...Sermons...
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'Bishop J. S. Ca 2).
BISHOP JOSIAH SAMUEL CALDWELL, D. D
SERMONS
BY
BISHOP J. S. CAUJWEIxC, I). D.
CONTENTS.
A Better Country—Hebrews 11:15-16 83
An Easter Sermon—Matthew 21:10; St. John 7:11; Matthew 28:6 51
Citizenship With the Saints—Ephesians 2:19-20 35
Eternal L,ife, and How Obtained—John 17:3 57
Gospel Wagon—Genesis 45:19-20-24 30
Mysteries in Redemption—Timothy 3:16 62
The Passover—Kxodus 12:11 47
The Power of the Gospel—Romans 1:16 73
The Ways and Times in Which God Speaks to Man—Hebrews 1:1-2 .... 41
The Matchless Speaker—John 7:46 18
The Bannered Host—Psalm 20:5 67
The More Excellent Way—I. Corinthian? 12:31 9
(Delivered at Livingstone College, April 26, 1908.)
The Flourishing of the Righteous—Psalm 92:12 79
Wash Day in Israel—Exodus 19-10 25
PREFACE
T present the public with this bcok which I hope will bear a message of
love and good will.
These sermons were delivered in the various pulpits which it has been my
privilege to occupy during the past eighteen years of my ministry. No at¬
tempt is here made at display of oratory or scholarship. My only effort has
been to set forth the truth in the simplest language at command with a hope of
reaching the heart of the reader and influencing him for good.
If these sermons shall be the means of inducing those who may read them
to accept Christ and to lead a better life, the end for which I publish them will
have been served.
I send them forth on the errand of mercy, praying that they may have a wide
circulation and be blessed of God to the conversion of many souls.
THE AUTHOR.
INTRODUCTION.
BY BISHOP GPCOROE lylNCO^N B^ACK WE^L, A. M., S. T. D.
Iti these perilous times when the people's minds are being filled with all
kinds of literature which allures them into mischief and dispels the thought
of God, it is well for Christian men and women, even at a sacrifice, to place 011
the market literature which calls attention to the more vital interests of human
beings. In this unpretentious volume of sermons, the author, Bishop Josiali
Samuel Caldwell, D. D., has done the public a service and himself credit, not
only in placing a highly interesting book upon the market, but more So in the
choice of subjects, the lucid manner in which they are treated and the prac¬
tical thought growing out of the discussions. Whether taking the subjects
singly or collectively, no one of them fails to suggest helpful lines of thought
to the earnest seeker after truth.
Bishop Caldwell is a preacher whom the common people hear gladly.
His sermons viva voce are always in an earnest and enthusiastic manner.
Nature has endowed him with a peculiar adaptability for the pulpit, and hav¬
ing followed almost exclusively his favored calling, he has not allowed his
mind to be deflected, except for bnef intervals, from his great commission,
hence his thought is accustomed to dwell in a spiritual atmosphere which
gives him a magnetic influence over the minds of his hearers.
The Bishop was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, in August,
1861. His rudimentary education which was less than two months in a year,
and which was obtained through much difficulty came to a termination at the
age of fit teen, but by dint of application and much burning of midnight oil,
he succeeded in acquiring a liberal educatiou.
He was converted at the age of nineteen and being impressed that he was
called to the ministry, entered Z1011 Wesley Insitute (now Livingstone Col¬
lege) m 1882. After graduating there in 1888, he took a post-graduate course
in Theology at the Union Theological Seminary of New York City.
As a pastor he has served in many of the most important charges in the
Connection. During his pastorate at "Mother Zion" church, New York, he
settled a litigation which resulted in the dliurcli receiving six thousand dollars;
this marked him as a great financier. He was appointed to the pulpit at Wes¬
ley church, Philadelphia, as a successor to the late Rev. R. Haywood Stitt, in
which charge he remained four years, whence he was elected Financial Secre¬
tary. He served in that capacity with great efficiency until the time he was
elected to the Episcopacy in 1904.
Bishop Caldwell achieved success at each of hiscliatges, audis well known
for his public spirit and unselfish co operation in all matters which pertain to
the welfare of his race. Knowing him, one readily perceives the evidence of
those qualities which have made him a success as a safe and sane leader
both in church and state. He has great force of character, combined with
strong elements of leadership.
Physically, mentally and morally, Bishop Caldwell is one of the highest
types of Negro manhood. As a minister and thinker he has attained an hon-
ored place among the gitted men of liis day. As a man of singular and excep¬
tional executive ability, as well as a financier of his church, he has been pre¬
eminently successful, all of which fits him most admirably for the high office
he occupies as a leader of his race in church and state.
His life has been one of ceaseless activity. His reverent and fearless atti¬
tude in defense of right principles has been his dominant characteristic. His
is an example of what pluck and perseverance can accomplish. The life and
career of this prelate reveals the fact that with a singleness of purpose and be¬
ing keenly alive to the needs of his race, he has risen from obscurity and by
his own dint of labor attained to the highest position in the gift of his church.
It is our earnest hope that this volume may have a speedy and wide circu¬
lation as it so richly deserves.
Philadelphia,
August 26, 1908.
THE MORE EXCELLENT WAY.
Text:—Brethren, I Would not Have you Ignorant,
i Cor. 12:1. But Covet Earnestly the best Gifts: and yet
Show I Unto you a More Excellent way. i Cor. 12:31.
The author of our text is the Apostle Paul. He was a very-
distinguished Apostle of the Gentiles. He was born at Tarsus in
Celicia and inherited from his lather the privileges of a Roman citi¬
zen.
His parents belonged to the tribe of Benjamin and brought up
their son as a Hebrew of the Hebrews.
Tarsus, his native city, was highly distinguished for learning
and culture, thus affording him a great opportunity for intellectual
improvement.
At a suitable age, however, he was sent to Jerusalem to com¬
plete his education in the school of Gamaliel, the most distin¬
guished Rabbi of that age. Thirty years later found him high in
the confidence of the leading men of the nation and a profound
scholar, a strict Pharisee, and a fierce defender of Judaism, and a
bitter enemy of Christianity.
After his miraculous conversion, of which we have three ac¬
counts in the Acts of the Apostles, he devoted all the power of his
ardent, energetic mind to the defence and propagation of the Gos¬
pel of Christ, more particularly among the Gentiles.
His views of the pure and lofty spirit of Christianity in its
worship and in its practical influence, appeared to have been par¬
ticularly clear and strong; and the opposition which he was thus
led to make to the rights and ceremonies of the Jewish worship,
exposed him everywhere to the hatred and malice of his country¬
men, hence, much of his persecution and often imprisonment
CHRYSOSTOM speaking of him, says, "He still lives in the
mouth's of men throughout the whole world. By them, not only
his own converts, but all the faithful, even unto this day, yea,
and all the saints who are yet to be born until Christ's coming
again, both have been and shall be blessed".
There are fourteen Epistles in the New Testament usually as¬
cribed to Paul. In these Epistles, the principles of Christianity
are developed for all periods, characters and circumstances, and
9
are among the most important of the primitive documents of the
Christian religion.
Each Epistle or letter was sent with a view to some specific
end. In some caseg he would rebuke the members of a particular
Church for their indifference to the cause of Christ; on other occa¬
sions, he would commend them for their faithfulness to the trust
imposed.
This particular Church was at this time suffering on account
of a great division among its membership over what they were
pleased to call gifts, especially the gift of tongues.
It would seem strange that these believers should fall into
error here, especially so, when ttie history of the progress of Chris¬
tianity so clearly reveals the fact that God has in all Ages elected
to choose men of peculiar endowments to promote or carry forward
His work in the world.
In the early Church, there were many supernatural gilts in the
fulfillment of prophecy. God speaking through the Prophet Joel,
said, "And it shall come to pass afterwards that I will pour out
my spitit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall
prophecy, and your old men shall dream dreams, and your young
men shall see visions.
Christ, himself, emphasizes this truth in that remarkable utter¬
ance in which He declares, "These signs shall follow them that be¬
lieve; in My name shall they cast out devils, they shall speak with
new tongues, they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any
deadly thing, it shall not hurt them, they shall lay hands on the
sick and they shall recover".
These gifts entrusted to, or bestowed upon the early workers
with God in the development of His kingdom among men, ought
to set at rest, and make impossible the spasms with which the
Church is disturbed now and again, even down to this day.
The Apostle Paul, in addressing himself to this subject, shows
at the very beginning an impatient intolerance for ignorance. He
would not take the opportunity from any man who would make an
effort to come to the Fountain of Knowledge. Hence, we see him
swinging open the door of the discussion upon the hinges of the
declaration, "I would not have you ignorant concerning spiritual
gifts". If, on account of misunderstanding, you have clashings
among yourselves, the fault must be at your own door, for I would
not have you ignorant.
10
The contribution which the spirit has made to the remedial
system or new dispensation was now being considered by the Apos¬
tle. A quarter of a century had little more than passed since Christ
ascended to the throne of His Father as the God-Man of the Uni¬
verse, and the Spirit had descended as the promised paraclete.
These marvelous gifts were strangely misunderstood by the
Christians at Corinth, hence, at the outset, these principles are laid
down as fundamental to the economy of Gifts by the Apostle.
i. it is a divine economy or a gift of god.
ii. it is the dispensation of the hoey ghost and
its work is uneike any other, for it strange-
ey warms the heart.
Whatever may have been the mysteries that were connected
with these manifestations, there was a grand system to which they
appertained and it was i pheld, applied, and administered by the
Holy Ghost.
There are deversity of Gifts. These are distributed by God
through His Spirit to the Sons of Men. These are so numerous
that there need not be any envying or disputing about them; of
this
"I Woued not Have you Ignorant".
This statement is far-reaching and very important. Not any
more so to the poeple to whom he then spoke, than to us.
Ignorance is defined as being a lack of knowledge or the ab¬
sence of information in general, or in relation to a particular sub¬
ject. No one need be ignorant of the Holy Ghost and His work,
because it is the gift of God.
The Apostle here declares himself willing to flood the whole
question, so far as in him lies the power, with light. In speaking
to the Ephesian Church, he points out a few of the important Gifts
which Heaven has made to earth.
He gave some Apostles, which means some t$en as Apostles,
and some men as Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pas¬
tors and Teachers. Without these, our world would be much
poorer and the knowledge of things Divine would not be so preva¬
lent.
Knowledge stands in opposition to ignorance. The natu¬
ral bent of the human mind is toward knoweEdge. It seeks in¬
formation by investigation or by research.
ii
The Apostle seeks not to interfere with the flow of this natu¬
ral current by removing the "lamp of knowledge" from them,
but rather widens and deepens the channel by declaring against ig¬
norance, especially as it pertains to spiritual gifts.
The Author of our text does not stand alone among the Divine
teachers in his advocacy for knowledge and wisdom. Solomon,
tbe Proverb writer, who lived and caught prior to the time of our
text, dwelt at length upon the value of knowledge and wisdom.
Among the imperative duties he enjoined upon man is the
love of knowledge. Not merely a passive desire for it, but a
glowing, all-consuming love for it, is the import of his instruction.
As to wisdom, which is the right application of knowledge,
he said, "Wisdom is the principal thing therefore get wisdom; and
in all thy getring, get understanding".
Knowledge and wisdom will be exemplified in our acts and
conduct in relation to the affairs with which we may have to do.
Solomon, in order that we might not have any excuse for not fol-
fowing in wisdom's ways, gives us as an example of wisdom's
work as our pattern, and urges that we copy it. "Wisdom, saith
he, hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars,
etc.", This example of Wisdom's work I would like to commend
to every young man and woman here assembled.
The Preparation Which Wisdom Made
First:—wisdom built her house.
You have come hither to get assistance in building up a men¬
tal superstructure. The amount of help you receive, and the kind
of structure you build, will depend largely upon your own efforts.
In Wisdom's example, we see several elements employed as
necessary to the rounding out or in the completion of the building
she has undertaken.
Among the many essentials in building a house are its loca¬
tion, foundation, material and architectual design^. You are hap¬
pily and fortunately located within these classic walls, you may
have for your educational foundation, the knowledge and wisdom
culled from the masters in classic lore, scientific investigation, and
learning of every and all description of past Ages. The stretch of
the centuries invites you into these fields from which you may
gather your materials. From these, you should evolve an exceed¬
ingly useful structure, not a monument or a mere helpful aggrega-
12
tion of information that means nothing to the possessor or to man¬
kind generally, but a light-house guiding the ship of the wandering
mariner over L,ife'e stormy sea, a fire consuming ignorance in
yourself and in your fellows; a sun, warming the earth for its crop
of vegetation in spring-tide.
The Apostle Paul, in giving an account of his conversion,
declares to Agrippa, and through Agrippa to the world, that the
turning point in his life for good was caused by the flash of a Heav¬
enly Vision, to which he declares, he was not disobedient. Jesus,
the great Teacher of teachers, enjoined upon mankind to seek first
the Kingdom of God, declaring that all things should be added un¬
to them.
The Apostle Paul in addressing Timothy, his son, in the Gos¬
pel, commanded him to "Study to show himself approved unto
God: a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of Truth".
The advice here given is as potent and forceful and timely to
us as it was to Timothy. Emphasis is to be placed on the com¬
mand to "Study", study God in Nature's open book as He reyeals
Himself in the rock, in vegetation, or in the flying clouds,
Study Him as He reveals Himself in the inspired pages of
Holy writ, not merely for the approbation of men, but rather for
the approval of God, for the applause of men must die on the
Shores of Time, but the approbation of God culminates in the
blessed invitation, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant,
enter into the joys of thy Lord".
