The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-10-21

| business ana large class OF men VINO, at
exorbitant rates of usury supplied the sill.
crowded into the courts without having
provided themselves with the requisite
coin.
Another class of tradcsmen in like man.
ner filled up another part d the court with
! their filthy stallS Tor the supply of doves
and other animals for the sin offerings and
burnt offerings of the daily sacrifices
These also were sold at exorbitant prices
for the convenience Of the worshpers. but
really for the gain of the dealers.
The same high place He still claims IN
| the Church Of God and the individual
heart The abuse of the Temple courts of
| Old have. alas, been more than paralleled
in the history of Christendom. 1t was the
| sale of indulgences in the time of Luther
for the enrichment of the ecclesiastical par
ties that brought about the Reformation
| The kind of sin here described is not sec
rlar business in its own place, but the
doing of things in the name of religion
which are prompted by mercenarv motives.
The preaching Of the gospel for the sake of
cain, wrong financial methods in support
ing the church, the Decorating Of the
house of God by social and secular enters
tainments and methods of raising monev
which appeal to the sel6shness and frivol-
ity of man, and the using of Christianity
in any way as a cloak OF covetousness as
an advertisement of business, as means
of social preferment or secular gain-these
are things which are so common on @verv
side of lis that the hearts Of many of Gods
children have been filled with humiliation
and sorrow, and moved to earnest prayer
for the coming of the King once more to
cleanse His Temple and purge from His
church these shameful ordinations.
The second cleansing of the Temple
would seem to suggest that before the
Lords coming there is to be a profound
work of specification among the people
OF God answering to that first cleansing
of which we read SO fully in the early
chapters of the Acts of the Apostles.
Still more fully does it apply to the in
Here, too, there is a second cleansing
which the Lord comes to bring when He
Himself enters the consecrated heart, not
only saving, but sanctifying and separating
US unto Himself in deeper sense than
we can possibly know, even in the early
Joy of conversion. Have we received this
second cleansing?
w. The Children's King. This was not
an ordinary crowd, where the children
always love to be in front, but it was
genuine outburst Of heaven inspired love
and loyalty that made them cry, "Hosan-
nah in the highest" For the Lord Jesus
Himself bore testimony to the genuineness
of their praise and indeed gave it the high
est place over all others as He poted the
ancient Scripture. "Out of the mouths of
babes and stockings Thou has perfected
praise" Others might join in the accla'
nations becaus, of the contagious lnflu-
ence of an excited multitude. but theirs
was perfect praise" AS usual the Phari-
sees were ready to scorn their juvenile en-
thusiasm, but the Lord Jesus was also
ready to vindicate them as He had once
before.
Let us never forget that Jesus is the
childrens King. BY and by. when we wei
come Him to His heavenly throne, we shall
find that a vast proportion of that ran
somed crowd will consist of little chill
dren. Let us train our little ones to know
Him and crown Him as their King. The
word used here in their childish praise is
the Hebrew word "Hosannah." Tt is not
quite the same as Hallelujah, the usual ex-
preston for worship and praise. Literally
it means lord save u.s." Our Hallelu-
jahs must begin in Hosannahs Even the
children, too, must learn that they are
sinful children. and that they also require
His cleansing blood, and only as they ac-
cept it and honor It will their Hosannahs
become Hallelujahs, and the Lord pro-
nounce their homage perfect praise"
V. The Blessing of the King. Immedi-
Jerusalem and His cleansing of the Tenn
pie, we read these significant words, "and
the blind and the lame came to Him in TIE
Temple and He healed them" Purifca-
ton always leads on to power. The cleans
ing of the Temple was followed by the
healing of the sick and the revelation of
the great and good Physician. So, still, it
This was not momentarv CLEAN of divine
benefcence over as dark and suffering
world, but Jesus Christ is the same yes.
terday, to-day and forever.
"And warm. sweet, tender even yet
A present help is He
And love has still it's Olivet
And faith its Galilee.
The healing of His seamless robe
Is By our beds of pain.
We touch Him mid life's pain and strife
And we are whole again"
But, of course, all this awaits it's perfect
fulfilment in that happier time when the
King shall come to His own again "and
the ransomed of the Lord shall return and
come to Zion with songs and everlasting
Joy upon their heads; they shall obtain
joy and glad1ess, and sorrow and signing
shall flee away"
Then, when this earth is purged of all
iniquity, will 1t be also true the inhabtant
snail no more say, Il am sick, and the
people that dwell therein shall be forgiven
their iniquity."
VI. The Curse of the King. But the
King has not only blessing, but also judy
ment in His mighty hand. Tie only mira
Gle of Judgment recorded in all the life of
Jesus Christ Immediately followed these
incidents. It was the cursing of the bar.
rem fig tree, to which He came seeking
fruit and encouraged to expect it by the
luxuriant leaves that covered It's branches;
but 10! there was nothing but leaves"
and He pronounced upon it the whitening
words at left it leahess and dead.