The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1921-03-17

tS&H ~W strel of old, the
wrath OF m a n
shall praise Thee; che remainder OF
wrath shalt Thou restrain" And thus
the Spirit Of God seizes upon their
words and writes them down as part
of Holy Scripture. Oh, blessed news
they are telling: This Man receivetn
sinners
Self-righteousness has no need Tor
grace; will not, indeed, have 1t; ana
these upright, religious Pharisees re-
sent the grace that Is flowing out oI
Christ to all the world and that opens
the Fathers house to the very out
casts of earth. The Lord Jesus VIII
permit no testimony to Himself from
demons. though full well they know
and own His deity and Saviorhood, bur
He will permit this proclamation py
His foes, so well does He love to nave
/. known that He receiveth sinners.
1t is nowhere said that He receives
others. Nowhere do we, find Him DO
ing so. When the best man OF his DAY
came to Him by night, expecting to be
taught something that would make
him still better than he was, ne
learned in d moment that he had NOT
yet begun to live, and that he must De
born again to enter the kingdom OF
God.
When lawyer of blamelebs life
tempted Him with his question:
"What shall I do to inherit efernal
lifeY" the Lord referred him to the law
with it's impossible standard to show
him that he is sinner.
Are there, then, others than SIN
ners? There are not, for thus II IS
written: "AlT have sinned and come
short of the glory Of Cod" Ana
whether these self-righteous enemies
of the Lord are able to appreciate 1t
or not, they are compelled to listen to
His holy sarcasm: II am not come to
call the righteous, but sinners" 1t is
He who has pronounced upon this
world of sin, and His estimate of men
shall abide in spite Of their good opin-
ions Of themselves. Sinners" He calls
them, and such they are. T.
But oh, to think that this is what
gives them a claim upon Him! Yea,
If is the only claim they have or can
hayel This man receiveth sinners.
And NOT only does He receive them
He seeks them out, knocks at their
door and pleads with them to let Him
in. "The Son of Man is come to seek
and to savei" Behold, stand at the
door and knock! "All day long l
have stretched forth my hands"
And how does He receive themy
Are there conditions to be met first?
Are we to make ourselves fit for Him?
No! And so eager is He to have us
know this that He has written it down
in hundred tales and portrayed 1t In
hundred. types and shadows.
In the same instant that Isaiah con-
fessed the need that the light of Gods
throne had revealed, he found that
need fully met without condition OF
any sort. 'sWoe is mel" "Then few
ONE of the seraphim"-"flew," like the
,ightning, with the provision of the
altar that puts away discovered sin.
What said Jesus to the woman OF
the city which was sinner" as she
.sstood at His feet behind Himf' A,Thy
sins are forgiven thy faith
hath saved thee!"
What said He to the woman all sin
as He sat by Jacobs well?- Il give
thee living water!'
What said He to the adulteress
brought to Him in the temple?
ssNeither do I condemn thee" His
enemies have brought this poor sinner
TO Him without knowing that they
were doing the best possible thing for
her. and that the only safe place for
any sinner is the presence Of the
Savior.
What said He to the malefactor, but
now railing upon him in blasphemy,
as he hung upon felon's cross
"VeriIy, 1 say unto thee, today shalt
thou be with me in paradise"
And our question is answered: He
receiveth sinners without an upbraid
| ing word or a syllable of reproach
without question or condition OF
any kind.
And to what does He receive sin
ners? To His own level, to place al
His side, for they sit at table with
Him: to the dearest intimacy; to I'M
broken fellowship, and thus to the
sweet foretaste of heavens bliss: HI
EATETH WITH THEM! The Chris
tan life, in all its elements and &C
tivities, one continual feast with tn
Lord of life and glory, the heart once
desolate because Of sin now satisfied
! and at rest forevermore. "And HI
went in to tarry with them
/ And as He sat at meat will
them, He took bread, and blessed, ant
brake, and gave to them. Ant
they said one to another, did not oul
heart burn within us?" This man re
ceiveth sinners and eateth with them