In the second division of our text, the Apostle recommends to
those whom he wrote, the necessity of discriminating in the selec¬
tions of gifts.
"Covet Earnestly the Best Gifts"
In this connection, the Apostle dignifies the little word covet
by lifting it out of the relation in which it is commonly used, and
making it ask for the best of Spiritual Gifts.
Moses, from the thunder-split peaks of Sinai, said to the con¬
gregation of Israel, "Thou shalt not covet". The Aposle says to
his Corinthian brethren, "covet earnestly the best gifts".
This brings us to notice a few of the best things after which
we may lawfully and righteously strive. To serve well our day
and generation we should have an ideal. Man's chief end is to
13
glorify God and enjoy Him forever. If we would have a perfect
ideal or pattern, we would recommend the "Perfect Man", the
Christ.
A student of today,, true to tradition, is apt to select as his
ideal or pattern, some person about whom history gives an ac¬
count.
Cicero's orations on the Conspiracy of Cattaline make him a
favorite with the students who are inclined to the Art of Oratory.
Pythagoras and Socrates, the greatest of early philoso¬
phers still have charms for those who are pursuing the subject of
organized thought or logic.
Notwithstanding the precious memory that mav cluster about
these men who are lifted to our view in Ancient History, a closer
inspection would reveal imperfectioMS and delects so glaring that
they could not be taken for safe patterns or ideals.
The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthian Church, has
not left us to speculate, thus subjecting us to the danger of making
a mistake as to the best gifts, but he has named the gifts that
God has given to the Church.
First—Apostles
Second:—Prophets
Third:—Teachers
Fourth:—Workers of Miracles
Fifth:—Gift of Healing
Sixth:—Diversity of Tongues
You will observe that he leads the list with the gift of apos¬
tles and ends it with the gift of tongues. This is significant,
and perhaps is meant to emphasize the fact that the Apostles were
called to their office by the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, thus mak¬
ing them the actual founders and practical rulers and referees of
the church. The Apostle in addressing the Ephesians, said, "Ye
are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the
Saints and of the household of God; and are built upon the foun¬
dation of the Prophets and Apostles: Jesus Christ, Himself, being
the chief corners Lone".
The gift of tongues, which may mean the ability to speak
many tongues, is probably placed last in this column because the
Apostle did not greatly value the mere pow«r to express Christian
feeling in incomprehensible language or in some foreign or un¬
known tongue.
14
Each gift, here pointed out, is to be employed in advancing
Christianity, and in the spread and growth of the civilization of
the world. The world needs these agents as much today as did it
in the Apostle's day.
"Covet Earnestly These Gifts" is the command. They
are not confined to any Age or to any race, but they are hedged
about by three emphatic conditions, namely: cabling, choice
and preparation.
To be a Prophet or a dispenser of the oracles of God, you
must be divinely called. Self-appointed, self-constituted, self-
sent, means to tail.
To be a Teacher worthy of the name in any sense ol the term,
you may make choice of it and consecrate yourself to this work.
To be a linguist or in possession of the gift of tongues,
Preparation is required. Young men do not despair becauce you
are not called to teach or preach.
These gifts , the Apostles sets before us and urges that we
' 'covet them".
"Yet Shew I Unto Thee a More Excellent way"
In this third division of our text, the Apostle declares that he
has something that is better still in store for us. He denominates
it, "the more excellent way1'.
This royal road is the way to Charity or L,ove. Without dis¬
paraging any attainments which we may have of the gift of
tongues or the gift of prophecy, he declares that these amount
to nothing more than "soundiug brass or tinkling cymbals" unless
the possessor is found in the more excellent way of love. In
this way is to be found the rich and the poor, the learned and the
unlearned.
In his description of the supreme excellent Way of Christian
love, the Apostle rises on wings, as it were of inspiration, to the
most sun-lit heights of Christian eloquence.
Christian workers of all ages have made him the object of spec¬
ial admiration as they have studied his words of wisdom upon this
particular subject.
He places eloquence at the head of the list of the way man
usually chooses as a road to success. Eloquence is valuable as a
persuasive moving quality, but when stripped of L,ove, the Apostle
del ares it "Nothing".
Thtre is no moral worth in any act or word apart from Char-
15
&
ity. In the light of Heaven, all else is mere rubbish.
He places Prophecy second in the column as a possible way.
This way is not to be ignored nor despised for the world has_ been
baptized in the blessings of prophecy, but prophecy, with all its
benedictions, must soon end if shorn of love.
The greatest thing in the Universe is the Mind. All material
systems would lack completeness and meaning, was there no Mind
to observe, study, and worship the great invisible.
The greatest thing in the Mind is Love. What is this Love
without which humanity is nothing? It is not the gregarious sen¬
timent which links us to, and gives us an interest to our species.
Is it mere theological Love or the affection which one has for his
own faith and sect or is it sacradotal Love, or the love which speaks
irom ecclesiastical chairs or political powers.
Nay, nay, my brethren, we may describe it. for we cannot de¬
fine it. We know it as a generous, moral sympathy for the race,
springing from Love to the Creator. This is the only Love that
confers real worth upon humanity.
We observe in the third place, that this way is more excellent
because it never faileth. "Love never faileth." It is the strong¬
est force in the soul. Our present state is one of trial and sorrow.
Godly love is the best sustaining power under all conditions. We
have not only burdens to oppress, but we have enemies to conquer
and destroy. Love is at once the inspiration and the qualification
for the warfare.
As a sustaining, resisting, aggressive power, Love will never
fail. As an unifying agent, Love has no equal. Man's ingenuity
has been taxed for ages in the invention of a scehme for union.
Love alone can secure this, for Love in the moral empire is what
attraction is in the material.
Again, the "More Excellent Way" is a way of immortality.
Love is immortal. Men may become intoxicated by reason of the
progress they are making and the insight they have to the mys¬
teries of nature. Their sense of right and justice of man to man
may be paralyzed and at times dethroned; but whenever love
reaches the throne, it begins to set things in order. It will never
die, God himself is love.
The nature and operation of love win for it a place of admira¬
tion of not only Christians but of all mankind. The Apostle puts
it in the very foreground of excellencies. In pointing to its virtues
16
he saith first, "It suffereth long." Wedded love, parental love
patriotic love have to undergo discipline of pain and sorrow, even
to symbolize this high affections of Divine Love.
This Holy love of which this chapter is so laudatory, derived
its very essence from the "Man of Sorrows."
A moral obligation or a strong attachment of some sort may-
induce men to follow the lowly Jesus of Nazareth through the
windings of His Galilean and Judean journeys, clinging reverent¬
ly to His person. It may spread the palm branches in His pathway
and shout its glad "Hosannas" to His name, and after all of this,
forsake Him.
But that love which will watch him rise to the sacrificial height
of His atonement as the Christ of God's law, and that love which
views him bearing our sins in His own Body on the Tree, may hear
the lifted thunders drop to terrorize or frighten it, but it will remain
unmoved among its conflicts to glory in the cross.
Again, "It Knvieth Not." that is Love excludes envy. Knvy
may be defined as "pain at the sight of superior excellence in
another, and is always a mark of blinding selfishness."
"Love vaunteth not and is not puffed up and doth not behave
itself unseemingly, seeks not its own, is not easily provoked, think-
eth no evil, rejoiceth in truth, beareth all things, believeth all
things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." This catalogue of
the virtues of love constitutes a guide or a chart not to be packed
away in our luggage and forgotten, but to be carried in our hearts.
In the last consideration of the "More Excellent Way" to
which the Apostle points, I would observe that it lead to a destina¬
tion. I would not consider it very excellentif it simply car
ried us a circuitous route around this old earth and over its cold,
bleak mountains of sin, then ended, leaving us to wander for
all time, in the wilderness of distress. In taking testimony of
witnesses in both the old and new dispensations, we have
the assurance that the way is high and is called the "Way of Holi¬
ness," and is maintained for the redeemed to walk in. We are
further told that it is both strait and narrow and leadeth unto
eternal life. The excellence of this way consists not only in what
it leads to, but what it leads from.
i. Leads From Self and Selfishness.
No nation, race, or individual can contain a full measure of
17
God's love and at the same time conceal within itself the veno¬
mous serpent of selfishness.
2. It leads from this sin-ridden, heart-bleeding, and soul-
rending earth, in which we are subjected to so many sad and pain¬
ful experiences.
Thank God, the destination of this Royal Road of Love is a
place of happiness and joy. Not a cloud, not a tear, no sickness
nor sorrow, and no death has ever been known to enter our Heav¬
enly Abode.
I would to God every young man and woman, here assembled,
would ponder the path of your feet, and in doing so, would breathe
in prayer these sentiments of the poet who said :
"My way is dark, the light I cannot see,
From mists and fogs Lord set my spirit free!
Oh lead me higher up the mountain side;
In purer, higher, clime I would abide.
0 Lord, take now possession of my heart!
1 now would choose and act a better part;
I feel-so very wayward, weak and small,
I dare not trust my foolish self at all.
O, lead me to the Rock of Ages, high,
'Bove ev'ry rock within this world or sky.
'Twill always stand unrivall'd and alone,
There light of heav'nly day has ever shone,
That light will shine when time shall be no more;
May I stand on that rock for evermore.
O Jesus! Thou must be my staff and stay;
Thou art my life, my light, my joy, my way,
Take my hand and lead me to the realms of day,
Now shine the darkness of my heart away."
THE MATCHLESS SPEAKER
TEXT:—NEVER MAN SPAKE LIKE THIS MAN. JOHN 7:46
The author of the book from which our text is taken was the
Apostle John. He was an amiable, firm and fearless man. He'
was remarkable for his devotion to Christ He is supposed to have
been the youngest of the Apostles. He had been a disciple of John
the Baptist. Christ had a particular friendship for this lovable and
zealous disciple. At the last supper, he reclined next to the Savior,
18
and it was to his care that the dying Redeemer committed His
mother.
This subject at once causes a reflective mind to make compari¬
son between the people of our text andt he people about whom
Ancient, Mideveal, and Modern History, give an account.
The Greeks thought that Pericles and Damosthenes out-
rivalled any men, then living, in oratory. These discussed sub¬
jects effecting the nation, which subjects needed a champion, and
these mighty giants came upon the scene to this end.
The Romans put Cicero forward because of his mighty powers
of speech He shook the forum and made Rome tremble and her
enemies quake.
We point with pride and admiration to the oratory of Phillips,
Garrison, Douglass, Price, Beecher, Talmage, and a host of other
pulpiteers, all of whom charm and please us.
All of the above orators and speakers dwindle into insignifi¬
cance when compared with the Speaker of our text. All of the
above had each a special theme, growing out of a special cause.
It was sometimes a defence of the poor, or the bracing up of a
waning government, on the unshackeling of a nation of people.
These all are worthy causes and have always called for the best in
character and brain of the nations of the earth.
The Speaker of my text spoke on every subject that is known
to the wants of humanity, or in other words, every desire of the hu¬
man soul was pointed out and thoroughly discussed and provided
for by this matchless Speaker.
Sckne of the Text
Jesus in rapid succession was sending shafts that brought con¬
sternation into the ranks of his opposers. He had just said to
the Jews who were trying to deny His Divinity, "I have greater
witness than that of John-" Again said he, to these same people,
"Search the Scripture, for in them ye think ye have eternal life,
and they are they which testify of me."
Ending this address. He now crosses the Sea of Galilee and a
great multitude followed Him. These people were hungry. Jesus
bade them sit down upon the grass, and from four barley loaves
and two fishes, He fed them.
Again His disciples are crossing the L,ake Tiberias and a storm
begins to rage. Jesus had been out on the mountain praying, but
19
comes walking toward them upon the water, exclaiming as He
drew near, "It is I, be not afraid." We learn here that some of
the greatest trials that come to one is just after a season of prayer,
when we have been upon the delectable mountain, communing
with God.
Passing on, Jesus spoke to the people, saying, "I am
the Bread of Life that cometh down from Heaven; he that com-
eth to Me shall never hunger." This statement so thrilled one of
the Jews, who was standing by, that he could hold his peace no
longer, and he shouted out, "Kvermore giye me that Bread " Jes¬
us wishing to increase their hunger and to show them the fallacy
of earthly bread giving them Eternal Life, said to them, "Your fa¬
thers ate manna in the wilderness, but they are dead. But I will
give you to eat of mv flesh and ye shall never die"''
The above address, full of missies of truth, which fell with
thunder-like force upon their consciences, wrought a division
among them. Out of the conditions here arising, came the actor
in our text.
Notice the: Plan to Get Rid of Jesus
What, you ask, rid of Jesus, the mightiest and greatest bene
factor that the world has ever known ? Jesus, who travelled all the
way from His royal abode in the sky down through Bethlehem,
Calvary and the grave ? Yes, the court conspires and plans His
destruction. A deputation of policemen are detailed and sent with
orders, to the market-place where Jesus was preaching, for His ar¬
rest. jesus is about His God-sent mission, enunciating volumes
of truth, which burnt their way into the hearts of the hearers. The
representatives of the court listen with rapt attention; so forceful
was the address which Jesus was delivering, that the officers forgot
themselves and became too weak to execute their warrant; hen«e
they returned to their constituency, giving as an excuse for not
making the arrest, "Never Man Spake Like This Man." I wish
to take up the refrain of the policemen of our text, and say it is in¬
deed true, "Never Man Spake Like This Man."
