The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1904-11-12


Christ's hands. "As many as received
Him, to them gave He the right to be-
come children of God" A certificate of
sonship to God, a guarantee Of eternal
claim upon the riches, and glory, and
blessing Of the Fathers House. The Son
of God who is the heir OF all things,
raises man to an equal relationship with
| the Father, and he becomes Joint hei-
to all that God has to give in this life
and the life to come. All! what folly to
keep Jesus waiting upon the outside
| of the heart. Receive Him. oh, needy
| soul! and let Him bestow upon you
His gift Of sonship with God and eter-
nal life!
| Q
| A ND this is the picture Of the Christ
"A in the passive mood Waiting
patiently, longingly, lovingly, to be re-
ceived by man. The vision Of the
Christ in the active mood reveals to US
the great, throbbing heart of God;
shows us the persistent, faithful,
mighty effort which He is putting forth
to rescue man from the depths OF. sin
and death. The most glorious tribute
which was ever paid our Lord was that
which the angry and jealous Scribes and
Pharisees gave when they contemptu-
ously charged that this man receiveth
sinners" 1t was true, and 1t has made
glad the centuries since He trod the
earth and the words were spoken.
Christ receiveth sinful men. No casual
glance will suffice to reveal all the
charm and meaning Of the painting
of the artist. 1t takes the searching
eye and the meditating heart to under
stand 1t all. But as .one sits hour after
hour before the masterpiece Of art how
1t unfolds and grows upon ones vision
And so it is with this picture which
Scripture gives to us of the Christ re-
ceiving sinful men. The heart will
never begin to see or understand all the
depth of love and the wealth Of Divine
grace which is here contained until 1t
gets over on the other side and sees
eye to eye and knows even as 1t is known,
but It may know and understand more
and more as 1t ponders on this blessed
truth: This Man receiveth sinners"
And this is the picture. Jesus by right
of His Divine Sonship, in fulflllment of
His commission brought with Him from
Heaven, and by reason of His triumph
over sin and death, has established a
sure and everlasting retreat to which
the needy soul, Of man may flee for ref
uge. ~
TN obedience to the command of God,
i the children Of Israel established
six cities of refuge in the new land to
which they had journeyed, in order that
those who were in danger Of the avenger
of blood might find safe refuge until
their cases could be tried by the Levites.
These cities of refuge were a type of
the Christ, and in figure illustrate
the service which Christ was to perform
for lost and ruined race. God sent
His Son into the world to establish for
man refuge from sin and its conse-
| quences. Death presses SO hard upon the
heels of the guilty sinner who Is IN
peril of everlasting destruction. What
thrilling sight it must have been in
those old Jewish days to see the af-
frighted runner fleeing for his life
towards the city of refuge, while press
ing hard after him was the man who
would take his life. What a desperate
race 1t was! The Levites of the walls
Of the city would watch with bated
breath. They note the waning strength
OF the foremost runner, and observe that
the pursuer is slowly but surely gain
ing upon him. With bullying, bloodshot
eyes, distended nostrils and deep-heav-
ing chest the men plunge on. The
hand is uplifted to strike. Another step,
and the keen, heartless blade will find
its scabbard in the quivering flesh and
drink the life blood of the fleeing man.
WITH a power born Of desperation
w the pursued man gathers up all
the remaining strength he can COM
mand and makes one mighty plunge
| towards the haven Of safety and the
friends who are there to receive him.
Will he make It? Pursuer and pursued
leap into the air together. The plunge
of the hindmost man Is greater. The
first falls in helpless exhaustion, and
the other in his leap hovers just the
barest instant above him, and then,
nerving the arm and hand with all the
strength that Is left, he brings the dag
ger down. Too late, you cry! At the
very portals Of the city Of refuge he
must perish! All. no. thank God! The
arms OF the waiting Levites reach out
4 10 save. The willing hands take hold
where the others strength has failed,
and while the avenging blade is cut
| ting the air in Its fierce downward
plunge, the PROSTATE form is lifted
within the gates. He Is safe! He Is
safe! And never soul that fees for
refuge to Christ is overtaken by the
avenger, Death. The race Is desperate.
All seems to be lost. but in that mo-
ment Of helplessness, in that time OF
imminent peril when sin Is seeking to
infiict its deadly wound, at Just that
instant the arms OF Jesus reach out and
down and lift in gracious. loving, ten
der grasp to the place Of safety at His
side. He receiveth sinful men, and none
who come 20 Him are ever cast out. II
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