The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-09-22

| Tor the enrlchmenC OF the ecc!eS'asLlcdl par
ties that brought about the Reformation.
The kind of sin here described is not sec
! ular business in its own place. but. tha
doing of things in the name of religion
which are prompted by mercenarv motives.
The preaching of the gospel for the sake of
gain, wrong financial methods in support
| ing the church. the desecrating of the
house of God BY social and secular enter
tainments and methods of raising money
which appeal to the selfshness and frivol-
| itv of man, and the using Of Christianity
| in any way as a cloak OF covetousness. as
an advertisement of business, as a means
Of social preferment or secular galn-these
are things which are so common on every
side of us that me 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 profanations.
The second cleansing of the Temrle
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 of the CHRISTIAN.
Here. too, there is second cleansing
which the Lord comes to bring, when he
Himself enters the consecrated heart, not
only saving. but sanctiiying and separating
we can possibly know, even in the early
| iov 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 1t was a
| genuine outburst of heaven inspired love
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 sucklings Thou has perfected
praise" Others might join in the accla-
nations because of the contagious influ-
ence of an excited multitude, but theirs
| was 'perfect praise" As usual the Pharl-
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
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
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." It is not
quite the same as Hallelujah, the usual ex-
preston for worship and praise. Literally
it means "Lord save u.s." Our Haile!u-
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 &C
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-
ately after Christ's triumphal entry into
Jerusalem and His cleansing of the Tenn.
pie, we read these significant words. "and
| the blind and the lame came to Him in the
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
will be found in our personal experience.
This was not a momentary gleam OF divine
benefcence over a dark and suffering
world, but Jesus Christ is the same yes
terday, to-day and forever.
eAnd warm. sweet. tender even yet
A present help is He
And love has still its Oivet
And faith its Galilee.
The healing of His seamless robe
Is Dy our beds of pain.
We touch Him mid life's pain and strife
And We are whole again..
But, Of course, all this awaits its perfect
ful6lment 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 and gladness, and sorrow and signing
shall fee away"
Then, when this earth is purged of all
iniouity, will it be also true the inhabitant
shall no more say. "I 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 judg-
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 1t 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.
This was, of course. 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 benefcent aspect, even in
the curse of the Hing. 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 God
who IS "a consuming fire" and from whose
presence Satan, sin and sickness fee 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.
'I am so glad," said little child once,
"that I have God that can shake the
world" Our. Christ, is not all soft and
easy benevolence. Back of. His ,gentleness
is an arm of might and holiness as
inexorable as the Eghtnings of the sky.
Oh! sinner, whateyerselse YOU dare, be.
ware of "the wrath Of the Lamb !; q
VII. The Sceptre of the Kingdom. tlny