I. Never Man Spake So Sympathetically.
The truth of this assertion will appear from the following:—
Jesus went into the Mount of Olives on one occasion to pray; as
He was wont at sundry times to retire from the throng, where He
20
might commune alone, now in Gethsamene, then on the mountain.
He recommends to you and me the closet, saying, "Enter into thy
closet and shut the door, and the L,ord, which seeth in secret, shall
reward thee openly." On returning to the Temple, the people
thronged about Him. Sitting down, he began to talk with them.
The Scribes and Pharisees got hold of a poor, helpless woman,
whom they said was guilty of gross immorality. Dragging her into
the presence of the Master,they repeated what they had seen of her.
Their intention was to entangle Jesus and thereby compromise
Him, which would have worked destruction to the Cause which He
represented in the world. They were so determined to this end
that they dared to drag into His presence a frail woman and ex¬
pose her weakness. Jesus, as though paying little or no attention
to what they had to say, stooped down and wrote upon the ground
with His finger. But when they pressed and urged an action upon
the part of Jesus, He let these mighty words fall from His lips,
"He that is without sin, let him cast the first stone." This bolt
of truth cleared the field, for every single Scribe and Pharisee hied
away. Jesus turned to the woman, said, "Where art thine accus¬
ers; hath no man condemmed thee?" She said, "No man, Lord."
Jesus said, "Neither do I; go and sin no more." What could be
more sympathetic than this command with the advice with which
Jesus seasoned it?
Again His sympathy shows itself when He was address¬
ing a poor, diseased woman who had heard if she could
touch the hem of his garment, would be made whole. She had
spent all of her money looking for relief, and had found none up to
this time. She now decided to make her way to Jesus. God grant
that someone in this presence may have a similar mind. I see her
wending her way with difficulty through the surging multitude,
saying, "If I can but touch Him, if I can but touch Him." Fi¬
nally she reaches Jesus and touches Him. He turns and asks,
"Who touched Me?" When the poor woman could restrain her¬
self no longer, she trembling fell down before Him and declared be¬
fore all the people that she had touched Him and was healed im¬
mediately. Instead of Jesus upbraiding her or scolding, He said,
"Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole."
What words could be more sympathetic than these? Well might
the poet sing:
21
"The great Physician now is near,
The sympathizing Jesus.
He stoops the broken heart to cheer
O, beat the voice of Jesus."
Yonder conies the ruler of the synagogue who reports to Jesus
that his daughter is dead. Jesus said to him, "Be not afraid, only
believe.'-' Jesus summons Peter, James and John and rushes to the
ruler's house. The multitude was weeping and wailing Jesus
bids them cease their mourning, saying, "The damsel is not dead,
but sleepeth." Stepping to her, Jesus took her by the hand and
said, "Damsel, arise." The girl, twelve years of age, sat up.
Jesus told them to give her bread to eat. O, what sympathy Jesus
had for the unfortunate.
II. Never Man Spake with So Much Authority.
Jesus was addressing His disciples in a very straightforward,
and vet, positive manner. He had commanded them to beware of
false prophets. He said they would come in sheep's clothing but
inwardly they would be raving wolves. He told them that, "Good
trees would bring forth good fruit, but corrupt trees would bring
forth evil fruit." He advised that discipleship be tested by the
fruit of the disciple, declaring that, "By their fruits ye shall know
them."
He continues by referring to the rock and the sand, pointing
out a house that had a poor foundation which fell in the time of
storm, and another having a solid foundation which withstood
the storm. When Jesus had concluded these addresses, the
people were heard to say that they were astonished at His doctrine
and that He talked as one having authority and not as the Scribes.
III. Never Man Spake with So Much Power,
Jesus had ended a very busy day's work and had gone into the
ship to retire. The disciples are crossing stormy Galilee. A storm
lies hard upon them. The disciples became frightened and hur¬
riedly awoke the Master, saying, "Carest thou not that we per¬
ish ?" Jesus shook Himself from slumber and stepped upon the
deck and said, "Peace, be still." And there was a great calm.
The disciples exclaimed, "What manner of man is this, that even
the winds and sea obey him?" This was not strange, because Jesus
22
was with the Father when the world was spoke into existence.
The poet sings it:
"He speaks, and listening to His voice,
New life the dead receive."
IV. Never Man Spake So Wisely.
The Sadducees came to Jesus and engaged Him in conversa¬
tion respecting the ressurrection in which they did not believe.
They think to entangle Jesus by getting Him to render a decision
upon a statement which Moses made respecting a brother who died
without leaving any heirs. Moses' law provided that the brother
ol the deceased husband could take the widow to wife. The Sad¬
ducees knew of a case where seven brothers had married one wo¬
man. They asked Jesus whose wife should she be in the judge¬
ment. Jesus told them that they erred, not knowing the Scripture,
"For in the judgement, said He, they neither'marry nor are given
in marriage." This answer put to silence His accusers and set at
rest a question that might have been perplexing through all the
Ages.
V. Never Man Spake Like This Man on Subject of life.
The scientists delight to tell us something of life, as they have
discovered it from the smallest insect all the way up to man, who
bears the image of his God. All of this information relates to
physical life which can endure only for a season; but the speaker
in our text informs us that "Life and immortality were brought to
light through the Gospel." Again He said, "This life eternal, to
know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast
sent." .
VI. Never Man Spake Like This Man on thb Subject of Sin
There has never been a subject that arrested the attention of
heaven and earth in any greater degree than the subject of sin. So
deadly, so poisonous to the human family is sin, that every in¬
spired penman who spoke through the sixty-six Books of the Bi¬
ble, painted it in colors so vivid that the whole world's attention
has been called to it, with an admonition to avoid it. Not only
does sin destroy in this world but this destruction goes beyond the
tomb; for the Bible tells us that "The soul that sinneth shall die."
VII. Never Man Spake So Mercifully.
To the rebellious and to the transgressor, Jesus speaks with
23
such deep compassion that He wins them from the error of their
way by His loving call. Hear Him as he says, "Come without
money and without price." "Though your sins be as scarlet, I
will make them as white as snow". "Come, for all things are
ready". "The Spirit and the Bride say, come."
VIII. Never Man Spake Like This Man on the Subject of
Our Future Home.
Home is a very endearing word. It suggests loving inmates,
hallowed surroundings, so much so that the poet breathed it in his
muse:
"There is no pl-ace like home."
But with all the granduer of our earthly abodes, there comes a
time when gloom and sadness may enter. The Angel of Death may
have come and summoned a loved one into the presence of his
God; but the Speaker in our text tells us of a home which He,
Himself went to prepare for us. We who know Him could not for
a moment doubt but that that home is complete, containing every
provision to make its inmates happy.
John, the Apocalyptic Dreamer, with the'paint brush of in¬
spiration' in his hands pictures and tells us to look with him at the
twelve gate city, with its twelve foundations, its jasper walls, in
which are the four and twenty elders, and all who have wasJied
their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.
If any of you have rejected, hitherto, the warning notes of this
matchless Speaker, mavyou be induced to do so no more. And
you whose hearts have been cleansed, and whose names have been
inscribed upon the ledger of the world of spirits bright, cease not in
giving Him adoration and praise.
Unto Him who loved us. cleansed us in His blood, be glory
dominion and praise forever. Amen.
24
WASH DAY IN ISRAEL
"And the; lord said unto moses: 'go unto the people
and sanctify today and tomorrow, and let them wash
their clothes and be ready against the third day; for
the third day the lord will come down in the sight of
ale the people of mt. sinai' —Exodus 19:10.
The words of our text was spoken by Jehovah to Moses. The
circumstances surrounding the giving of these words may prove
helpful to our understanding their import
Six hundred thousand Israelites had started for Canaan three
monthe prior to the scene of our text. They have now reached
the wilderness of Sinai. Here they encamped for nearly one year.
During their stay around the base of this mountain many things of
interest transpired among which may be mentioned:—
1. Appointment of Judges, who were to be men of
truth, sound judgment, and who coveted not, to whom were given
the oversight and supervision of certain matters which would come
up for adjustment among the people.
2. The construction and furnishing of the Tabernacle.
3. Aaron and his sons were consecrated to the priest¬
hood.
4. Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, perished because
of their disobedience, in offering strange fire before the Lord.
5. The first recurring Passover Feast was here ob¬
served.
6. The first census of the people was here taken.
Mr. Sinai, located as it was in Arabia Petraea, was a very his¬
toric mountain. It was here that Moses twice remained for forty
days under extraordinary circumstances. At the end of the first
period, he received the two tables of stone on which God had in¬
scribed the Ten Commandments. During the second period, he
received the stone tablets which God had substituted for those
which Moses had broken.
While Jehovah was handing down, through Moses to the
world, this divine code of laws, neither man nor beast were allowed
to touch the mountain.
We come now to notice a more specific message which God
here gave Moses, commanding him to deliver it to the house of
25
Jacob and to the Children of Israel. The reason for the giving of
this message was that Israel had departed from the comms ndment®
of God and had become polluted by their interminglings with idol¬
atrous nations.
Jehovah wishes to induce them to return, and to this end He
sends them a most striking message/'Ye have seen what I did un¬
to the Egyptians and how I bear ye on eagle's wings and brought
you unto Myself. Now, therefore, if ye will obey indeed, and
keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me
above all the people. For all the earth is mine: And ye shall be
unto Me a Kingdom of Priests and a holy nation".
Moses called the Elders of the people together and laid before
them all that God had commanded. This done, he returned and
reported to Jehovah that the people said, "All that the Lord has
spoken we will do". God gave another command to Moses for the
people which is contained in our text:—
""And the Lord said unto Moses: 'Go unto the people and
sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes
and be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will
come down in the sight of all the people upon Mt. Sinai' ".
In this second command, I wish to ask yon to consider with
me a few of its important words.
I. Sanctify them today
II. Wash
III. clothes
IV. Be ready
.V For the Lord wile come
To sanctify means to set apart for God, and is scriptural. In
the Old Testament, it frequently denotes the ceremonial or ritual
consecration of any person or thing to God. In this sense, the
Hebrews as a people, were holy unto the Lord through the cove¬
nant, with its ordinances and atoning sacrifices. A day was sanc¬
tified when regarded and treated as holy to the Lord.
All such sanctifications were testimonials to the holiness of
God and signified man's need of sanctification. In a doctrinal
sense, sanctification is the makng holy what was before defiled
and sinful. It is a perfect work of Divine Grace upon the soul,
justified by the love of Christ. The believer is gradually cleansed
26
from the corruption of his nature and is at length presented fault¬
less before the presence of His gloxy with exceeding joy.
The ganctification referred in to our text was not to be post¬
poned or delayed but was to be done today, that is, on the same
day. We a^e not to delay in our setting apart Christ as the chief
object of our love.
Let Them wash. Washing is not only scriptural, but it is
also typical There are divers sorts of washings.
It was customary among the Jews to present strangers water
with which to wash their feet, as they traveled in sandals, having
their legs bare and exposed to the dust.
We have an example of this in the account of Abraham enter¬
taining three strangers. When he saw them, he ran to meet them
and bowed himslf toward the ground, invited them into his house
and gave them water with which to wash their feet, a morsel of
bread and they passed on.
David said, "Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow".
General Namaan is a leper and will die unless speedy relief
comes. A maid sent him to the old Prophet Israel who told him to
wash seven times in Jordan, not in a basin, or a bath tub at home,
but in Jordan. Namaan said, "I could have had cleaner water
nearer home, the rivers Abana and Pharparare both in easy reach.
Why bring me down here for that?" I will not go was his first
thought, but on being persuaded, he changed his mind and went
and dipped himself seven times as commanded and came away
whole. The power was not in the water, nor in the place where
he dipped, but in the command. "To obey is better than sacrifice,
to hearken, than the fat of rams".
Jesus, when closing the last period of his earthly career, wished
to emphasize two laws of His Kingdom, namely, humility and
SERVICE.
He called his diciples together and takes a basin of water and
begins to wash their feet. Peter demurred and refused to allow
his Lord and Master to wash his feet, the service being too menial.
He may have thought it too much condescension on the part of
Jesus. But Jesus told him if he did not submit, He would have no
part with him.
When Peter understood this, he exclaimed, "Lord hot my feet
only, but also my hands and head".
This did not only teach the lesson of humility and service,
27
but it was also to point to a day when a more important washing
would take place in this world polluted by sin.
The thing pointed out to be washed in the text is clothes.
Abraham washed the feet of the stranger. David asked to be
washed. Namaan was told to wash in the Jordan, and Jesus
washed the disciples' feet, but God's message to Israel is to wash
your clothes.'
The Bible is not silent on the subject of clothes. We are told
in Luke's gospel, of a certain rich man who was clothed in pui'ple
and in fine linen, who fared sumptuously every day. And there
was a certain begger named Lazarus who ate the crumbs which fell
from the rich man's table. They both died. The rich man lifted
up his eyes in hell, being in torment, and seeing Abraham afar off,
and Lazarus in his bosom, cried, saying, "Father Abraham, have
mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of hfs fin¬
ger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in these
flames."
It was not this man's clothes that shut him up in the pit, but
I think it must have been that he had a bad heart and a mean dis¬
position, which is foreign to Christlike.
