South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-07-05
BIBLE DOES NOT
FLATTER PRIDE
Tells Us That All Have Sinned
and Come Short of the Glory
of God, Says Rev. 7. J. Par
sons.

''In our journey towards the Holy
Of HOLES, we passed through the only
gate. which typifed Christ in His
fourfOld character. Then we came TO
the altar OF sacrifice just within the
court, which also spoke Of Christ as
the Lamb OF God, which taketh away
the sin OF the world said Rev. T. j.
Parsons, pastor of quincy Street Bap-
list church Sunday evening IN his ser
mon n THE Tabernacle Of Israel"
This " as the third sermon OF a series
OF talks on this subject, illustrated
with a miniature model Of the taber-
nacle In part Mr.. Parsons said:
eve need 20 remember that the
order in which these articles were
placed. as well as their construction,
VS. specified by God and contain a
profound meaning. The laver could
not BE placed before the altar, nor
taken inside the house. We must not
change Gods order in the plan Of
salvation. Some people desire to have
a Christian experience without ac-
cepting the atoniEg blood Of Christ,
but that is impossible.
The laver was made Of the pol
ished brass mirrors donated by the
Egypt This surely suggests that Cod
would have us consecrate to His use
the graces, talents and adOrnments
which we priced in our worldly life;
also that He viii accept these poor
earthly embellishments and sanctify
them to His glory.
The laver. then, was a mirror in
which the priests were TO see not their
beauty but their blemishes. This As
typical of the Word of God. The BIZ
BILE does not fiatter human pride; II
tell us that human nature is mass
OF bruises and purifying sores and
the Righteousness of man but as hlthy
rags for there is none righteous, all
have sinued and come short Of the
glory Of God.
but the iaver was more than a
mirror. liz contained a cleansing ele-
ment. for il was kept constantly
filled with water. Tt is not sufficient
20 reveal the VileneSs of the human
heart, the great need is means of
removing the stains OF sin That was
the question proposed by Joseph Cook
of Boston at the Parliament of Relig
ions in Chicago. He said. Here is
Lady Macbeth. See now she rubs her
hands. out, damned spot. VIII these
hands ne'er be clean? All the per
fumes of Arabia could not sweeten
this little hand. And her husband in
hand, il would the multitudinOus seas
incarnadine, making the green one
red. What religion can wash Lady
Macbeths red right hand? DR.. Cook
put the question TO every religion in
the world, and then concluded that
there is only one remedy for the
sin-stained. and that is found in the
Gospel Of Jesus Christ. Though
your sins be as scarlet, they shall he
as white as snow; though they be
red like crimson, they shall be as
wool
This is the unique perogative of
the Word OF God. in which dwells
the living Holy Spirit No other book
acts as a searchlight on the human
heart and at the same time is capa-
bic of cleansing from sin. Such was
the symbOlical meaning of the laver.
The altar spoke Of God, the Son, the
laver speaks Of God the Spirit
The LAYER bore still another sig
nificance. The priests were already
ceremOnially clean and cOnsecrated,
but in the plying Of their daily tasks
they were liable 10 become spotted
with dehlement in the open court.
therefore, they must wash before en-
tering the sanctuary to serve God in
more immediate communion. The
Christian is clean through the wash
ing of regeneration by the Word, but
il liable TO become sOiled in his daily
contact with the world; therefore, he
needs constant resort to the Scrip
lures in order to enjoy hallowed COM
muniOn with God. IT is the Christians
glorious privilege, not only to be
cleansed by the blood Of Christ, but
TO be filed with the Holy Spirit. and
to have the Word of God a sanctify-
ing power IN his life"