The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1902-09-06

but when the soul - ukneIeo lilo eteF-
nifty by the hand of death 1t comes face
to face with its Creator. Gods Word
gives US two remarkable pictures OF
souls coming into the presence ofGod.
One is in the vision of Isaiah and the
other is found in the twenty-second
chapter of Matthew in the parable or
the marriage supper. One portraysa
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 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 1t
what the live coal from of 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 speeches. in His
PRESENCE. Isaiah was able to utter a
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 We shall live" A
last chance 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 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 browning
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 go
to the store TO do her marketing
would set all the gossiping tongues
Of the neighborhood to wagging. We
do not realize how conventional we
really are until some irregularity in
dress forces II upon the attention. To
have on the proper garment is really
very essential. 1t is absolutely essen
tial that the soul should be 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 il you have not on the
garment of His righteousness fur
nished in Christ Jesus. All our own
!. garments Tor righteousness, as Isaiah
calls them) are as filthy rags. A re-
: pentant heart must strip the soul OF
self. David cries: "a broken and a
contrite heart, oh God, Thou wilt not
t despise." Here is the first step In
5 preparation for meeting God. Con.
I seriousness Of sin and repentant
t heart. John the Baptist came bearing
: that message. Christ began His min
r istry with that cry upon His lips
4 That is the message OF the Gospel to-
! day Repent, for "the blood Of Jesus
t Christ cleanseth from all sim" And
: as we hear that message and believe II
: we become stripped of our own right
{ eousness and become clothed in the
J, spotless garment Of Christ's righteous
t ness. Then we are ready to meet ouI
: God.
Daily Perpendicular connection
7 with this text is beautiful thought
K for the followers of Jesus Christ
8 That Of fellowship day by day will
e Him, which makes the heart glad a.
e the thought Of meeting God, the low
+ ing Father. To the unprepared SOU
]. the words Of our text come with dreat
S and terrible sound. To the soul rest
0 ing sweetly in the Saviour's cleansing
n blood and saving power. the words
e sound as Heaven-sent music, stirring
!. to more Christ-likeness day by day
I DIR. F. B. Meyer says: Each morning
/: when we stand ready for the duties
OF the day, we hear the voice: Prepare
to meet Me- Each Lords Day we wake
!. with this same summons in our heart
r and prepare ourselves to meet oul
S God. Each illness, each futtering o.
! the canvas Of our mortality, eacl
|, premonition Of our end, takes up tn
!? same appeal: Prepare to meet God,
!? And as we hear the words we have NJ
II dread, no fear. Clothed in Christie per
D. feet righteousness, arrayed In Hi
n beauty, we know that we are accepted
/: that the love wherewith the Fathel
Il - q L.. ttvow 10 n q