It is Christlike to have a good heart. Notice how sympathet¬
ically and tenderly Christ would always deal with the unfortunate.
They are accusing a woman who has been unfortunate and these
who have brought her into court are no better than she. She re¬
pented and Jesus sent her home, saying to her, "Sin no more".
The priests wore a certain kind of garment which distin¬
guished them from other people. Usually their garments had a
hem which the people regarded as being particularly sacred, hence,
we find the sick woman of whom the Scriptures speak,, pressing
her way through the crowd and saying, "If I can but touch the
hem of his garment I shall be whole".
The day referred to in our text was set apart for the people to
wash their clothes. The reason of this busy wash day as given by
Moses, is, that god is coming down to meet them on sinai, or
in other words, Jehovah is to be their guest.
This nation of which ws form a part spends thousands and
thousands of dollars in entertainment of royal guests. When a no¬
bleman comes within our gates, the nation places at his disposal
every courtesy at its command. Some of us may never have an op¬
portunity to join with the nation in doing them honor, but the text
28
brings to us an invitation, not from the ruler of a nation, but from
Jehovah, saying, "Wash and be ready, fori am coming on the
third day to be your guest", If you plead poverty, that will not
be a reason why you should not wash. If you are small and un¬
noticed in the great throng of mankind, Jesus will give you atten¬
tion, for Zaccheus, who was short of stature, climbed into a syca¬
more tree, thinking not to be noticed, but Jesus halted the proces¬
sion, invited him down and went home with him.
Again, Jesus says, "Behold I stand at the door and knock, if
any man will open the door, I will come in and sup with him and
he with me''.
Notice, He is coming on the third day.
The first and second days were to be used in sanctifying the
people or setting them apart for God. We lei,rn by this that every
day of our life is tt> be used. The first day may represent the
period of youth. The second day may represent the period of
manhood. The Third day may represent the period of old age.
If we are busy every one of the three days, we will not be any more
than ready when Jehovah comes on the third day.
We are not to wash with water, but with the blood of Jesus.
There is a fountain opened in the house of David for sins and un-
cleanliness. To this fountain we are welcome. That it will wash
clean, we have abundant proof.- The Scripture declares that it
will cleanse you from all sin. The dying thief plunged beneath its
crimson wave and was cleansed. The poet sings of it, saying:
"There is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Emanuel's vein, etc.".
That the blood-washed are admitted to heaven, we have no
doubt, for John said, "They overcome by the blood of the Lamb".
Again, said tie, "These are they that come out of great tribu¬
lations, washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of
the Lamb".
2Q
GOSPKL WAGON
"now thou art commanded, this do ye, take your
wagons out of the land oe egypt for your eittee ones, and
for your wives, and bring your father and come, also
regard not your stuff, for the good of aee the land OF
egypt is yours." and he said unto them, "see that ye
fal,e not out by the way "—Genesis 45:19-20-24
Moses, Jacob, and Joseph are three very distinguished Old Tes¬
tament characters. Moses may represeent the "Trunk" of this
great''Tree,"while Jacob and Joseph may represen tthe"Branches,"
One can scarcely follow out the history of these branches
without being elevated in thought and informed upon the nature
and characteristics of humanity.
Let us notice Moses, the author of our text. He is the first
law-giver and leader of God's ancient Israel.
This book, from which our text is taken, is the first of the
Old Testament Scriptures. Its name signifies "The Book of Gen¬
eration, or the "Creation of all things."
Moses is generally admitted to be the writer of this book. Its
authenticity is attested by the most indisputable evidences. The
history related in it comprises a period of about two thousand three
hundred and sixty-nine years. It opens with the sublime an¬
nouncement of "The One Only True and Living God." Its rec¬
ord of events and institutions belonging to the human race, its
account of creation, the primeval state, probation and Fall of Man ,
make interesting reading.
It is a religious history and was written by inspiration of God.
Moses in the 45th chapter of this book is giving an account of
another very distinguished Old Testament character, namely,
Jacob.
Jacob was a twin son of Isaac and Rebecca. His name showed
him to be a supplanter. His history is fraught with inspired
lessons. One can hardly study it without being impressed with the
wonderful providence of God as seen in his life.
The first noticeable trait in Jacob's character was brought out
in his taking advantage of his brother Esau in relation to his
birthright. For this act he has to flee from his brother's wrath in¬
to far off Messopotamia. But the providence of God is not wlth-
30
drawn from him, even though he has committed a great wrong.
On his journey to Messopotamia the Lord appeared to him in
a dream and promised him His protection and declared His pur¬
pose relative to his descendants possessing the land of Canaan and
the descent of the Messiah through him.
Notwithstanding the protection which God gives His servants,
He will administer punisnment to them for their sins. Hence, Ja¬
cob is beard to exclaim, "My days are few and evil and are cloud¬
ed with many sorrows;" yet, amid them all, he was sustained by
the care and favor of God. It ,was on the border of Canaan that
the Angel of God met him and wrestled with him at Penuel, yield¬
ing him the blessing and giving him the honored name of Israel.
Our text leads us to consider the family of Jacob rather than
Jacob himself. *
Joseph is the elder of Jacob's two sons and was much beloved
by his father as a son of his old age. He was born in Messopota¬
mia He is noted in the Scriptures particularly on account of the
wonderful providence of God which raised him from a prison to the
governorship of ^gypt, making him the means of saving from
death by starvation, countless human lives.
His father's fondness for him and his protest against sin among
his brethren enraged them against him. Their jealous hostility
led them to sell him to the Midianites, and the Midianites in turn
sold him to Potiphar, a higher official of Pharaoh's court.
Instead of this act leading to Joseph's destruction as they sup¬
posed, God ordained otherwise. Pitfalls have on many occasions
been dug for the child of God with the hope that he would fall
therein, but God often provided a way of escape.
The wicked Emperor banished John the Revelator to the Isle
of Patmus to die, but God lifted him to Mt. Zion, giving him the
chance to photograph the city of God and send pictures back to
earth to cheer pilgrims journeying thereto. Paul and Silas were
thrown into the dungeon at Philippi, but God released them by
means of an earthquake.
It is not long after Joseph is in Egypt until he is chosen Gov¬
ernor of the affairs of state. This placed him in a position to vent
his spleen upon his enemies, or administer to them the milk of
kindness. He forgave them like a true child of God should have
done.
A famine is raging in Canaan; food gives out; man and beast
31
alike are perishing. The fertile plains of Kgypt it is learned, has
yielded abundant harvest and its barns are full of corn. Joseph is
upon the throne To say that they were surprised to find him thus
honored is doubtless, but to feebly express their feelings. But this
is God's way; He putteth down one and raiseth up another. When
Joseph's brethren remembered the dungeon into which they had
thrown him years ago, and the sale which they had affected of him
to the Midianites, they perhaps stood trembling in his presence.
Joseph, the man of God, has no pleasure in their fears and em-
barraSFtnent; hence, we hear him say, "So now it was not you that
sent me hither, but God. Draw near, banish your fears; ye meant
it for evil, but God has overruled it for good."
This brings us to notice the invitation included in our text:
"Now Thou Art Commanded, This Do Ye: Take Your Wagons
Out of the Land of Egypt for Your Little Ones, and for Your
Wives, and Bring Your Father and Come."
Society has always emphasized the importance of an invita¬
tion. The Bible has also made much of this idea. We have an
account in Holy Writ of a man who made a feast and sent out
invitations to many. One man came in unsuitable dress; he was
bound hand and foot and cast out.
The invitation which we have under consideration was sent
out by the king of Kgypt. One can scarcely read this invitation
without being struck with its force and earnestness. Think
for a moment of receiving a special invitation from a king or
governor. You would feel honored, and impressed that it was your
duty to accept it.
The invitation here under consideration came at a time when
the individuals invited were in distress. Famine, one of the worst
scourges, is leaving death and destruction in its wake, and a pit¬
eous cry from all over the land for relief went up to God.
Let us gather some lessons for the moment from the history
and importance of the invitation here extended.
I. JOSEPH MAY REPRESENT JESUS CHRIST
Like Joseph, Jesus was sold and deceived by one of his breth¬
ren. Jesus came unto His own and His own received Him not but
when the world was in dire need of a Savior, Jesus, like Joseph,
32
saved His people, not only from famine and distress, but from sin
and destruction.
II. the; land of egypt may represent our heaven!,y
canaan.
The soil of Egypt was rich and productive. In certain seasons
the freshness and power of vegetation is not equalled in any other-
part of the continent. Our heavenly Canaan, the abode of the Re¬
deemed, |is described by the inspired penman as "flowing with
milk and honey." The poet sings,
"All over these wide extended plains shines one eternal day,
And God the Son forever reigns, and scatters night away."
III. the invitation to the family of jacob may represent
the invitation sent out from heaven to a lost world
Among the sweetest and most endearing words found in our
Bible is the little word "come." Listen saint and sinner to what
these words suggest: "Come unto Me all ye that are weary and
heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and
learn of me, etc." "Come thou with us and we will do thee good,
for the Lord has spoken good concerning Israel."
"The bride and groom sayeth, Come."
"Let him that is athirst come and take the water of life freely."
"Come boldly to a throne of grace and you shall find help in
the time of need."
Jesus in speaking of His advent into the world said, "I have
come to seek and to save that which was lost." Again said He,
"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have
it more abundantly."
IV. the wagons of our text may represent the plan of
salvation as revealed in the gospel
The Egyptian wagons or vehicles were regarded as the finest
and most desirable in the land, so that when Joseph proposed to
send for this man of God and his family, he sent as a conveyance,
wagons from Egypt. Jesus Christ has in like manner provided an
universal arrangement in which we are all included. In the wagon
of His love and of His mercy, if we are faithful, we all may ride
home, singing when our feet strike the golden strand,
"Safe in the arms of Jesus."
Regard Not Your Stuff, that is, any of the effects youcan-
not take with you to the better world. Do not let houses, land, per¬
sonal effects, etc., hinder you. Some people will not go to heaven
because they think more of their - 'stuff" than they do of their God.
"Giving up all for all." Our Heavenly Father does not pur¬
pose that we shall give up all and receive nothing in return. If
we would be successful in the race for heaven we must strip our¬
selves of the hinderances peculiar to this world. The Apostle en¬
joins us to "So run that we may obtain." Again says he, "Lay
aside every weight and sin that doth so easily beset you, and run
the race with patience, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finish¬
er of our faith."
The good of ah the land of egypt is yours. Egypt
with her placid streams, waving grain, sturdy oaks, and wide-
stretched plains, was theirs. But this only feebly represents what
our heavenly Canaan affords the child of God. It is a land that
"flows with milk and honey. It is called the "Land of Beulah."
The Apostle tells us that the trees yield twelve manner of fruit in
their season and that the leaves are for the healing of the nation.
It is a land that knows no sickness nor death. The glory of God
lights it up, hence no need of the sun, etc.
Provisions for the way. Joseph did not send them away
empty handed to perish by the way but he gave them provisions.
So does our Heavenly Father provide for us on the journey of life.
Not only does He give us protection, but he supplies our several
needs. "My God shall supply all your needs according to His
riches in glory."
Joseph gave them a change of garment also. Our Heavenly
Father gives us a "Garment of Righteousness" for a "Garment of
Sin." Theirs was made of a fabric that would perish, ours is made
of righteousness and will last throughout all eternity.
SEE that ye faiviy not out by the way. In order that we
may have such a journey as God would have us have, there must be
unity among the brethren. "Behold, how good and how pleasant
it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.''
Any disagreement among Joseph's brethren might have caused
such rupture that their destination might not have been reached.
"Se§ That Ye Fall Not Out by the Way." See that you do not
fall out of the vehicle of grace and disfigure yourselves or bemirch
your garments, unfitting you to be presented to the King. We
all must be presented to the Father by our Redeemer. "These
are they which have come out of great tribulations, washed their
robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb, and they axe
without fault before the throne of God."
34
CITIZENSHIP WITH THE SAINTS.
"now therefore), ye are no more strangers and
foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of
the household of god; and are built upon the foundation
of the prophets and apostles; jesus christ himself being
the chief corner-stone,"—Epe. 2:19-20.
The words of our text are the utterances of the Apostle Paul.
The Apostle, at this time, is at Rome.
Ephesus, a celebrated city of Asia Minor, was noted for the
worship and the temple of Diana, the last of which was one of the
Seven Wonders of the World.
Idolatrous worship reached alarming proportions in this city,
but the Apostle dared to organize a Christian church herern which
the principles of Christ were preached.
Acquilla, Pricilla, and Timothy were all members of this
church. This letter from which our text is taken was addressed
to this membership with a view of stirring up their pure minds
upon God and godliness, and upon the great scheme by which they
had been redeemed.
The Apostle Paul is undertaking to settle some very important
questions in this discourse. The two to which I wish to call your
attention are adoption and the forgiveness of sins.
Paul, when anxious to force the truth, or to make himself
clearer or more easily understood, would speak in figurative lan¬
guage, as when he wished to denominate Christians as racers on a
race course he said, "They that run in a race run all, but one
obtaineth the crown, so run that ye may obtain." When
styling Christianity as warfare he said, "Put on the whole armor
of God in order to fight the good fight of faith." When styling
the Christians as wrestlers he said, "We wrestle not against flesh
and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers
of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places."
