The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1904-05-07

true, the counterfeit for the genuine.
The glitter and display of externalities
are of more real concern to us than the
spirit and purpose which should lie be-
hind them. The Scribes and Pharisees Of
Jesus day had learned the art of our
terfeiting. They had lost Gods gold,
and unwilling to lose the glamour of
the outward display of their religion
they substituted the base metal of their
own fusing. They made for themselves
shields of brass that they might MAKE
the same show and appear to have lost
nothing. They cared more for what
the eyes of man saw than for What
the all-seeing eye of God beheld. And
so with Rehoboam, and as with the
Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus day, so
with multitudes of people to-day. Gill;
tering shields must be had and the
worlds brass is eagerly taken and
used, when Gods gold is not to be had
because of sin. Rehoboam might bet
ter have gone without shields alto
gether after he lost the gold ones han
to have substituted the brass ones OF
his own making. Why should he try
to make it appear that he had lost
nothing by Shishak's raid? why
should he proudly hold his head aloft
and fatter himself with the glitter and
display which he had enjoyed before
his sin and punishment? And why
should people to-day, having forfeited
the gold of Gods favor and presence,
seek to ignore the loss and substitute
therefor the brass shields of their own
making?
HE Observation-Disclosures pos
i sessed shields of pure gold. They
constituted a rich treasure which had
been committed to his hands. They
typifed Gods protection, and the gold
from which they were made was SYM
bolic of purity. Their possession was a
sign of Gods favor and blessing. Gold
shields for Rehoboam when he anne in
to the kingdom, and gold shields for
you and me when we enter the kingdom
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Rich treas
ures committed to u hands. Cold
shields IMPLYING the protection OF COO
and His purity. All, how we delight IN
their possessioni We have them hung
about the walls of the palace of our heart,
and we delight to take them down II
march with them to the temple of our
God, where we may worship Him. Gol
shields of protection promised TO them
that love and obey Him. Gold shields
of purity, because through the blood OF
Jesus Christ we are made clean and His
righteousness and purity are counted for
us. Purity and protection-what more
can God give? Within these two are
comprehended all that God has to give
to the trusting soul. Purity is God-like-
ness. And the Christian attains that
condition or quality in two ways: BY
imputation and by requirement.
Through the cleansing and transforming
power of Jesus blood the sinner is made
pure. That is, Jesus. having borne the
punishment of our sin, is able to throw
e us as a mantle His righteousness
and purity. Apart from Jesus Christ
there car be no purity in Gods sight. If
God sees in us Christ. He sees purity and
holiness. If by faith the heart lays
hold of Christ, by that act of surrender
and obedience we become possessed of
His purity and righteousness. and God, in
behOlding us, sees not the marred and
SCARED life, but His precious Son. behind
Whom the sinner takes refuge. Thus is
His purity and Righteousness imputed
unto us.
THE Shield of Protection.-This is Of
l. ,fensive and defensive. 1t implies
the surrounding presence of God which
shields from every danger, which nerves
for every conflict, which sweetens every
joy, which soothes every sorrow. which
intensiies and deepens every relation
ship and responsibility of life. This is
what Gods protection means. 1t in
aE-erythinn oSSontinl -. 4LA-A1