Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1903-01-29

the sweep. Surely there must be hint
here as to the breadth of the atonement
provided by Jesus Christ, and also clear
suggestion, as to the power of Chrst's
blood to cleanse.
In the sixth chapter of Numbers, first
twelve verses, we have the law of the Naz.
arites. From this we learn that ii the Naz.
arite defled himself in any way he must
Immediately be cleansed, or else step out
of fellowship with God, and that if he is
out of fellowship the days of his unclean.
ness are lost with God. In other words. If
there IS in our hearts or lives any uncon.
fessed or unforgven sin, we may be saved
we will not argue that Guestion-but our
time is lost; it counts for nothing with
God, and for this loss of time we shall one
day be called to a strict account. How
many Christians to-day are absolutely
without power Their voices were once
heard in the prayer meeting. Their testi-
mony once rang out clearly in the church.
Their life in the home was without re.
proach And to-day they have lost their
testimony. 1t is when a man is in such a
condition as this that the evil bird comes
straight from hell to say to him:
'Ah, yes! You once accepted Christ
and made great professions. lnu once
joined the church and gave muci promise
of usefulness. You were once rr ninont
in the Christian world. but nov this is
past. You have lost it all, for your Csc
I have been told that III tho oldor d va
there was Puritan divine that 'o' II
this custom: Every once in vli,c he
called the roll fsthc dead. called ~" 1.
trarchs by name, one by one, aud thn,
standing silent in the pulpit waito1 ~" N
answer. The silence was vo'ceNl. ~ y,
looking at his congregation these were is
words:
Brethren. there is no response"
After calling these names he would II
the names of kings, the names of apos' :.
the names Of famous historians, the nan"s
of artists, of scientists of invcnto"s. Of
phiianthropists, and after the rol u.l
came again and again the answer:
Brethren. there is no response. These
men are dead
I could call the names, too, if would.
Here is the name of one who was once the
superintendent of Sunday and
who answered not at the roll call. Here is
another who once stood as an officer in the
church, but his voice is silent. Here is
another who was once honored in society
for his professed faithfulneSs unto God.
but there is no response to his name. And
oh, the sadness! here is another whose
name was once a household word rs an
honored minister of the gospel, and there
is no response to his name. What is the
reason? Because, like the Na2arite, they
have come in contact with the dead Their
old sins have come up again, like bones
from the grave, dcfiling their memory a~d
robbing them of their power. 1t is De-
cause the very atmosphere they have kScn
obliged to breathe. like ours, is against
God and in enmity to Christ. and it Is not
easy to keep unspottcd from the world.
The Jews counted every open vessel un.
clean.
But one is still left TO us. God rs still
love. He still loves you. and, having loved
ycu vii! love you unto the end. His New
Testament provision is a far better one
thHr the cd. For if the blood of bulls
and Of goatS, and the ashes OF an heifer
sprirl,'ng the unclean, sanctiieth to the
purifying of the flesh, how much more
shall the blood of Christ, who through the
Eternal Spirit offered Himself without
spot to God, purge your conscience from
dead works, to serve the living God?
0Iebrews iX: l3, lN. We need not stay
out Of fellowship. or be deprived of power.
God il love. and He will give us all things,
if we but fulfill His conditions.
III.
"And thou shalt take the other ram,
and Aaron and his sons shall put their
hands upon the head of the ram. Then
shalt thor kill the ram, and take of his
blood, and put it upon the tip of the right
ear of Aaron, and upon the tip OF the
right ear of his sons, and, upon the thumb
of their right hand, and upon the Dat
toe of their right foot, and sprinkle The
blood upon the altar round about" Ex.
xxx: 70, 20.
Another part of the offering of AbraW
was the ram. This. like all the rest, sheds
light upon the gospel, and the understand
ing of it is the secret of peace for many
life.
When the blood was sprinkled on the ear
and the thumb and foot it was a sign they
were henceforth to be separated from all
lesson touching conservation. We have
been told that we must forsake all for
Christ, and some of us have done it.. We
have been counSeled to Pive up the things
that really we have enjoyed, simply be-
cause they are questionable or contrary to
the teaching of Gods word, and when we
have done this the evil bird comes to us,
saying:
"You have forsaken these things, but
what have you got in return"
Not infreQuently we find persons who
stand in this position, who are of all per-
sons the most miserable. This is because
they have taken only half the step. They
have separated themselves from something,
but have failed to consecrate themselves
to anything. In other words, there are
two sides to the doctrine of separation.
We are to be separated from the world,
but we are at the same time to be separ.
ated unto Christ. and that place which
once the world filled is now to be occu.
pied by Christ Himself.
1t is to be noted that the blood was
placed upon the ear first. This is very sig.
nifcart to me. So many people get an
idea that if they are converted they must
do something for Christ, when
in point of fact service comes last. The
blood placed upon the ear first teaches the
lesson that we are to hear what the Lord
has TO say to us. If we could but cultivate
the habit of going alone each day and sit.
ting still Just to Commune with God. what
a source of strength it would be to us!
God only tells His secrets to those who
shut out the world, and thus come close to
Him.
The blood was placed upon the hand
next, from which | learn we are not only
to hear what God has to say to us, but we
are to reach out and take what He offers.
God has promised us the Holy Ghost. He
IS a gift. Reach out and take the gift.
The blood was placed upon the foot last
This MANY stand for service, but notice the
divine order.
We have reached time when rules of
are hardly necessary; when the
methods adopted for sou.winning, we feel
sure. must grieve the Holy Ghost: In
point of fact, if one is to be used OF God
he must certainly surrender to God, and
1--WE Him the right of way in his life, and
then service comes naturally, and results
IRE sure.
Light and Salt.