In this, he emulated the blessed Christ, who when addressing
the farmer said, "A sower went forth to sow good seed; some fell by
the wayside and was trodden down and the fowls of the air devoured
them." Or to the ploughman he would say, "No man having put
his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of
35
God." And to the vine dresser, or to the vineyard keeper, he
would say, "lam the vine and ye are the branches, he that
abidethin me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit."
The lesson to be learned from each of the above passages
would be clear to those whom Jesus addressed.
The figures of speech around which is woven the argument
which the Apostle made on this occasion, are building, stone,
adoption, and forgiveness of sins.
His first business is to establish the fact of adoption by grace
and forgiveness of sins.
By adoption is meant the taking of a minor as one's own
child. Many and great are the privileges of God's adopted child¬
ren, they all have a sure title to the heavenly inheritance. The
Apostle says of them that, "They are children of God and joint
heirs with Jesus Christ."
That they might see from whence they had come and learn
something of the process by which they had been brought, the
Apostle said that they were once strangers and foreigners.
To be a stranger to people in the same community or in the
same city, is- to be unpleasantly surrounded, but being able to
speak the same language and understanding somewhat the customs
of your environments, you may soon make acquaintenships that
would give relief. '
But to be a stranger among strangers, with the language differ¬
ent,custom different, which renders you incapable of adjusting your¬
self to conditions of making friends, is to find yourself in a worse
condition.
On reaching Antwerp, in Belgium, while travelling abroad
sometime ago, I left the steamer and went across the street to pur¬
chase a guide book of the place. The Frenchman from whom I at¬
tempted to purchase the book had no knowledge of English and I
had no knoweldge of French. After looking each other straight
in the eyes for a few moments we parted, and I felt that I was a for¬
eigner indeed.
The Apostle drew this figure from those who were sojourners
of the dispersion of the Jews residing outside of Palestine or out of
their native land. There was a large class ol these people for whom
special regulation had to be made.
In addressing the Christians at Ephesus he reminded them
that they were once strangers and foreigners and that thev had
36
been brought nigh by the Blood. He wants them not to boast
of any merit of their own, but said He to them. ''You have re¬
demption, but you have it through the Blood." "Your sins, said
He,have been forgiven,but according to the riches of God^sgrace."
The blood element which enters into our redemption must nev¬
er be forgotten; without the shedding of blood, there is 110 remis¬
sion of sins. In order that they might have some understanding
how this was to be done, He said "You hath He quickened who
were dead in trespasses and sin, but God whQ is rich in mercy
loved you with an everlasting love and has saved you by His
grace."
Grace is unmerited favor. In the business world we have what
is known as "days of grace." If a note falls due on a certain date
and the bank extends it, thereby giving a little more time before
allowing it to go to protest, this is grace bestowed. The grace
which the Apostle had in mind, is the Grace of God which is seen
in the extension of our unworthy lives.
Continuing, the Apostle said, "Remember ye were without
Christ, being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strang¬
ers from the Covenant of Promise, having no hope and without
God in the world; but Jesus Christ has brought you nigh through
the washing of His own blood."
In this brief statement the inspired penman pictures the con¬
dition of fallen humanity. We are not left, thank God, to wander
aimlessly in the labyrinth of this awful condition, but we are
pointed by the finger of this great and good man, the Apostle Paul,
to the tract of truth which leads us back to the bosom of our Heav¬
enly Father.
To be without Hope in this world is an awful condition. Hope
is your anchor; it is sure and steadfast, and without it, you have
committed your little bark to the merciless Sea of Time without
any means of anchoring when nearing the rapids of destruction.
To be an EXII.E, isolated from friends and acquaintances is
to find one's self in a state to be bemoaned; but to be without
God in the world, is much worse than all. We may have Him
if we will but accept Him. He is in eyerv passing breeze, in every
drop of water and, in every streaming sunbeam. He says, "Be¬
hold I stand at the door and knock; if any man will open the door
I will come in and sup with him and he with Me."
The text declares that we are "Few>w citizens with the
37
saints and the household of god, and are built upon the
foundation of the prophets and apostles." Reflecting Up¬
on the word "Built," I would remark that eyery man that has
figured conspicuously in history has built something and is pointed
to as a real benefactor of the world. On the other hand men who
have gone through life as destructionists, or tearing down that
which others have constructed, pass off the stage unwept and un¬
sung.
One can scarcely think of Rome with all her greatness without
thinking of her founders and builders, Romulus and Remus. Bel-
beck and Tadmore have long since been razed to the earth, but
Solomon the architect, has ever been praised for the genius dis¬
played in their erection.
Notice a few persons of whom the Bible gives account that
have built or constructed something.
Noah.—Built the ark for the salvation of the human family
from the storms of the deluge. He also gathered in this ark all the
different species of beasts, fowls, and the creeping things of the
earth. When all was ready the door of the ark was shut by the
hand of the Almighty, and the windows of heaven and the foun¬
tains of the deep discharged the elements of destruction.
David.—Built up peace among the nations that were es¬
tranged and at war with each other. The kingdom had been rent
by bad men, the people torn asunder and reduced almost to nothing.
But David brought them together and built up a stronger kingdom.
Elijah.—Rebuilt the altars that had been torn down in Israel
and was the means of rekindling the fires that had been smothered.
Solomon—Built the temple, a place for God to show forth
his glory, giving in this a great scheme or plan by which the world
was to be lighted by the blaze of gospel fire.
Moses.—Was the illustrious prophet and legislator of the
Hebrews, leading them from the Egyptian bondage to the Land of
Promise. The life and institutions of Moses present one of the
finest subjects for the pen of the Christian historian.
Finding a people in the wilderness, distressed and without the
comforts which civilization offers, he leads them to the Promised
L,and where they may have once again, freedom, purity, justice
and humane treatment. In this he built up a nation of people that
were discouraged and scattered, as it were, to the four winds.
Nehemiah.—Rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. He is a ser-
38
vant in the King's palace and hearing of the calamitous state of
the Jews at Jerusalem, beseeches the King for permission to go
home and engage in the work of rebuilding the walls. Not¬
withstanding that Sanballat, the governor of the country, cast all
possible hinderances in his way, he pushed forward the work of
rebuilding to completion.
The foregoing tells something of what the men of the Bible
have built, but the text declares that we are built .... upon the
foundation of the prophets and apostles.
Among the things necessary to the construction of a building
of value is its foundation. Jesus emphasizes the importance of a
good foundation when He tells us of a man who built his house
on the sand,and when the winds blew, and the floods came, it fell,
and great was the fall. On the other hand, He tells us of a man
who built his house on a rock foundation and his house stood when
the storm was raging. The foundation in the one instance, saved
the household, and in the other instance, for the want of founda¬
tion, the household was brought to grief.
Foundation stones are not always visible and because of this,
they are sometimes forgotten. The towering structures that rest
upon them receive all the commendation from the passer-by; the
little corner-stone is unseen and unmentioned.
But there was a time before the stately building had its begin¬
ning that the foundation-stone demanded consideration. The
Apostle declares that, "The believers in Christ Jesus have the
prophets and apostles for a corner-stone."
first—the prophets
I would inquire, since these men "must constitute the*founda-
tion on which my faith must rest, and since my faith is to be my
passport into the heavenly world, who these men are ?
They were inspired men, speaking and writing as they were
moved by the Holy Ghost. They are sixteen in number, divided
into two classes, the greater and cesser prophets.
That they were wise men cannot be disputed or discredited.
Touching upon the coming of the Messiah, one declared, "The
sceptre shall not depart from Judah, or the lawgiver from between
his feet, until Shilon comes, unto Him shall the gathering of the
people be". Another said, "I will overturn it, overturn it, over-
39
turn it until He comes whose right it is". Still another declared
Him, "The desire of all nations".
Standing upon the truth set forth by these Godly men, our
faith should rise as if on pinions, to its God.
But we have not only this group of Prophets as a foundation
for our faith, but the text declares we have the Apostles also.
These are twelve in number, the number indicating com¬
pleteness. The New Testment Church of which you arid I consti¬
tute a part, rests much of the proof of its stability upon the Apos¬
tles.
One can scarcely read the inspiring references to the Kingdom
of Jesus Christ as it is operated in the world, without his soul catch¬
ing on fire:
"My faith looks up to thee
Thou Lamb of Calvary
Savior, Divine."
As strong as the foundation of the Prophets is, as broad and
far reaching as the foundation of the Apostles is, thank God we
have something upon which our faith may rest that is stronger still.
The text declares Jesus Christ is the Chief Corner Stone.
You, no doubt, have seen many a stone made ready for the build¬
ing, both before and after polishing, you have seen them placed
in the arch, the most important place in the building, but you have
never seen a stone like the Chief Corner Stone in our text. The
Apostle Paul declares that there is no foundation stone like it,
saying, "Other foundations can no man lay, than is laid, Christ
JesusM,
Upon the corner stone* of which our text speaks, you and I
may build our faith, and all the broad siders and cyclones that can
be summoned from the regions of destruction cannot shake our
superstructure. We may stand there and sing :
"My hope is built on nothing less,
Than Jesus' Blood and righteousness,
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.
I gather these lessons from the text.
We are fellow citizens with the saints, that is, we have moved
A r\
our residences from buildings of earth, that crumble at the touch of
earthquake, or in the grip of the cj^clone.
We are now fellow citizens with those who reside in the house
not made with hands but eternally in heaven.
The Apostle John throws this beautiful city upon canvass and
thereby, gives some idea of our blest abode. He says, "the city
has twelve foundations, jasper walls, gold paved streets, the glory
of God lights it up. It is free from sickness, sorrow, pain and
death, saints and angels are our companions, but Jesus Christ, our
Redeemer, is the object of all praise and adoration".
Let us all take courage from the assurance that our Heavenly
Father will not forsake us in the conflict with the power of dark¬
ness upon the plains of this old world. The reward, is laid up for
the final faithful.
•When the beautiful structures of earth shall be crumbled into
atoms, above the crash of the worlds and. wreck of matter, God
will gather the faithful ones to Himself in the sky. Amen.
THE WAYS AND TIMES IN WHICH GOD SPEAKS TO
MEN.'
"God who at sundry times and in divers manners
spake in times past, unto the fathers by the prophets,
hath in these last days, spoken unto us by his son".
Hebrews 1:1-2
The author of the Book of Hebrews is in dispute.
Some claim the Apostle Paul is the author, and others claim
that Apollos is .the author, and still "others ciaim that L,uke or Bar¬
nabas is the author. To my mind, it makes little difference who
wrote the Book, for it is evident that it was written by some indi¬
vidual who was acquainted with Jewish History.
This Epistles furnishes a key to the Old Testament Scriptures
and is invaluable as a clear elucidation and an unanswerable ar¬
gument of the doctrine of the great atoning sacrifice, as set forth
in the Old"Testament institutions.
The text contains a comprehensive statement, or an address
sent by our Heaveniy Father through the Prophets to mankind.
41
Man had forfeited the image and the knowledge of God through
disobedience. God showed His superintendentcy of the world and
His interest in man, by instituting methods of instuction for his re¬
demption. These methods of instruction were necessarilly simple,
because Man was so degraded in spiritual knowledge, that he had
become chilk-like in spiritual things.
It is true that man made acquisition ot circular knowledge,
which served to advance the civilization of his time, indeed the civ¬
ilization of Babylon, Egypt and Assyria rivalled, in some respects,
the civilization of our time; but the acquisition of circular know¬
ledge did not, not will it ever, impart spiritual knowledge.
Notice China with her thousands of years of history and ac¬
cumulated wealth, and yet within her walls, there is a lack of the
knowledge of Christ, and because of this, the powers of the w7orld
have to stand as if with drawn swords to suppress the tyrannical,
barbarous, outrageous onslaught on Christian Missionaries within
her gates.
We are not surprised when we find Man at the time referred
to by the Prophets, so ignorant concerning spiritual things that
God in His infinite wisdom, selected an Angel to be his tutor.
The foundation of his instruction had to be well laid. Angels were
better fitted for this task than men, for Man was imcompetent and
could not stand the tests nor secure the credentials of Heaven for
this undertaking, which was so far-reaching.
This task involved Man's moral and spiritual destiny and af¬
fected his interest in two worlds. " Angels were the first-born sons
of creation, as well as eternity God created Man a little lower
than the Angels Let us listen while they instruct us.
The first method in the great curriculum of instruction by which
Man was to be made intelligent as to his duty and service to God,
was by object lessons. Angels, the ministering spirits, came to
earth at sundry times, bearing a burning message from the throne
of God, to Man under circumstances differing as much from those
of our times, as the childhood state differs from that of manhood.
Among the first lessons taught by these superior Beings, were
those on the Plains of Mamrie, under a tree for a. schoolroom.
This spot was selected, it would appear, with a Divine regard for
the crude state of man and with due appreciation of his nomadic
life. The truth taught was fundamental-
I. THAT GOD SUPERINTENDS THE WORLD. *
42
II. that he would buess the righteous and punish
the wicked.
As if fearing that these truths might escape the attention, and
that the first idea with which God desired to impress the world
might miscarry, the Angels were appointed to make a demonstra¬
tion of the fact in the destruction of the wicked and in the rescuing
of the righteous
Sodom, a thrifty City, located on the River Tigris, is full
of wickedness. The City is doomed. Angel delegates are sent to
serve notice of its destruction. Lot is taken out of danger. 'Tf
the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the
sinner appear"?
