this change: Must I to the day
of my death carry the blood of this
innocent man on my heart and hand:
Out, thou crimson spot" The worst
thing man can have is an evil con-
science and the best thinga man can
have is what Paul calls good con-
science.
But is there no such thing as moral
publication? If man is a sinner once,
must he always be a sinner and an
unforgiven sinner! We have all had
conscience after us. Or do you tell me
that all the words of your life have
been just right, and all the thoughts
OF your heart have been just right,
Then you do not know yourself, and
I take the responsibility of saying you
are hypocrite, you are a Pontius
Plate and do not know it. You COM
NIT the very same sin that Plate COM
mitted You have crucified the Lord
of Glory. But if nine-tenths of this
audience are made up of thoughtful
and earnest people, then nine-tenths
of this audience are saying within
themselves: ''Is there no such thing
as moral publication? Is there no
laver in which the soul may wash and
be clean?" Yes, yes, yes. Tell it in
song, tell itin sermon, tell it in prayer
tell it to the 'hemispheres. That is
what David cried out for when he said.
Wash me thoroughly from my sin,
and cleanse me from mine iniquities. !"
And that is what in another place he
cried, out for when he said, ''Wash me
and I shall be whittier than snow :"
Behold the laver of the gospel, filed
with living fountains. Did you ever
see the picture of the laver in the an
cient tabernacle or in the ancient tenn
pie? The laver in the ancient taber-
nacie was made out of the women's
metallic looking glasses. It was a
great basin, standing on beautiful
pedestal, but when the temple was
built then the laver was an immense
affair, called the brazen sea, and oh,
how deep We're the floods there gather
ed! And there were ten LAYERS besides
five at the right and five at the left
and each laver had 800 gallons Of
water. And the outside of these LAYERS
was carved and chased with palm trees
so delicate cut you could almost see
the leaves tremble and lions so true
to life that you could imagine you
saw the nostril throb, and the cheru-
bim with outspread wings. Thatmag-
nifcent laver of the old dispensation
is feeble type of the more glorious
laver of dispensation-our sunlit dis
pensation.
Here IS the laver holding rivers of
salvation, having for its pedestal the
Rock of Ages, carved with the figure
of the lion of Judah's tribe and having
palm branches for victory and wings
suggestive of the souls flight toward
God in prayer and the souls flight
heavenward when we die. Come, ye
auditory, and wash away all your
sins, however aggravated, and all your
sorrows, however agonizing. Come
to this fountain, open for all sin and
uncleanness, the furthest, the worst.
You need not carry your sins half a
second. Come and wash in this glori-
Gus gospel laver. Why that is an
opportunity enough to swallow up all
nations. That is an opportunity that
will yet stand on the Alps and beckon
to Italy, and yet stand on the Pyre-
nees and beckon to Spain, and it will
yet stand on the Ural and beckon to
Russia, and it will stand at the gate of
heaven and beckon to all nations Par
don for all sin, and pardon right
away, through the blood of the Son of
God. A little child that had been
blind, but through skillful surgery
brought to sight, said: why, mother,
why didn't you tell me the earth and
sky are so beautiful? Why didn't you
tell me? "Oh," replied the mother,
my child, l did tell you often. Of
ten told you how beautiful they are,
but you were blind, and you couldn't
see" "Oh, if we could have our eyes
opened to see the Glories in Jesus
Christ, we would feel that the half
had not been told US, and you would
60 to some Christian man and say,
"Why didn't you tell me before of the
glories in the Lord Jesus Christi" and
that friend would say, II didt tell you
but you were blind and could not see,
you were deaf and could not hear"
History says that great army came
to capture ancient Jerusalem, and
when this army got on the hills SO that
they saw the turrents and the towers
of Jerusalem, they gave a shout that
made the earth tremble, and tradi-
ton, whether true or false, says that,
so great was the shout, eagles flying
in the ear dropped under the atmos-
phsric percussion. Oh, il we could only
catch a glimpse of the towers of this
gospel temple into which you are all
invited to come and wash, there would
be song jubilant and wide resound-
ing, at New Jerusalem seen, at New
Jersualem taken, the hosannas of OF