The Canton times., 1902-09-05

OI GOu ana MS own Sihih SoA1''A0
and cries out: "Woe is me! for am
man of unclean lips, and dwell in the
midst of people of unclean lips; foI
mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord
of hosts" And when the soul comes
to God with that cry, He does for II
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
meet Him, stands speechless in HIS
presence. Isaiah was able to utterta
cry for mercy, but the man without
the wedding garment, having sinned
away the day of grace, is face to face
with judgment.
| Face to face with God means some
thing. And because of its solemn and
eternal import, we come 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 the Lord, and ye shall live" A
last chance of preparation before
judgment falls and they come face
to face with God. In the recent coro-N
nation of King Edward you could not
help but be struck by the Importance
attaching to every 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 ex-
cluded from the brilliant crownipg
scene in Westminster Abbey.
Even in unconventional America
great Importance is unconsciously at
tached to 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 bank |
president with overalls on as he sat at |
his desk during banking hours would
be adjudged insane and sent to the
asylum. The lady with the party |
dress who would don her finery to 60 /
to the store to do her marketing
would set all the gossiping tongues
Of the neighborhood to wagging. We
10 not realize how conventional we
really are until some irregularity in
iress forces it upon the attention. To
have on the proper garment is really
very essential. 1t is absolutely essen
ial that the soul should be clothed
lpon with the proper garment in prep
lration for meeting God. The man
Who had not on the wedding garment
vas cast out from the feast. So will
'ou be cast out from the pres
nee of God if you have not on the
'arment of His righteousness fur
lished in Christ Jesus. All our own
Tor righteousness, as Isaiah
alls them) are as filthy rags. A re-
entant heart must strip the soul of
elf. David cries: "a broken and a
ontrite heart, oh God, Thou wilt not
espise." Here is the first step in
for meeting God. Con-
ciousness of sin and repentant
cart. John the Baptist came bearing
nat message. Christ began His min
try with that cry upon His lips.
hat is the message of the Gospel to-
ay. Repent, for "the blood of Jesus
hrist cleanseth from all SIM" And
5 we hear that message and believe it.
e become stripped of our own right
BUSINESS and become clothed in the
,otless garment of Christ's righteous
.ss. Then we are ready to meet our
I'd.
Daily Preparation.-In connection
ith this text is beautiful thought
It the followers of Jesus Christ.
nat of fellowship day by day with
i'm, which makes the heart glad at
e thought of meeting God, the low
g Father To the unprepared soul
e words of our text come with dread
I'd terrible sound. To the soul rest
g sweetly in the Saviour's cleansing
ood and saving power, the words
und as Heaven-sent music, stirring
more Christ-likeness day by day 4
;. F. B. Meyer says: Each morning,
len we stand ready for the duties
the day, we hear the voice: Prepare
meet Me-. Each Lords Day we wake
tn this same summons in our heart,
d prepare ourselves to meet our
ID. Each illness, each fiuttering of
e canvas of our mortality, each
emonition of our end, takes up the
me appeal: Prepare to meet God'
ID as we hear the words we have no
cad, no fear. Clothed'in in Christ's per-
It righteousness, arrayed in His
aIty we know that we a re aonep4ad. |