The Grenada sentinel., 1902-10-11

one. QiXuJ cut out Oh t0e mOu0t41Oe
Just the ordinary paints and brushes,
just the crude unshapen mass Of mar
BILE. Very different indeed in appear
ance from the .Anished product which |
artistic conception and the skill Of
genius were able to, call into being. |
So with the finished product of Gods |
It is very different from
the crude materials which are first |
received. And what Of this raw ma
terial2
Scripture is clear and positive in it's
and Identification Of the
raw material with which God has to |
deal. From the Old Testament fash |
such declarations. of God rs: "An our
are rs filthy rags"
''There is none that doeth good. They |
are all gone aside, they are all to-
gether become filthy: there IL none
that doeth good, no, not one" And
the New Testament lays bare the aw-
full condition of the human heart and
life, it's desperate need, when it de-
clares: "Men shall be lovers of their
own selves, covetous, boasters, proud,
blasphemers, disobedient to parents.
unthankful, unholy, without natural
affection, trucebreakers, false accus-
ers, incontinent,~ fierce, despisers of
those that are good, traitors, heady.
highminded, lovers of pleasures more
than lovers of God" This long and full
enumeration by Paul is but the differ
ent manifestations of the condition of
the human heart and life. which is one
of deadness, until it is called into life
in Gods workshops; for we are all "dead
in trespasses and sins.'
Let Ezekiel, the prophet, supply US
with a metaphor which he applied to
the house Of Israel, Hkening them to
a valley full of dead and dry and bleach
ing bones. The blackness and silence Of
death there. Heaps on heaps OF hid
eous, grinning skeletons, but no life.
no activity, no usefulness there. Such
is the condition of the world. A great
valley full Of the deadness and black
ness of sin. The world does not see it.
for it loves darkness rather than the
light because it's deeds are evil But
the Holy Spirit, the Active Agent of
Gods workshop, is out in the world
trying to convince it of its dead con-
dition. If you will let Him present
His overwhelming arguments to your
soul He will convict you of your con-
dition and your need.
The very best salesman in the world
with an article Of the most pronounced
merits would not be able to sell it un-
less he could secure an audience with
the prospective buyer. The need of the
latter might be most pressing, and the
argument of the salesman unanswer-
a yo< oil I.
he should refuse to listen. The Holy
Spirit is pressing upon the human
heart on every hand for an opportunity
to present His claims and secure raw
material for Gods workshop. Let Him
clarity your vision and you will be able
to, see the dry bones all about. And
can these bones live? Is It possible
that out of such hideous and revolving
material can be made a saint to shine
eternal in the heavens? Is it possible
for that black and jagged rock before
the smelter door to Yield the pure, un-
tarnishfd gold? Is is possible for the
blocks of steel and brass in the factory
to yield the perfect little timepiece,
ticking off the vanish ing minutes? Is
it possible that that ',lackish tar, that
foul-smelling refuse of the gas plant,
can yield under the proper processes
the pure white paraffine? Is it pos
sible that Mother Nature can take the
cold, black earth with it's offensive fer
tilizer and pour into your lap the
golden. grain and the ripened fruit?
All. how wonderful: But how infin-
itely more wonderful is it that God can
take into His workshop the raw mate
rial of mans failure and recreate him
in Christ Jesus.
The Power of Choice.-But suppose
the gold quartz should refuse to yield
to the refining process, the steel and
brass should not submit to lathe and
drill. the black offensive tar should
persist in flowing to waste instead of
into the retort where it's different ele-
ments could be chemically separated,
or Mother Nature should disdainfully
turp from the rich, black loan to the
glistening white hard sand OF the sea
shore? No bright and shining gold. no
busy ticking watch, no white para fine,
no grain and fruit. Useless would be
the plants established to carry on
these processes. So is it with man.
Unless he lets the Holy Spirit have him
to take into Gods workshop. there to
carry on the wonderful Transforming
work, the infinite love and power Of
God cannot be manifested in him. Man
can say to the quartz, the steel and the
brass. and the coal tar. you must. But
God does not go to the human heart
with any, such imperative summons.
He has given to. man the power Of
choice. He must decide himself vvheth-
er to enter Gods workshop and submit
to the molding Of the Divine hand and
will, -
The Process.-T The world has been
asking with Nicodemus. ever since
that midnight conversation in the
lpresenco OF Jesus, how q soul could be
thorn again. how God could, create Il
anew. And the Lord comes with the