The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-03-29

49, 80 and who gave the
sacred vessels OF
the temple as tribute to foreign kings
whom he hoped to appease. Chapter "
tells of Hezikiah, the good king, VINO
required the priests to sancttfy hem
selves and cleanse the temple, who
brought back the sacred vessels, and
who restored the customary routine
of sacrifice and service within the
temple. Chapter 30 describes the re-
vival which took place throughout the
entire land following the cleansing OF
the temple and the restoration of the
sacrifice. The background Is dark
enough-a polluted temple, the serV'
ice neglected, God forsaken by the
people, the vessels OF holiness given
away for unholy purposes, and the
song of the Lord having ceased In the
courts of the temple.
Music was a prominent part in the
temple service, and it Is a prominent
part Of Christian life. No one has so
much right to sing as the man or
woman who has been redeemed by
the precious blood of Jesus Christ;
no one can know such JOY as the n
who has the sense Of forgiveness. I'm
belief has no songs. but the Christian
lie is filed with singing. Several
years ago when a famous unbelleyer
died and the arrangements were be-
ing made for the funeral service, 1t
was announced in the papers that
there would be no singing. How
could there be? What could they
sing at the service of a man who had
not only not believed in God, but
who had used his influence and elo-
quence to ridicule things which were
sacred and reverend?
There are two or three very plain
and practical lessons which emerge
from the reading of the chapters con.
nected with the text.
l. God cannot use an unclean thing.
So the vital question Is, rs my heart
right with Cod" God does not ask
for golden vessels, God does not ask
for silver vessels, but God does ask
for clean vessels. Therefore. those
of lis who have named the name OF
Christ may well take the place of the
Psalmist and say, Search me, 0 God,
and know my heart; try me, and
know my thoughts; and see If there
be any wicked way in me, and lead
me In the way everlasting"
2. God cannot give power to an un-
yielded life. The temple in Jerusa-
lem, magnificent and costly though it.
a did not have the visible mani
festation Of Gods presence until it
was entirely dedicated to him. There
is a peculiar sense In which 1t Is true;
"He hath filled the hungry with good
things, and the rich he hath sent
empty away"
3. Power is to be claimed only
upon the conditions of a clean heart
and a yielded life.
Perhaps you have been a Christian
many years, and yet for a long time
there has been no song In your soul;
prayer has been a burden, the word
of God has had no meaning to you,
and service has been irksome. Why?
1t may be:
/. Neglected prayer. God meant
prayer to be the greatest power In the
spiritual world, and although Chris
tians know how to do cores of other
things, and although churches use
numerous agencies for making the
work successful, yet we have lost the
secret Of the church and the secret
OF victory in our Christian lives--we
do not know how to pray.
2. Neglect of Gods word. Many a
man can find the first step in his
career away from God In his neglect
Of the word of God which Is meant.
not only for his food, but for his
guidance. So many Of us object, to
the Bible, or neglect 1t because its
teachings go contrary to some habit
which we cherish, or some sin which
we commit. 49," a
3. Lack of forgiveness or apology.
IL We are tOU ebupuO1u W ltlblfS pSD~
pie who have injured us, or too proud
to ask forgiveness CT those whom we
have injured, God pity Ms, for there
can be no song in the soul until we
are right with God and right with our
fellowmen.
4. Unconfessed and unforsaken sin.
This may seem small to the sinner,
but sin which Is not confessed and
forsaken, closes the eyes against the
beauties of heaven, shuts the ears
against the songs of heaven, and bars
the way to the soul that would enter
In. More than that, sin drives Joy
out Of the Christian life.
s. Lack of complete surrender. This
is the real meaning Of the text, for
the burnt offering indicated that
everything was given up to God; and
It Is only as we make a complete
abandonment of ourselves to God, that
he fills us with JOY in believing and
happiness in Christian service. May
1t not be that the years of our Chris.
tian life have been unfruitful and joy
less, and void OF music, because we
have kept back part of the price
which we should have paid to God2
DO we not know that there has been
q lack of complete surrender, and
complete abandonment to him?