While Abram, one of the Old Testament seers, was quietly
resting himself in the door of his own house one day, two Angel
delegates, representing the interest of Heaven in earth, approached
him and being given an invitation, by Abram, to enter his home
and spend the night, they did so. In the morning they continued
their journey to Sodom, where the motely mob was suppressed, and
Lot the righteous, was taken out of the City just before it was con¬
sumed by fire.
Angels continued their visits to earth on occasions when the
problems of God's earthly kingdom were too difficult for Man to
solve, and when His people were oppressed beyond their strength of
endurance bv the over-matching power of the enemy.
When Jacob lay upon the damp, cold ground, it was an Angel
whom God sent' down the ladder-way to his lonely servant. It
was an Angel who wrestled with Jacab at Penuel, until the latter's
name was changed.
It was an Angel dressed in military attire, that came to the
assistance of Joshua, styling himself, "Captain of the Lord's
host".
It was an Angel that suddenly appeared * out on the farm of
Joash, taking a position under the oak, to press Gideon into ser¬
vice for the deliverance of Israel from the Midianites.
It was a chorus of angels that spread their note books out
on the air and sang, "Glory to God in the Highest, etc.".
They continued their visits and they ministered to man, bear¬
ing messages and edifying Man until they introduced the Son of
God on the Plains of Bethlehem. Then their commission was
practically recalled.
43
ministry of prophets
Following the Ministry of Angels as the instructors of Man,
God raised up Prophets oF men from among their brethren, men
who possessed extraordinary insight to the truth of God, men
with gifts to interpret the mind of God,—and with the ability to
arrest the attention of their fellows. These seers, being Divinely
appointed, were the only persons who received communication from
Heaven for Man.
Moses has the honor of standing first in the list of the embas¬
sadors. This honor, any of the subsequent Prophets might have
coveted, for no man, perhaps, ever enjoyed so exalted a privilege
and was so intimately connected with the God of the Universe. So
sacred was the message, and so exclusive the interview, that God
took: him aside from the crowd, and went on Sinai, where he was
to receive his divine message.
While God and Moses were upon this Mount, neither man nor
beast were allowed to touch it, lest they die The peaks of this old
summit became radiant with the glory of God, while the old moun¬
tain, itself, quaked and trembled.
A convoy of angels, with extended wings, covered the
Mount as if a cloud. No convention between Man and Angels, or
God and Man, ever meant so much to this old world. It was here
that Moses opened the New School, which was to be carried on by
Prophets like Elijah, a favored Son of God, who walked about on
earth for three years and six months with the keys of Heaven in
his pocket.
This school was to be carried on by Prophets like Isiah, who
stood on tiptoe, peeping into futurity, catching glimpes of a might¬
ier people.
And so oae Prophet after another until the long line of Proph¬
ets, with their fingers pointing to Bethlehem of Judea, with a hope
of turning the attention of tne world toward that old City, from
whence would come a Ruler, who would take up the work of in¬
struction and carry it to heights, higher than any of their prede¬
cessors.
We have seen something of how God spoke to the world
through the Angels and through the Prophets, but the text declares
that, In these latter days He has spoken to us through his Son".
Who is this son? Paul declares that, "He is the brightness
44
of His Father's Glory and the express image of His person". He
holds a unique place in the Godhead, being equal with His Father
in creation and the Redeemer of a lost and ruined world.
In the foregoing glimpses which we have had of the methods
and instructors which God has given the wor1d through Argels
and Prophets, we have felt justly proud. But when we turn to
note that God dignifies us by speaking through His Son to us, our
joy bursts into acclamations of praise to Almighty God.
IvET us NOTICE A MOMENT HOW GOD SPEAKS THROUGH HIS SON.
I. In his birth. The Prophet Isaiah had announced seven
hundred years before His advent into the world, "Unto us a child
is born, a Son is given, His Name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, Mighty Gcd, Prince of Peace, etc.".
Another Prophet exclaimed, "The sceptre shall not depart
from Judah, nor the law-giver from between his feet until Shiloh
come, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be".
Still another exclaimed, "I will overturn it, I will overturn it,
I will overturn it, until He comes whose right it is to rule".
These mighty words attracted the attention of mankind to the com¬
ing of a great personage.
Men with the destinies of nations in their grasps have been
born into the world, many of them were ruling as potentates and
kings at the time the Prophet, made his declaration. But the
world was sadly in need of a spokesman, whose voice would pene¬
trate the most dense darkness of sin and misery which had been
entailed upon the human family.
All Nature, from the tiny blade of grass to the rolling ocean
wave, gathers itself up in one way or another and speaks to Man
for God. Sometimes the sweeping winds toss the majestic oak
from its base, carrying before its madening fury whatever seems to
be in its pathway. All of this is but the voice of God.
Man has always been inclined to turn a deaf ear to the behests
of Heaven, but our kind and beneficient Father has striven, by
making vocal everything around him, to attract his attention,
and thus arrest him in his downward- course, lest he fall into the
the yawning abyss. To this end He speaks in the birth of his
son.
(a) He speaks peace. Peace is a. desirable possession.
Hostilities had existed between Man and God until Man had be-
45
come alienated and. was doomed to death, and eternal punishment,
but the Birth of Christ announced reconciliation between Godtand
Man. We now have "Peace that passeth all understanding, and
joy unspeakable and the full glory of God".
(b) Hb speaks good-wilIv. That is to say, we have the
good-will of our Heavenly Father. He is willing that we should
reap the joy which He has in store for us. Satan and his satanic
coherts may will otherwise, but their will cannot effect us, since
we have the good will of our Heavenly Father.
II. In his death. That the world needed someone who had
traveled the lonely pathway of the tomb, or who had met this hid¬
eous monster and grappled with and overcome him, all will agree.
The question has been asked, "If a man die, shall he live
again"? Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life".
He does not cease speaking until he has told the world.that in
His death, mankind should have eternal life.. He said, "Life and
immortality were brought to life through the Gospel". The grave
was much darker and more dismal before Jesus spoke these cheer¬
ing words. In fact, He sweetened the grave for all His saints and
in order that its terrors would be lost, He has entered its dark do¬
main and "Became the first fruits -of them that slept".
III. In His resurrection. The resurrection was disputed
by a sect of the Jews. If this theory could have been established,
the world of mankind would yet be only partly emancipated from
the awful degradation into which it was plunged in the fall. If we
are to remain in the silent tomb without any assurance of ever be-
ing lifted from its narrow confinment, the plan of salvation brought
by Jesus Christ is still defective, but thank God, this is not the fact
fact. We have abundant proof, which establishes the fact bevond
contradiction, that Jesus rose. In this he speaks to you and to
me, saying in the language of the poet:
"The graves of all the saints he blessed,
And softened every bed.
Where shall the dying members rest,
But with their dying head"?
IV. In his ascension. That he ascended up on high, and
"Led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men", is a fact that is
precious to believers. "I go, says He, to prepare a place forjyou,
46
that where I am, there ye may be also". "If I go not away, the
Comforter will not come".
Let 11? profit by the instruction which has come'to us through
the speaking of the Son of God. If we take heed thereto, we shall
come into the full possession and realization of the abode about
which He so fully has told us.
John, in his vivid description, adds his testimony as to the
grandeur of the prepared home, saying, "I saw a river that was as
clear as a crystal flowing from beneath the Throne of God".
Again, said he, "I saw a city that had twelve foundations, and
the builder and maker was God". These are but brief accounts of
the wonderful description that is contained in the Book of God, of
the final abode of the Saints. Let us give heed to Him who
speaks in these latter days'.
THE: PASSOVER.
"and thus shall ye eat it with your loins girded, your
shoes on your feet, your staff in your hand, and ye
shall eat in haste, it is the lord's passover".
Exodus 12: 11.
The text is the language of Jehovah to Moses and.Aaron, who
were at this time in the land of Egypt. The circumstances
surrounding the scene of the text may prove helpful to our under¬
standing its import.
The Egyptians held in bondage, as slaves, the Jews. The op¬
pression of the former upon the latter, brought serious trouble
to the nation. This is but history repeating itself. Slavery has
always given the nation or people trouble who tolerate it.
The Israelites sent up a united petition to Almighty God for
deliverance. In answer to this, Jehovah said "I have heard thy
cry, and have come down to deliver thee". God delivers in His
own way. His method is not as man would often choose, but He
is a deliverer that never fails.
He had sent nine different and very distinct messages to Pha¬
raoh, the king, to let His people go. These orders were disregard¬
ed not because they were misunderstood, but rather because of a
47
disposition on the part of Pharaoh, to hold in bondage, for his own
gain, the people whom God proposed to liberate.
Our text is a part of the tenth message that Jehovah sent
Pharaoh upon this very important occasion. The Lord before
executing this last judgement upon the Nation, took Moses aside,
as it were, and said, "I will bring one more plague upon Pharaoh
and Egypt, afterwards he will let you go hence. When he shall
let you go he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether".
So strange is to be the happenings in Egypt, so extraordinary
is this occasion to be, that special preparation for it, on the part of
God's people, is necessary.
The Lord said to Moses about midnight,—"I will go out into
the midst of Egypt, and all the first born in the land of Egypt shall
die. From the first born of Pharaoli that sitteth upon the
throne, even to the first born of the maid servant that is behind the
mill, and all the first born of the beasts, and there shall be a great
cry throughout the land of Egypt such as there was none like it,
nor shall be like it anymore".
The above is a brief announcement of what shall soon take
place in the nation.
The Lord commanded Moses to speak to the congregation of
Israel, saying, "In the tenth day of the month they shall take to
them every man a lamb. The lamb shall be without blemish, and
ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the month and the
whole assembly ot the congregation shall kill it in the evening".
The blood of this lamb shall be used for the sprinkling of the door
posts, that the Angel of death may see it and pass over. The
flesh of this lamb is to be roasted and seasoned with bitter herbs
and eaten with unleavened bread". Any meat that was left over
was to be burned by fire.
You will observe in the above order that certain things were
to be done or observed in the same way.
First:— Every man was to take a lamb, not any other kind of an¬
imal, but a lamb. This, mark you, is typical tof he Lamb of God.
Second:— This lamb was to be without blemish, or m other
words, a choice lamb of the flock. Not a half grown, deformed
one, but the best. Heaven gave its bestin the person of God's Son.
Third. It was to killed in the evening of the fourteenth day.
This scene would impress the na,tion as never before, the whole na-
48
tion killing lambs at the same time. This was typical of the fact
that a lamb was to be slain some time for the whole human family.
Fourth: They were to sprinkle the door posts with blood.
This is typical of the fact that death has to pass that soul, unharm¬
ed, that has been spinkled by the blood of Jesus Christ.
This brings us to the text, which gives very definite directions
about eating that which has been prepared or referred to in the
text.
Notice, flesh eating among the Jews was an occasion of great
festivities. Their mannerisms were strictly adhered to, Their
mode, at this time, was to recline at the table. Instead of having
chairs on which to sit, they would place cots all arond the table,
and the guests would recline upon these cots and partake of the
meal.
The text ushers in upon them a new order of things. God
brushes their old customs aside with the breath with which He an¬
nounces the new.
"thus shall ye eat it".
I. "With your loins girded". The loins are represented
as the seat of man's strength. The figure here is taken from an
oriental custom. The Orientals commonly dressed in loose robes,
flowing down about the feet, so that when they wished to ruxi or
fight, or apply themselves to any business, they were obliged to
bind their garments close around them with a girdle. Hence, it
was a symbol of strength and activity. For one to have his loins
girded, is to be prepared for action and service.
The robe in which the child of God must be clad is the gar¬
ment of righteousness, not his own righteousness, but the right¬
eousness of the Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
The girdle that he must wear is the girdle of truth. Any of
us that would endure to the end must be girded about with this
great girdle. If you haven't one, you can be supplied while we
are talking from the great "furnishing house" on high.
II. "Your shoes on your feet." Not lying beneath your
bed, or m some corner of the house, or packed away, but on your
feet. References to shoes in the Bible are many. God appeared
to Moses out in the desert and spoke to him from the burning bush,
saying, "Take off thy shoes from off thy feet," giving as a reason
49
for this order that "The ground upon which thou standest is holy."
When that prodigal son reached home from his carousel, and
table of husks, his father told him to put shoes on his feet. ^ This
denoted to the heart-broken boy that there was a reception in the
old homestead for him.
But the shoes in our text have a different meaning to you and
me. The command here to put shoes on, means more than mere
putting on of the old Jewish sandals, preparatory to a day s march.
You and I are to shoe ourselves with the preparation of the Gospel
of peace. These shoes are not to be found in any of the shoe stores
of earth. Angels cannot furnish them. We all can secure them
by drawing on Heaven's great Supply Company. WTho will order?
You will not be able to endure to the end of the march with bare
feet. Thorns of persecution and stones of criticism will so hinder
you that you will find yourself lagging, and eventually coming to
a full stop.
III. " staff in your hand". The staff was used among
the Ancients for support and protection. The shepherds used it to
take an unfortunate sheep out of the ditch, which, perchance, fell
therein. Bending beneath the weight of years, the fathers would
lean upon their staffs.
You and I have a stronger prop upon which to lean. It is
£rod's word. David called it a rod and a staff and declared that it
would give comfort. It will not only give comfort, but, "It is a
lamp to our feet and a light to our pathway".
IV. "Shall, eat in haste." It is the L,ord's Passover.
There is no time to delay in carrying out the commands of God.
Jehovah is soon to pass, and if we would be ready when he comes
we must not delay the preparation.
