The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-10-05
doing Of things in the name of religion

1ilB luS CuulCH, Tue oSsCCldIihS VI WIN
house of God by social and secular enter
tainments and methods of raising money
which appeal to the selfshness and frlvol-
ity of man, and the using of Christianity
in any way as a cloak OF covetousness. as
al advertisement OF business, as a means
of social preferment or secular ~gain-these
are things which are so common on every
side of us that the hearts OF many of Gods
children have been filled with humiliation
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 sanctifcation 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
dividual experience CT the Christian.
Here, too, there is a second cleansing
which the Lord n to bring, when be
Himself enters the consecrated heart, not
only saving. but sanctifying and separating
US u1to Himself in 4 deeper sense than
we can possibly know, even in the early
joy Of conversion. Have we received this
second cleansing?
". The Children's King. This was not
an ordinary crowd. where the children
always love to be in front, but it was a
genuine outburst Of heaven inspired low
and loyalty that made them cry, "Hosan-
nah in the highest" For the Lord Jesus
Himself bore testimony to the genuineness
est place over all others as He poted the
ancient Scripture, "Out of the mouths OF
babes and sucklings Thou has perfected
praise" Others might join in the accla.
nations becaus, Of the contagious lntu-
elcc of an excited multitude, but theirs
was perfect praise" As usual the Pharl-
sees were ready to scorn their juvenile en-
thrsiasn, but the Lord Jesus was also
ready to vindicatc them as He had once
before.
Let us never forget that Jesus is the
children's King. By and by; when we vel,
come Him to His heavenly throne, we shall
find that a vast proportion Of that ran 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." 1t is not
quite the same as Hallelujah, the usual ey-
preston for worship and praise. Literally
it means Lord save U.S." Our Hallelu-
iahs 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 Halleluiahs, and the Lord pro-
nounce their homage ."perfeet praise" -
V. The Blessing Of the King. Immedl-
ately after Christ7s triumphal entry into
Jerusalem and His cleansing Of the Tenn.
pie, we read these significant words. land
the blind and the lame came to Him in the
Temple and He healed them" Purihca-
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
will be found in our personal experience.
This was not a momentarv CLEAN of divine
benefcence over a 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 b. our beds of pain.
We touch Him mid life's pain and str1e
And we are whole again."
But, of course, all this awaits its perfect
fulflment 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 gladLess, and sorrow and signing
shall flee away"
Then, when this earth is purged of all
iniouity, will it be also true the inhabitant
shall no more say. Il am sick, and the
people that dwell therein shall be forgiven
their iniquity."
"Come, Lord, and take away
The sin. the wrong. the pain,
And make this blighted world Of ours
Thine own fair world again"
VI. The Curse of the King. But the
King has not only blessing, but also judg-
ment in His mighty hand. Tie only mira.
Gle of Judgment recorded in all the life of
Jesus Christ Immediately followed these
incidents. 1t 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 is branches;
and He pronounced upon it the whitening
words t at left it leafess AMI dead.
This las, of course. a type of the fruit
less nation that He had already referred
to under the parable of the Barren Fig
Tree, and it forecasts the solemn judgment
that awaits every professed follower of
Christ who shall meet Him at last with
empty hands and ~fruitless life.
But there is a beneicent aspect, even in
the curse of the King. 1t tells US of One
that has the power to consume and destroy
the things which we are unable to cast out
of our lives. There are fig trees of sinful
habit and physical disease which our hui
man strength cannot throw off alone. Oh,
how glad we are sometimes to have a God
who IS "a consuming fire" and from whose
presence Satan, sin and sickness flee away.
He tells US we may enter into His de-
structive power against these things and
hand over to His flaming sword adver-
saries and obstacles too great for us to
overcome.
world" Our Christ is not all soft and
easy benevolence. Back of His gentleness
is an arm of might and a holiness as
memorable as the l~ightnings of" the sky.
Oh! sinner, whatever else you dare, be-
ware of "the wrath of the Lamb"
VII. The Sceptre of the Kingdom. In
the closing verses of our lesson, chapter
q, verses 20 to u, the Lord reveals the
secret of His own power and tells the
disciples how they may share it also,
The secret of it is faith. 'If We have
faith and doubt not, We shall not only do
this which is done to the fig tree, but,
also, if We shall say unto this mountain,
be thou removed and be thou cast into
the sea, it shall be done; and ill things
whatsoever We shall ask in prayer, befiev-
ing, We shall receive" And SO He passes
over to us His seeptre, and tells US that
we may exercise the same omnipotenee
of faith through which He wrought His
mighty works. 1t was by faith that He
overcame and became for US "the Author
and Finisher of our faith" But we may
exercise the SANE faith, too. Some time
in that coming kingdom we shall be like
Him and exercise a power over the uni.
verse of God, of which. could we fully
realize it now, We would be amazed and