St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-02-07
O JERUsA LEM! THE HOLY CITY.
Edward T. Fairbanks.

In the prophets thought Jerusa
lem was holy notwithstanding the
iniquities in it. For he saw besides
the real an ideal city, the Jerusalem
of Jehovah's purpose. Bad things
were going on there every day of he
year, but something else, too; for
there was the visible seat Of Jehovah
worship, the ark of the covenant
was housed within her gates, and
some day living waters would surely
90 out from Jerusalem.
o Jerusalem, Holy City! how came
this high title upon thee at the
first? Was it something of goodly
mark in thy early time, when God
chose thee to put His name there
should have supposed it must be so.
| should have looked around to see
some fresh, clean spot untainted by
any traditions of idolatry, the smell
of evil not upon it; some open field
or hill top where bird choirs were
singing praise. and wild flowers
waiting incense from their bells. On
such site should have said that
God would plant the shrine and city
of His holiness; beautiful for situa-
ton, her pinnacles agates. her gates
carbuncles and all borders of pleasant
stones.
But in fact do not find it so at
all. He passed by every one of the
sweet fields OF Carmel and Sharon,
and selected for His Holy City
wicked old heather city. The same
Jebus walls that were a terror to
ten Israelite spies were turned into
towers of Israel's religious capital.
God saw place cursed with the
blood OF Canaanite denominations
that same place he began to conse-
crate by the blood of lambs on his
altar, and did not finish what he had
begun till the blood of His Holy Son
had gone upon it.
This is the last thing we should
have thought of, strikingly like One
whose ways would be above our
ways. Which one Of the planets did
God choose to put bis name there, in
most solemn and impressive fashion?
Surely it was this one we are on
this inglorious seat of ancient death
and corruption, its ground cursed for
mans disobedience, a world of sin,
of such mad riot that once food
must drown it, and hereafter con.
hagrations burn it'up. 1t was no
fresh, bright, clean world that God
selected for the incarnation of His
Son. 1t was not good people that
He came to live with and work for.
His mission was to save sinners just
where they were and make them
blessing to other sinners. He planted
his church in the midst of earth's
corruptions, like old Jerusalem in the
stronghold of Canaanite wickedness.
And the only material to be used in
building His church was that which
had the marks of original corruption
upon it. Every Christian began life
in the sinful state, began the Chris
tian life with God be merciful to me
a sinner" The church of true be-
lieversis body of converted sinners,
all sorts included, from young or
tender hearts. opened as Lydia's
was, to stout Saul-like blasphemers
or wallowing Corinthians. Unlikely
material for the aiming ola spiritual
Jerusalem. But God has a way of
getting surprising results out of very
poor material. First he converts it.
Some people overlook that circum-
stance or it out of their scheme.
They wish us to see that humanity
is forging ahead on its upward
march, fulfilling the law of its devel-
opment splendidly, especially in these
days of ours. Very well what is the
law of mans spiritual advance? Is
it that Jebus develops into Jerusa-
lem ? bad man into a godly one?
Not until the old man is cast out
and the new man built in the Jebu-
site expelled, the Israelite in posses
sion.
Jerusalem could not have been
gotten out of Jebus any more than
Salisbury cathedral spire could have
spired up as natural efflorescence
from the Druid slabs of Stonehenge |
near by, The old religion was cast
out of Britain, then the cross of the
new faith was lifted on stone tracery
400 feet in air. The weird Druid chant
died away the solemn TIE Deum rolled
along the aisleS. This was the Way