The Passover Feast typified a feast that had special charms
and special lessons for us who live to day. Go with me to the
upper room in Jerusalem, the scene of the establishment of the
feast we celebrate in memory of Jesus, our King. This feast points
to something that means more to you and to me than anything we
have hitherto observed.
In the upper room in Jerusalem, you will find our Blessed Sav¬
ior, surrounded by his Disciples or co-workers, ordaining a feast,
that through all ages, should be celebrated as a memorial to Him!
"This do in remembrance of me," is the request of the Founder of
this Feast
5o
We have Memorial Days, memorial occasions, and great cele¬
brations in honor of men and events; why not all of us be willing
to engage in a simple memorial to the Chieftest Benefactor of the
human family?
It was the blood on the door post of the Eg37ptian home that
caused the Angel of Death to pass over that house without leaving
death therein.
The blood of Jesus as typified in this feast, is the only safe¬
guard we have, "Except ye eat my flesh and drink my blood, ye
have no life in you," says the Word of God.
The invitation has been sent out to aJl the world, ''Come, all
things are ready " God grant that none of us will throw aside
this invitation or refuse to come, "For except ye eat and drink, ye
have no life in you,"
AN EASTER SERMON
" And when he was come into Jerusalem ale the city
was moved, saying, who is this?" Matt. 2i: io. The jews
sought him at the feast and said, " where is he?" St.
John 7:11. "He is not here; he has risen as he said."
Matt. 28:6.
The three most important supports upon which the Christian's
faith must rest in connection with the world's Redeemer are :
I. His Birth
II. His Crucifixion
III. His Resur'rection
If for any cause either of these are interfered with or removed,
to that same extent have we been weakened and exposed to the
danger of the final shipwreck of faith.
You will observe that I have read three passages of Scripture
as a text. I do this because each of these passages have special
bearing upon the thoughts which I want to emphasize. It is my
purpose to draw your attention to these series of interrogatives or
questions with a view of fixing your minds upon them. A text is
only another name for something central around which may be
51
gathered certain truths, in order that the understanding may be
helped and the individual benefitted.
Since this is one of the festal seasons of the year, a little re¬
view of the work and worth of the Lord Jesus Christ might not be
out of place at this time, The reoccurence of Kaster emphasizes
the great work wrought out in the life of Jesus Christ for humanity.
The Apostle Paul puts it even stronger than this when he says, "If
Christ be not risen, then is your preaching vain, your faith vain
and ye are yet in your sins."
"Who is This, Where is He" are questions that must concern
every man, woman and child The answer to these questions may
be postponed or prolonged, but the answer must be forthcoming at
some time. Because of this iact, I w*sh to call up some thoughts
in connection with each of these questions, and in a partial manner
at least, assist someone in giving the correct answer.
"Who is this ?" Let us notice the setting of the first passage
under consideration. With this in mind, I would invite you to go
with me to Bethpage, a small village two and a half miles from Je¬
rusalem. A great throng gathers on the streets; it is Friday-; time
drags wearily on; the crowd continues to emass until Sunday morn¬
ing and then the great procession moves toward the capital city, Je¬
rusalem. The children from hundreds of windows and elevated
places review the moving procession, and with the throng, all along
the raarch-way, begin to exclaim, "Hosanna in the highest: bless¬
ed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." But when the pro¬
cession reached the city, the text declares that "All the City Was
Moved, Saying, 'Who is This?' " This question is as old as the
Bible. The Patriarchs, Prophets and Apostles all ask a similar
question.
MoSES, the meek, earth's first lawyer, went into the court of
Pharaoh, the king, and bore a message from God to him saying,
"Thus sayeth the Lord God of Israel, 'Let My people go that*they
may hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness.' " This demand so
startled the king that he at once made inquiry, "Who Is the Lord
That I Should Him Obey? I Know Not the Lord, Neither Will I
Let Israel Go." The lack of knowledge on the part of Pharaoh
and his refusal to obey the command of God, entailed upon the
king distress and almost endless trouble. God afflicted the whole
land by sending in rapid succession armies of frogs, lice, locusts,
52
etc., and at last the Destroying Angel. All of this was the result of
ignorance of the God who sent to him the message.
Solomon in the Book of Lamentations, referring to the rod of
affliction with which God scourges His people said, "Who Is He
That Sayeth, and It Cometh to Pass?" This reference is meant to
impress the fact that when God speaks, no matter upon what sub¬
ject, if in the roar of Niagara, or His awful voice is heard in the
thunder, or the still, small voice heard by the prophet on the mount¬
ain, all creation whether rational or otherwise, must obey. If this
was more generally understood and adhered to, much of the dan¬
ger and peril to which we are subjected as finite beings, would be
averted. It is emphatically declared in this passage that whatever
God sayeth will come to pass.
"Who Art Thou L,ord?" is the question which Saul of Tarsus
asked Jesus Christ on that memorable occasion when the light
above the brightness of the sun had shone upon him. Paul had
been a persecutor of the church, had obtained warrants to arrest
and incarcerate Christians, and was the disturber of the believers
in the new doctrine. He had gone so far that Jesus Christ Him¬
self had said, "It is hard kicking against the pricks." If Paul
had known a little earlier who Jesus Christ was he might have
saved himself a good deal of humiliation. I would have you note
that education does not give the knowledge of God unto salvation.
Royal blood cannot, for Paul was a Hebrew of the Hebrews and
even this could not be substituted for spiritual knowledge. It was
a waste of precious time to have been trying to hinder the progress
of the Church by putting Christians in jail. It was wonderful hu¬
miliation for a man of Paul's standing to have been thrown pros¬
trate upon the ground and to have had to go about the streets grop¬
ing in blindness for three or four days, and at last to be pointed
out as a broken spirited, humiliated Jew.
"Who Art Thou, Lord?" is the question that I would urge
each of you who are rebellious to ask this morning and if you will
ask in the same spirit in which the Apostle Paul asked, Jesus will
answer you in the same manner as He answered Paul, "I Am Jesus
Whom Thou Persecuteth."
Isaiah, the Evangelical Prophet asked, "Who Is This That
Cometh from Edom with Dyed Garments from Bozrah?" " This
That Is Glorious in His Apparel, Travelling in the Greatness of
His Strength?" The old Prophet here looks down the Ages and
53
sees the coming of a wonderful personage. His garments are crim¬
son, indicative of the fact that He has been in battle. His wild
eye flashes across the centuries and he exclaims that this person
has been victorious because He is travelling in the greatness of His
strength. The battlefield is Calvary. The contest was on the cross
and the Victim from whom the blood came was Jesus Christ. The
contention was over a lost world. I rejoice that Isaiah was thought¬
ful enough, *seven hundred years before the highway had been
thrown up, over which you and I could come back to our former
glory, to ask, " Who is this that cometh from Edom, etc!" Jesus
Christ speaking from behind the impenetrable walls of Eternity an¬
swers, "I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save."
Zaccheus, a tax collector and a very rich publican, wished
to know Jesus. He heard that Jesus was to pass through Jer¬
icho. It was not his custom to mingle with the populace, but
rather to hold himself aloof, so he decided to climb up into a tree
and see the procession pass, without being disturbed. But
when the procession reached his grandstand, Jesus halted the
throng and looking up at Zaccheus, invited him down. If Zacche¬
us had known who Jesus was, he might have saved himself from
the humiliation and bitter experience ot having to climb down out
of a sycamore tree before the great multitude.
Jesus became his guest however, going home with him and
abiding- at his house.
If any among you would like to see Jesus, do not attempt to
get up into the tree of your own opinions while your fellows are
marching in the procession with the Messiah. Jesus wishes to go
home with you. You may keep Him at the door for a long time,
but "He has waited long, is waiting still" and He is crying to you
"You treat no other friend so ill." May some one who has not
hitherto made His acquaintance take Him home today.
II. "Where is he?" The second question which we present
for your consideration has its setting in the incident which gives an
account of the visit of Jesus Christ to the Temple.
The Feast of the Tabernacle was at hand. Jesus, because of
the fury of the Jews, did not propose to attend it in a public way
but advised the disciples to go ahead of Him to the feast as was
their custom. After they had gone, Jesus in an unostentatious man¬
ner went up to the feast, but it was not long before it was discov¬
ered and made known that He was there. As soon as this fact
54
was noised abroad the Jews sought Him at the Feast saying,
Where is He?" This question forces itself upon us to-day for an
answer.
\Ve can tell where He was from historical knowledge of His
movements while on earth. Many of us delight to live in our
thought around the places where the Blessed L,ord resided, worked
miracles and preached.
He was in Bethlehem of Judea for He wafe born there.
. He was in Egypt hiding from Herod who sought His life.
He was in the Temple at Jerusalem talking with the doctors
and lawyers.
He was around His Father's bench in Nazareth that the Scrip-
tuies might be fulfilled.
He was at Cana of Galilee turning water to wine.
He was at the grave of L,azarus displaying His power over
death and the grave.
He was on the L,ake of Gennesret in the storm with the disci¬
ples, showing He is Master of wind and wave.
He was in the Garden of Gethsemane at prayer.
He was before three Tribunals for trial.
He was on the cross at Calvary.
We found the empty tomb this morning and the question forces
itself for an answer, "Where is He?" The answer must be, "He
Is Risen As He Said," and in this resurrection an assurance is giv¬
en that every child of God who dies unto sin and is made alive in
righteousness, sha'll rise with Him.
Then,He is not upon the earth as He was in days of yore,in per¬
son but He is hereiin Spirit. His Temple is not the old Temple at Je¬
rusalem, but He dwells in the hearts of His believers You who do
not know His whereabouts continue to ask the question until you
have found Him. He declares that He will take up His abode
with you, and sup with you and you with Him, and the feast shall
be one of everlasting joy
III. "He is not here, He has risen as He said" is an
affirmation made in the third passage before us for consideration.
The scene of this passage brings us face to face with the occasion
which we celebrate to-day. The career of our Lord, covering as it
did, three years administration, is now closing.
No royal personage that touched this earth had hitherto bap¬
tized it with blessings as hiad this Man. Every tread of His foot,
55
every touch of His hand, every glance of His eye, made an impress¬
ion on objects animate and inanimate that can never be erased.
I don't wonder that He is the great Magnet around which
Christian affection is centered to-day. I don't wonder that our
thoughts are travelling back over the centuries of the dark past,
resting upon the scenes of the operations of the Blessed Christ.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Mary, out of whom seven dev¬
ils had been cast, moved as twin stars. They are searching for Je¬
sus on this Sabbath morning. They are hailed by a man who asks
them, " Whom seek ye, Jesus of Nazareth?" " He is not here; He
has risen as He said; come see the place where the Lord lay."
There will be some question about the validity of this state¬
ment, since His enemies have already circulated a story to the ef¬
fect that the disciples came by night and stole Him away.
Witnesses
L,et us have a few witnesses to the truthfulness of His resurrec¬
tion.
I. The angee who said, "Why seek you the living among
the dead?" He is not here ; if ye doubt me, come look "into the
empty tomb. He was there, but He hag risen in keeping with
what He said.
II. Mary was told by an Angel that He was not there. She
also was commanded to tell ihe disciples that He had risen, and
the disciples were to publish it to the world.
III. Two strangers on their way to Emaus, talking over
the matter of His disappearance from the tomb, were joined by a
third stranger of whom they knew nothing. On reaching the city
the two invited the third in, and when they began to break bread,
they discovered that it was Christ. They exclaimed, " Did not our
hearts burn within us while He talked with us by the way?".
IV. the eleven discipeES are together in an upper room
discussing the fact of the Master's resurrection. Suddenly, He
appeared in their midst and began to talk with them, saying, "My
peace I leave with you." They were terrified, but he said, "Be¬
hold my hands and my feet," etc.
Having established the fact that he has risen, what are some
of the lessons that come to us all ?
i. The first lesson that envelopes my soul is that the tomb
has been sweetened, The poet sings:
56
"The graves of all the saints He blessed,
And softened every bed."
2 Again, there is light in the grave. Jesus said, "I am the
light of the world."
3. I learn, since He "was the first fruit of them that slept,"
that I shall rise and be with Him, Jesus said, that, "Where I am
there ye shall be also." I lose all dread of the tomb for it has
been illumined by the presence of Him whom it could not hold.
4. I shall be with Him in the place He has gone to prepare.
Let us who are risen with Him seek those things which are above.
Let us ask His guidance, His help, His protection, unti' the Jong
day's march ends, and we ascend with Christ, our living Head.
ETERNAL LIFE AND HOW OBTAINED.
"This is life eternal; that they may know thee, the
only true god, and jesus christ whom thou hast sent."—
John 1753.
The text is a part of a very earnest prayer offered by our
blessed Master in the closing hours of his earthly career. The
burden of this prayer was for the unity of the Disciples and for
keeping power. He knew they could not keep themselyes, hence,
his petition to the Father in their behalf.
He said, "While I was in the world I kept them from evil in
thy name. I have lost only one, that is the son of perdition, that
the Scriptures might be fulfilled. I pray not that Thou shouldst
take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from
evil. I have sent them forth as thou hast sent me, saying "Make
Disciples of all nations." Neither pray I for these alone, but for
them also which shall believe on me through thy word, that they
all mav be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast
Sent me."
now he turns to give the conditions of eternal life and
shows how it is obtained.
The subject of life is an important one looking at it from any
standpoint. We exhaust every means known to the scientific
world for its longevity. "Thou shalt not kill" is the divine cotn-
57
mand. Any who would violate this divine injunction must pay
the penalty.
