The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-03-27

cable. We have severed the links; some
of Us severed almost every link in the
cabiA, and we are drifting to eternity.
We will drift out of the sight of God
and we will be lost, but 1 thank God
that Jesus Christ came to mend the
broken link. He came to mend those
links and set the captive spirit free.
That is what He came to do. 1 say the
test that was applied to this man. name
ly, was that he had not put on the robe
of righteousness. To understand this
better, we should remember that it was
a Jewish custom on the occasion of
marriage feast to offer each guest as he
entered a robe, but this man got into
the guest chamber without going into
the ante-room. Now, you lodge men
know what the ante-rOOm is. / do not
know what it is, but have heard about
it Now, the ante-rOOm means the
Visible Church in this parable. This
man got into the marriage feast with
out going into the ante-room of the
visible church. There are a great many
without the church. 1 want to tell you
the church can get along a great deal
better without you than you can get
along without the church. L want you
to see that this is the place to get on
the robe, this is the ante-room for you
to be prepared to go into the great
feast provided at the end of this world.
Dear hearers, in the great day of in
vestigatiOn, if it should be found that
you have not on the robe of Christ's
righteousness, you will not make the eX-
cuse that you had no chance to get it,
no opportunity. Now l stand as a wit
ness at the judgment bar of God that
L came to Topeka, that 1 wept and
prayed and sung and plead and
treated you to get the robe, and you
would not have it. I stand, I say, as a
witness against you that 1 offered you
a robe and you would not accept it. You
will not make the excuse you did not
have the opportunity; no, you will not.
L would call you to the department of
the man, he was speechless. God let's
you make your excuses now; God let's
you raise your tongue in rebellion
against him. God let's you say 1 will
not. You can come into this church and
defy God Almighty, but L want to tell
will be speechless. The day is coming
when you will bend the knee; the day
is coming when you will pray. 1 do not
know whether you will pray to God or
the god of nature.
A few years ago there was a colored
man came under the influence of a
gospel meeting. He and his master
both went to the same meeting Both
heard the same songs; both heard the
same sermon; both felt the same spirit
touching their hearts, and made them
feel that they were out of harmony with
God. Both went to the same altar;
Sam had not been to the altar long be-
fore you could see that he had glory in
his soul You could see the sunlight of
Gods spirit shining right through his
dark face; but the master went night
after night. No peace came to his soul.
At last he went around to the different
preac cheers; went around to the different
deacOnS; went around to the different
priests, asking what he might do; but
after had gone all around the Holy
Spirit spoke to him: You better go
down and talk to Sam, and he went to
| Sans humble cottage, and he sat down
on one of those humble boxes for chair
and he said: Sam, 1 believe 1 am just
as sincere as you are. L believe 1 went
to the altar just as earnestly as you did
to get saved. but he said, Sam, the
Lord did not give me any blessing. Can
you tell me how you got it, Sam? And
Sam says: You are right, Massa, I can.
He said when Sam went forward he had
a greasy coat on, and the Lord put
clean coat on Sam. If there is a little
torn hole he mends that; and he said
Massa, you have been trying to keep
that coat instead of letting the Master
put a clean robe on you; you have been