Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1902-09-03

nifty by the hand of death il comes face
to face with its Creator. Gods Word
gives US two remarka BILE pictures of
souls coming into the presence of God.
One Is in the vision of Isaiah and the
other is found in the twenty-second
chapter of Matthew in the parable of
the marriage supper. One portrays
soul coming during the earthly life,
into the presence of God, the other of
one who has come after the earthly
life into the marriage supper of
the Lamb, without the wedding gar
ment of preparation. Isaiah, this side
the grave, realizes the righteousness
of God and his own sinful condition,
and cries out: "Woe is me. for am
man of unclean'lips, and dwell in the
midst of a people Of unclean lips; for
mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord
of hosts" And when the soul comes
TO God with that cry. He does for IL
what the live coal from off Gods altar
did for Isaiah. He cleanses from all
sin.
But the man without the wedding
garment on. having refused to hear
Gods voice in this life and prepare to
presence. Isaiah was able to utter
cry FOR mercy, but the man without
the wedding garment, having sinned
away the day of grace, is face 10 face
with Judgment
! Face 90 face with God means some
] thing. And because of jts solemn and
! eternal import, we cote to our fourth
! point We need preparation to meet
/ Him Prepare to meet thy God"
| There is escape even yet for the way
ward children Of Israel and follow
| ing this solemn call of God to them as
/ voiced by our text there comes in the
! fifth chapter the tender pleading:
seek tie Lord. and We shall live" A
last Glance Of preparation before
/ judgment falls and they come face
TO face with God. In the recent coro-
nation Of King Edward YOU could not
help but be struck by the Importance
attaching to etery one in attendance
being in proper dress. Every detail OF
the dress Of every rank and every per-
sonage there was weighed with the ut
most care. and failure to provide the
! garment designated would have eN
! cluded from the brilliant GROWING
scene in Westminster Abbey
Even in unconventional America
| great Importance is unconsciously at
! tached 10 appropriateness in dress
| The laborer in silk hat and patent
leather shoes would attract instant
attention and become the mark for the
! irreverent street urchin. The hunk
| president with overalls on as he sat at
his desk during banking hours would
be adjudged insane and sent 70 the
asylum. The lady with the party
/ dress who would don her fnery to 60
TO the store 10 do her marketing
would set all the gossipirg tongues
! OF the neighborhood TO wagging. We
| DO not realize how conventional we
| really are until some irregularity in
! dress forces it upon the attention. To
| have on the proper garment is really
| very essential 1t is absolutely essen
! tial that the soul should he clothed
upon with the proper garment in prep
/ aration for meeting God. The man
who had not on the wedding garment
was cast out from the feast So will
/ you be cast out from the pres
/ ence Of God If you have not on the
/ garment Of His righteousness fur
/ nished in Christ Jesus. MI our own
| garments Cor righteousness. as Isaiah
calls them) are as filthy rags. 4 re-
| pentant heart must strip the soul Of
self David cries: "a broken and
| contrite heart, oh God, Thou wilt not
despise." Here is the first step in
preparation for meeting God. Con-
sciousnegs Of sin and repentant
] LII H.. -
/ that message Christ began His min
istry with that cry upon His lips.
| That j. the message Of the Gospel to-
! day. Repent, for "the blood Of Jesus
/ Christ cleanseth from all sin" And
! a we hear that message and believe 10
we become stripped Of our own right
/ eousness and become clothed in the
/ spotless garment Of Christ's righteous
/ ness. Then we are ready 10 meet our
/ God
Daily Preparation.-In connection
with this text is beautiful thought
/ for the followers Of Jesus Christ.
/ That Of fellowship day by day with
/ Him. which makes the heart glad at
the thought Of meeting God. the low
| ing Father. To the unprepared soul
/ wv WI HS VI bhi ifAl tbIut Win tIFdG
and terrible sound. To the soul rest
| ing sweetly in the Sayiour's cleansing
/ blood and saving power, the words
/ sound al Heaven-sent music. stirring
/ 10 more Christ-likeuess day by dav.
/ DR.. r. y. Meyer says: Each morning.
\ when we stand ready for the duties
/ II the day. we hear the voice: Prepare
/ 10 meet Me- Each Lords Day we wake
/ with this same summons in our heart.
| and prepare ourselves 10 meet our
| Cod Each illness. each futterirg %
I The canvas Of our mortality. each
/ premouition Of our end takes UP the
/ same appeal: Prepare 20 meet Cod
/ And as we hear the words we have no
| dread. no fear. Clothed So Christi per-