Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1904-02-10

the task OF trying 10 purify his own sim
ful heart. and so in helplessness he
cries out: Create for me a clern
heart. o God" What man cannot do
Tor himself, God is able and willing and
anxious to do for him Blessed are the
pure in heart" because they bear the
stamp of the Divine touch. because thew
come fresh and clean and spotless from
the marvellous laboratory of God where
the foul has been made clean. where the
base metal OF human conditions has
been transmitted into the pure gold OF
heaven. The pure heart is the handi-
work OF God. And Blessed" indeed.
then are the pure in heart, for they
shall see God"
Out what about the process by which
- the pure heart is created? What is
mans part and what is Gods? Mans
part is to submit to the Divine process
and Gods part is TO create a new and
pure heart Man must place himself
in the hands of God like the inert clay
rests In the hands of the potter. Then
God through the power OF Jesus blood
cleanses from all sin and gives the
pure heart into which He comes to
dwell in the person of His Son Then
begins mans active and positive rela-
ton To the pure heart which God has
created for him All sin has been taken
away, but the capacity. the tendency to
sin has not been eradicated. and can
not be while the soul is clothed upon
with the mortal flesh of the earthly
body. The struggle begins to keen the
heart pure. II must begin and the war
fare against the sins of the heart and
life must be waged INCREASINGLY. But
here again human strength and power
fail. 1t is just as impossible for man
In his own strength to keep pure the
cleansed heart which God has given
him as it is for him TO make the pure
heart Tor himself at the start. But
God again comes to the relief of poor
human need and offers the strength of
His conquering Son. And what is i'm
possible for human strength and will
alone becomes possible by Divine helm.
for His strength is made perfect in
weakness" So IL is not only a question
OF the securing of pure heart. bat
the maintenance of pure heart
A PURE heart may be kept pure in
\ TWO ways. First, by excluding all
lmpurity, and second, by removing i'm
purlties when they succeed in getting
In. The first is the ideal condition and
must be constantly and earnestly
striven for. The secret of success in
excluding from the heart the evil
thought and desire and purpose. and
thus preventing their fruition in the life
anf
in aggressive attitude against the evil
as In eager. earnest pursuit of the good
man succeeds best in keeping the
cleansed heart pure by filling it so fun
OF the presence of Christ that there ia
no chink or Granny through which evil
can enter. And he must keep so busy
that there are no idle moments in which
the lurking enemy. sin. may take him
unawares and bring him into subiec-
ton. Jesus said TO Ills disciples: Now
we are clean through the Word which
| have spoken unto you" And His
Word. abiding in tho heart. is the
strongest kind of defense against evil.
Paul's prescription to the Christian
who would keep his heart pure is found
in the fourth chapter OF his letter to
the Philippians. He says: "Whatso-
ever things are true, whatsoever things
are honorable. whatsoever things are
just. whatsoever things are pure. what
soever things are lovely. whatsoever
things are of good report: if there be
any virtue. and If there be any praise
think on these things"
DUT If sin enter the heart the second
- method OF maintaining pure
heart Is TO be applied. The heart must
be cleansed from the impurlty. the sin.
And blessed be God. He has made am
pie provision for such condition. For
If any man sin. we have an Advocate
with the Father. Jesus Christ the right
eous. and He is the Precipitation for
our sins. and not for ours only but also
for the whole world" And because He
is the blood sprinkled mercy seat. for
that is literally what Precipitation
means. "if we confess our sins. He IA
faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and cleanse us from all unrighteous-
ness" And how we have to keen
bringing TO Him our sin-stained hearts
that He may forgive and cleanse. But
He does not rebuke or chide us as we
feel that we deserve when we come To
Him land oh. how often the fear that
He will do so keeps us from bringing
the guilty heart for cleansine) but true
TO His promise He does cleanse from
all sin. and sends us away rejoicing.
for what heart is so glad as the pure
heart! How the sweet music Of Heaven
fills the chambers on the heart from
which have BON removed the disfg-
uring marks Of sin. And what a cham
Der Of horrors and unrest n Is when
filled with sin. But does not the Sa-
viour grow weary in the task Of purl-
flying the hearts Of His followers7 DO
the cleaning works srow weary Of
cleansing the soiled garments brought
to It? DO the ore mills and smelter