The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-12-01
THE STORY OF MOSES
A Powerful Sermon on The
Serpent in Wilderness.
Evangelist Pearson Had Many Converts Last
Night. Farewell Sermon Sunday
Nighton " confession"

NiSut OVitOoctos's
During the song service last night at
the Presbyterian church the vast congre-
cation was led in prayer by Mr.. John
Pullen and then by Mr.. w. S. Primrose.
Both prayers were earnest entreaties for
q blessing upon that service. Several
requests for prayers were read by DR..
Daniels and the prayer which followed
was led by Mr.. Seymour Whiting.
Mr.. Pearson then announced that there
would be no service tonight, that the
subject for his last sermon, Sunday
night, would be Confession" He advis-
ed all who had unsaved friends to bring
them out to that service.
Mr.. Pearson took his text from John
3:14-15: "As Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must the Son
Of Man be lifted up. That whosoever
believeth in Him should not perish, but
have everlasting life
II have another text" he said, and
read from the 21st chapter of Numbers
the story of those snake bitten Israelites,
how Moses, obeying Gods command, set
up the brazen serpent on a pole that
those looking upon it should live.
There are just three facts. which |
gather from the second text" said the
preacher: % Those Israelites We're
bitten; CD brass snake set up by God s
command was the remedy, and CO. A
look at the snake saved the people
And from these three facts / gather
three parallel facts: a. BY faith in
Christ a repentant sinner can be saved.
Now, you say: 1T is a fact that
those people were snake bitten?' Just
read the 21st chapter of Numbers. rs it
fact that you, and the whole race are
devil-bitten?" Read Genesis 1913 and
Revelation 1912, where the devil, is
spoken of as 'the serpent Was the
veno moi the devil instilled into man?
Read Isiah lie; Gen. SIS; jeremiah 1873
and Matt. 1919. 1t is the Bible fact.
1t is a fact that that brass snake lifted
up by Moses was the remedy. plumbers
1879 1t was Gods complete, all-suffi-
cient remedy and man had only to ac-
cept it. Just so it is that Christ on the
cross is the remedy for sinsick man.
John 3:14-19; Acts Alp; Gallations 5:14
and 1st Cor. 3:11. Christ crucified is the
God appointed ready for devil-bitten
sinners. But" some say, there is so
much mystery; SO many creeds; so much
theology / can't understand 1T ALL
Leave it all alone you have nothing to
do with it. A creed can't save you, but
look upon the Christ who has been lifted
up on the cross and you shall be saved.
For just as it is a fact that look on
the part of the Israelite saved him,
mum. 800 just so it is fact that not
only your feelings, your emotions, nor
excitement, but 5y simply looking to
Jesus you will be saved. You have only
to believe in Him. And now, after these
facts, let us imagine little. Look at
Moses gCing about among those snake
bitten people, the snakes crawling every =
where. Moses speaks to one almost dy-
ing man and says: You have been bit
ten, man, you are dying! Why don't you
look at the brass snake and live?" But
the many say he doesn't understand
why just looking at that snake should
make him well, and consequently he dies
without an effort to obey Gods COM
mand. And there are people in Raleigh
today who are hanging back because
they don't understand" You don't have
to understand. God doesn't say he will
save man on account Of his under
standing.
Then there was another who said to
Moses that he thought he would do
very well'' If he applied remedy of his
own manufacture. But he was lost just
as you will be If you try any way but
Gods way.
A woman who had a snakn-bitten hus,
band wanted Moses to talk to him and
try to get him to look on the snake. But
you must be very careful how you speak
to him, Moses she said. for he is very
peculiar" He was nothing but poor
old snake bitten Israelite, just as your
husband (you wife who think your hus-
band peculiarly is nothing but devil
bitten old sinner.
A young man to whom Moses speaks
will not look but shuts his eyes when
Moses turns his head towards the SER
pent. Just so are there men in Raleigh
today who are shutting their eyes to
Gods truth.
Another man was so busy looking at
his sore, snake-bitten foot that he had
no thought for the remedy, like you peo-
pie who say you are too unworthy to
come to Christ. You don't become good
and then come to Christ, but come to
Him and He will make you good.
A Door little snake bitten child lies on
the around why don't you look at the
brass snake, little darling, and be
cured?" asks Moses. Because papa and
mamma told me / mustn't. They said
was too little to understand such things,
was the answer But you are not too lit
tie to be bitten" said Moses. Look up
cf.ild and live The little one Obeyed
and was saved. Fathers, mothers, the
lesson is evident.
Here Moses comes to a man about IL
o'clock in the day. He has been bitten
and tells Moses I'm thinking about
looking at the serpent, but haven't de-
cided about it yet. Come again at
o'clock and maybe I will" So Moses
comes at 2, and again at 4, but still the
man hasn't decided. and when Moses