St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-11-28
Then lock! sinner LOOK! unto Him and be
saved,
Unto Him who was nailed to the tree"


spoke the words and bestowed the
touch which removed the disease.
There is nothing but blackness and
pollution in the sinners heart, but
when the presence of Jesus is gained
and in response to the cry Jesus
cleanses from all sin, then the bright
side of sin is found IN the experience
Of forgiveness and salvation. RE
prieves," says Matthew Henry, ARE OBJ
tanned for us by others, but not par
dons. These must be sought by our
selves" The leper came to Jesus and
obtained cleansing and the sinner
must come to Jesus in person if he
would be saved.
. UT the leper not only came where
- Jesus was, but he threw himself
upon his face at His feet and poured his
poor, afflicted soul out in earnest pray
er. A good many people never obtain
salvation because they are too proud
to kneel They want salvation, but
they want to get it in what they call
dignified way. But the soul that
wants deliverance from the conse-
quences and power Of sin must want
it bad enough to get right down in the
dust Of humiliation and self-surrender
in order to get it. Mr. Moody used to
tell the story of boy who was used
to Methodist ways and who, after re-
vival meeting, went home to his moth
er and said: Mother, John So-and-so
is under conviction and seeking peace,
but he will not find it tonight, moth
er." Why, William" said she. Be
cause he is only down on one knee,
mother, and ne will never get peace
until ne gets down on both knees"
And until conviction of sin brings us
down on both knees before the Saviour,
until we arc prostrated in the dust of
humiliation, we cannot obtain from Je-
sus pardon and salvation. But hear
the prayer of the poor leper: Lord.
if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me
Clean" There was faith. there was per-
feet submission No doubt as to Jesus
power. Willingness to rest his case in
His hands and receive from Him what
was best. And the sinner who is not
willing to place himself unreservedly
in the hands of Jesus does not know
what real faith and submission are.
Perhaps there was some doubt as to
what Jesus might do In the case Of the
leper, but in the case of the sinner
there is no doubt, for Jesus came into
the world to save sinners. He is able
and willing this moment to save. A
young woman in an after meeting was
weeping for her sins, but could not
feel that she was pardoned.
Suppose" said the evangelist, that
Jesus was in this room in very physi-
cal presence, what would you do?"
II would go to Him at once" she re-
Piled
s"And what would you tell HIM"
THAT was lost sinner"
"And what would you ask Him."
ooh, would ask Him II He would
forgive me-"
And what would Jesus answer"
She hesitated for moment, and then
she looked up, smiling through he's
tears, for at once she saw 1t all.
why" she said, HE would answer
yes And, Jesus will always answer
yes to the sinners cry for cleansing
and healing from sin.
DUT HOW long will He keep the sim
ID ner waiting? All, how long did
Jesus keep the poor, wretched leper in
the dust at His feet? AS quickly as
that gracious hand could be raised and
stretched forth and laid upon that foul
leper, that quickly was it done. And
as the hand touched, the voice spake:
II will; be thou Clean" And immedi-
ately the leprosy departed from him.
Even as the Gospel invitation is in the
present, so is the promise Of forgive
ness and salvation. God never deals in
futures with the sinner. God never says
to the sinner: Tomorrow is the day
of salvation" And He never says to
the sinner when he comes: "To-mor-
row l will consider your case, and
grant your prayer" We cannot con-
ceive of the Lord doing that way. But
God calls to the sinner to-day, and to-
day Jesus stands ready with cleansing
touch and forgiving word to deliver the
sinner. What if the leper had waited
to present his case to Jesus? Suppose
he had reasoned that tomorrow he
would be better prepared to meet Him?
Perhaps Jesus never passed that way
again, and if he had missed his oppor-
tunity that day 1t would have been
gone forever And so It is with, the
sinner There is danger in seisaiy,
The story is told of a certain woman
who had case of litigation which she
delayed putting in the hands of her
lawyer. He, Of all others. was able to
handle Increase successfully. His abil-
tiles and his knowledge of her case
made it almoaa decessary that he act
for her. BuYlde kept putting the mat
ter of, until = last one day, when de-
lay was no knger possible, she sought
this lawyer cut and asked him to be.
come her attorney. 4Madam," he said,
1T is too late cannot now be your adj
vocate and plead your case You have
put II of too long. am now ;udge,''
Some day Jesus, who stands waiting TO
receive the sinner and is ready to forgive
and save, will become Judge and then Il
will be toolate tosubmit the case into. His
hands, but ss Judge He will be forced to
condemn us for having neglected the day
OF salvation. Jesus is waiting to save, but
He will not keen the sinner waiting Az
soon as the cry goes up to Him: Lord, II
Thou wilt, Thou canst make me Clean
His hand is outstretched to save and Hia