Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-03-22

getting back his great strength Old
Samson never got back his eycsi CHIT
but he was able again to put forth That
old strength and In his own death he
slew more Of His Lords enemies than
he ever slow IN his lie. Cannot you
see the old grizzled giant shaggy
bearded and his hair like lions name,
and the old muscles again knotting
themselves out in their strength? Now.
my text says Rahab was a harlot. She
was social outcast. But Rahab the
depravcd not only became Robab tho
virtuous, but she also became Rahab
the sncestress of Jesus Christ
Rshab's After Lilo virtuous.
Let me read you something that
found in my Investigations. This IL
| what n great Bible student once wrote
In reference to this heroine Of my
text: "As regards Rahab herself, we
learn from Matthew /, s. that she be
came the wife Of Salmon, the son Of
Naasson, and the mother Of Boaz.
| Jesse's grandfather The suspicion
naturally arises that Salmon may have
been one OF the spies whose life she
saved. But, however this may be, Il
! Is certain. on the authority of Matthew,
! that Rahab became the mother Of the
| line from which sprang David and
! eventually Christ and there can he no
! doubt that it was so stated in the pub
| lie archives from which the evangelist
extracted our Lords gcnealogy, In
which only four women are named.
That the Kalab mentioned by Matthew
| is Rahab the marriott is ms certain MS
that David in the genealogy is the
same person ms David in the books Of
! Samuel Is not this n glorious ira ns-
formation? Rahab the outcast could
become Rahab the pure, Rahab the
| God honored, the ancestress Of Jesus
And is it not also glorious thought
that though YOU may have wandered
away from Christ, wandered as far
away as did Rahab. yet by the grace
of God and through the cleansing blood
Of Jesus Christ you can be purgcd ui-
I'll You are clean and washed of your
sins, until you become whittier than the
driven snow"
Thus in closing this sermon I am
glad TO say that every Rahab. every
Mary Magdalene. every Peter and ev-
cry prodigal son can be saved by God >
grace, as well as all the Marys and all
the Enochs and all TIE Joshuas who
never ceased to walk With God. In
the midst OF the Atlantic ocean, half
way between Brazil and Africa. there
Is sea In the midst of many cur
rents. It Is sea or lake within ar
ocean. 1t is called the Sargasso sea
1t is formed by many different cur
rents converglng. and there, in th.
midst Of these currents. the water IL
, still aud quiet. The student OF ocean
geography tells US that these great
, ocean currents create In the middle
| Atlantic dead quiet spot about AZ
; large rs Europe into which Ia sucked
) all the refuse OF the ocean, Just as
, when you stir a basinful of water rap.
' idly The corks gather IN the center
, and stay there. This kind Of process
I les been going on Tor centuries In the
e Sargasso sea, throwing into it quaint
ties Of seaweed and all sorts OF rub
bsh. which stay there In thick, i'm.
penetrable mass, through which DC
Il chip can pass and in which any Shir
q would surely perish. All, The sea OF
:, Sargasso may be a collector OF the
:. refuse Of the ocean. but my Christ is
q more than that in the spiritual sea q
:. life. He Is Il Sarga $50 sea for tbs
=, immoral outcasts OF the human race
If we only come as penitent sinners t.
=. his cross. No matter how low VIZ
= may sink. we can all come to him Il
we will. he has been collecting the
= sinners az we'll as the saints through
all the past centuries. AS | GO toia,
+, and look into heaven I find that thos'
who are now wearing The briEhtcs
sohcS were once as we are They have
been the Rahabs and the Mary Magda
lencs and the prodigal sons Of earth
. Oh, my friends. like Rahab receiving
- the messengers Of Joshua. will you no
: start your life over again in Christ
- SO may ii be 10 all Of us through th'
~ blood of Jesus Christ. May we 10
:, only he saved ourselves, but. through
;" Christ. may we like Rahab. hc able Il
= bring all our dear ones with us &
:. glory.
81 Copyright. 1905. by Louis Kiopsch.I