The text refers not to physical life but to eternal life. The
Scriptures have not been silent on this subject, so important is it.
We shall have to pass down from the Stage of action where
physical lite plays its part, but we shall have to spend eternity
somewhere, hence the importance of eternal life.
The Scripture, which is our guide, holds up eternal life and
eternal death, and gives us our choice, Not, however, without
outlining the conditions upon which either may be obtained.
Paul to Timothy said, "Fight the good fight of faith; lay
hold on eternal life." The Apostle here would advise his son in
the Gospel to make an effort to obtain eternal life to the extent
of a hard fought battle. Or in other words, Eternal Life is worth
fighting for
We may have lost something during the fight for Eternal Life,
may have lost our good names, or our property, or our friends, but
if we have kept our faith, all is well.
A young man came to Jesus and asked what he should do to
inherit eternal life. I always feel like applauding this young man
because of the subject that he dared to discuss with Jesus,—Eter¬
nal Life. Few young men of our time voluntarily discuss this
subject. It isn't a popular one among the masses. Jesus an¬
swering said, "Honor thy father and thy mother; do no murder;
defraud not.''
The young man looking steadfastly at Jesus, said, "All these
I have kept. Jesus beheld him and loved him, then said to him,
"Sell out your possessions, give the result of your sale to the poor,
come follow me." And the young man went away sorrowfully.
jesus addresses the jews.
"Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal
lite, and they are they which testify of me." That is to say, you
believed in the old canon, and you have searched it and know it,
but if you would know Me, you must search the Scriptures which
includes the New as well as the Old Testament.
This address appeals to us, for if we would know Jesus, we
must get that knowledge from the entire canon of Scripture, for he
lived in the Old Testament in types and shadows, but in the New
Testament, a living, active, working reality.
58
"THIS IS LIFE ETERNAL; THAT THEY MIGHT KNOW THEE, THE
ONLY TRUE GOD, AND JESUS CHRIST WHOM.THOU HAST SENT."
It my eternal life depends upon the knowledge of God and
His Son, Jesus, it is incumbent upon my Creator, who is responsi¬
ble for my being to reveal Himself and His Son to me. If this
revelation is not made, heaven will be guilty of an inconsistency.
I thank God for the fact that in every age and dispensation of
the world, God has been endeavoring to make himself known to
his rational creation; not in any one way, but in many ways.
And if there should be any among us who have not seen God as he
reveals himself both in nature and revelation, the fault is in them¬
selves.
I know the question asked by Job is significant. Canst thou
by searching find out God ? Canst thou find out the Almighty to
perfection?
"The Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm,
and the clouds are the dust of his feet."
Isaiah said, speaking of God, "My thoughts are not your
thoughts, nor My ways your ways, for as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are My thoughts higher than your thoughts, and
My ways higher than your ways."
The impossibilty of finding God out to perfection is taught in
the above quotation, but the Apostle James, writing to the church
in general, pierced with light the questions above asked, when
he said, "If ye lack wisdom, ask Him and He will give you liber¬
ally and upbraid you not."
EDEN,
If any doubt the lact that God has endeavored to reveal him¬
self we would invite you to visit with us the old homestead in the
Highlands of Armenia, and here you will find Jehovah visiting the
old estate daily, looking upon and talking with Adam and Eve.
Nothing of an unusual nature occurred for thousands of years;
but alas, one day when the donor of our homestead was passing
through the garden, Adam hid, for he had violated, having been
induced by Eve, a plank in the platform governing the home.
This is the first time that God had to call Adam and we, his pos¬
terity, more or less, have been straying from the knowledge which
He would impart, ever since.
When I think of the foul imp who invaded the home of our
59
fore-parents, and caused their ejectment from Paradise, my right¬
eous indignation burns, for not only were they ejecled, but we,
their posterity, were exposed to pain and death, and no one can
wonder at the enthusiasm of the organized church, forit is a stand¬
ing,relentless protest against the enemy in Eden. Not only this,but
Wt* are to throw obstructions in the way of our common enemy and
take from his ranks any captive whom he may have lined up
against the Cause of Right.
GOD REVEALED HIMSELF TO JACOB.
Jacob is leaving Bearsheba for Harran. Night overtakes him
and he lies down to sleep. The earth is his bed and a stone his pil¬
low, He dreams that a ladder is let down from heaven, the base
resting upon the earth and the top leaning against God's throne,
angels ascending and descending thereupon.
On awaking, Jacob exclaims, "Surely the Lord is in this
place, and I knew it not. This is none other than the house of
God and the gate of Heaven." God wanted Jacob to know that he
was not forsaken, notwithstanding his bed had been removed from
a palace to the damp ground, from a downy pillow to a cold stone
in the wilderness.
Twenty years later, Jacob is homeward bound. Reaching
Pennial, an angel met him and the midnight wrestle took
place. The angel besought Jacob to let him go. Jacob refused
until a blessing he wo. Id bestow. Jacob's limb was broken, but
he held on until his name was changed. We may have to go home
limping, but God will reward our struggl by a blessing begin¬
ning in this world, and ending in the world to come.
REVELATION TO EZEKIEL
God wanted Israel warned. He found a man down on the
bank of the Chebar and commissioned him, saying, "I want you to
go to a hard hearted and stiff-necked people and warn them for
me." Bzekiel did not want to go. God assured him that His pres¬
ence should go with him. In order that Kzekiel might not doubt,God
invited him out, where in a panoramic form, He began to reveal
Himself. First, by permitting him to behold a whirlwind in a cloud.
The whirlwind might have meant a storm of opposition. The cloud
may have meant dark days; but He invited him to look again and
he beheld four living creatures, each having four faces, and four
wings and straight feet. On looking the third time, he saw a wheel
60
resting upon the earth Within this wheel there was another wheel
which the Prophet declared seemed to him like a wheel in the mid¬
dle of a wheel. The large wheel indicates the vehicle in which the
Diety rides; the small wheel represents the vehicle in. which we ride.
The one being on the inside of the other indicates that we must be
always in God. Their going in the same direction teaches that our
successful going is dependent upon our going in accordance to
God's will.
revelation to moses and pharaoh
Moses is told to go to Pharaoh and ask for the manumission of
the children of Israel. Moses said, "If I am asked who sent me,
whom shall I say ?" "Say I am sent you." This would doubtlless
send consternation to the heart of Pharaoh because this was an un¬
known God, and he would be confused because tie would be igno¬
rant of the nationality of this God. ''I am" meant from everlast¬
ing to everlasting. It meant a God whose arm is not weak; a God
who, in battle, does not exhaust, etc.
The foregoing consideration of the subject reveals God as He
visits His people, and as He talks to His people and as He works
among .His people.
who is jesus?
Now we turn to find out something about Jesus whom we must
also know to secure Eternal Life
Jesus was talking to His disciples one day and let drop som,e
1 words that give us insight to Him as to who He is, saying, "Let
not your hearts be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in Me.
In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so I would
not have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go to
prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto
Myself, that where I am, there may ye be also; and whither I go ye
know, and the way ye know."
Thomas said unto Him, "Lord, we know not whither Thou go-
est, and how can we know the way ?"
Jesus answered, "I am the way."
You will notice that Moses told Pharaoh many, many years be¬
fore the time of our text that God's name was I Am It might be
rightly concluded that this then was no additional light upon the
subject of Jesus Christ. But when Jesus adds "I am the way,''
61
this becomes certainly additional information as to who Jesus is.
But notice in the second place; He adds to "I am, "Truth. This
is still more additional information as to who Christ is. Again, He
adds to "I am," Life, which is another characteristic of which we
are pleased to know.
He is the way With the three foregoing characteristics, He
is the "Way" from a waste-howling wilderness to a Canaan of eter¬
nal bliss.
He is the truth. The world had been deluged in false¬
hoods. In the Garden of Eden, Satan beguiled by falsehood, our
mother Kve, but Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane re-established
the "Truths."
He is life. We were all dead in trespasses and sin, but we
have all been made alive in Christ Jesus. He is our "Life" and
also our righteousness.
we must know him in the pardoning of our sins
Have you been to Him for the cleansing power? Have you
been washed in the Blood of the Lamb ? Do you by personal and
a God-blest experience know Him as a sin-pardoning God ? Did
you hear Him say, "Son or daughter, your sins which are many
have all been forgiven ?"
If you haven't, you may, for He says, "Behold, I stand at the
door and knock; if any man will open, I will come in and sup with
him and he with Me."
SIX MYSTERIES IN REDEMPTION
"and without controversy, great is the mystery of
godliness. god was manifest in the flesh, justified in the
spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the gentiles, be¬
lieved in the world, received up in glory."
In order to have a better understanding and to see more clear¬
ly that godliness, God, and the plan laid down in the Gospel for us
to work out our own salvation by is mysterious, let us recount a few
of the mysterious things lying outside of the numerations given in
our text. There are those among us who object to our holy relig¬
ion and refuse to accept it on the ground that they are not able to
62
understand all that is referred to in it by the Apostles. This, I re¬
gard as unfair, for there are mysteries lying all around us in the
field of nature which we accept without question. We can no more
understand some of the things that the naturalists force us to be¬
lieve than can we understand all that the Apostle and Prophets
have written.
Notice a caterpillar. A crawling worm of the dust; yester¬
day we passed it; today it passes us on a beautiful set of wings.
Who can tell whence this change; and where it took place? And
yet we ate forced to believe the fact of the change.
Yonder is a chain of mountains in the sea built by a silent
batch of workmen; to go out where they are at work you must be
careful, lest the vessel be stranded and the cargo of passengers be
destroyed. Do you ask who these workmen are? In answer, they
are the coral builders. Their material, their mode of work are alike
mysterious, but the mountain speaks for itself, mysteriously built
though it be.
Yonder is a cloud that seem* to have seen poor man and
beast in need of water. It rushes to the ocean as if in sympathy,
dips up water and spreads itself out on the face of the sky and
weeps, and man and beast are alike watered. Mysterious, this ac¬
tion of the clouds, but it goes on daily.
Again, on going to bed at night, closing your shutters and
windows, you did not know that a tremendous war would take
place in the apartment where you slept between a poisonous gas
known as hydrogen, that would make victims of death all with
whom it came in contact, and the health-giving oxygen, which
gives life. The one was endeavoring to exterminate the other. You
did. not hear the war or see the warriors, and yet without such a
struggle, each of us may have been a corpse at this time.
If nature furnishes these mysteries and we believe them, don't
you think we might accept the mysterious things connected with
the redemption of mankind without question? Or in other words,
give the religion of the Lord Jesus Christ a trial. Jesus Himself,
in talking to the Apostles was not always understood by them, even
though they walked with Him and received instruction from His
blessed lips.
On one accasion His Disciples protested against His going a cer¬
tain way to Jerusalem, but the Master was persistent and would not
63
be swerved, but continued Hid course. It was not until He came to a
settlement of lepers and the opportunity was presented for doing for
humanity what none other ever did, curing the leprosy, did they
understand. Ten were healed but one only returned to thank God
for the great gift of restoration.
II. The memorable walk and conversation to Etnaus was after
the crucifixion and burial of Christ. Two of His Disciples walked
and talked in deep meditation on what had transpired the day pre¬
vious, A stranger joined them and asked why they were so de¬
pressed in countenance? Jesus intended to disguise His personali¬
ty, which He did, until they reached home and were all three seat¬
ed at the table. It was not until the blessing was pronounced that
they discovered who the stranger was. "Did not our hearts burn
within us while He talked with us by the way?" said they.
III. When Jesus said to His Disciples, "Unto them that hath,
shall be given, and to them that hath not, that which they seem to
haye shall be taken away," terror filled their hearts. Tney did not
understand the reference, but this was Jesus' way of rebuking the
lazy, shiftless, and indifferent, and rewarding the industrious, fru¬
gal and upright.
IV. Again, when He said that He would give the man who
worked only one hour as much as the man who worked the whole
day, the Disciples stood amazed. Through the preaching, of the
Gospel, God proposes to save the world. It may be foolishness to
to the Greeks, and to the Jews a stumbling block, but it is true not¬
withstanding.
V. He said, "What I do now, thou knowest not, but shalt
know hereafter." Paul enters upon the subject of godliness as he
discovered it, and proceeded to point out a few of the mysteries con¬
nected therewith. But before his statements are accepted, we would
do well to inquire into his qualifications to pass on a subject so
grave and far-reaching. Does he know whereof he speaks? Is he
acquainted with God and godliness ?
He was learned. While education alone does not qualify one
to discuss with profit the great theme of redemption, it is not to be
ignored in preparation to this end.
He was converted. This act placed him in a better position to
know God and to understand godliness than the former. Paul
was brought into the faith after a miraculous conversion. On the
Damascus highway, suddenly there shone a great light around
him and he heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest
thou me?
It was after passing through these ordeals that the Apostle be¬
came convinced that godliness is a mystery.
I. GOD MANIFEST IN THE FLESH
How God could become compressed in the flesh and located on
the earth, and at the same time was never absent a moment from
the seat of government in the sky, must be a mystery. Never since
the fiat escaped His lips, and from the anvil of Eternity did He
hammer the worlds and marshall them at His command, has He
been absent from His Father's side a moment, to our knowledge;
and yet He resided here on this earth thirty-three years in person
in the flesh.
These are questions on which the schools of thought have delib¬
erated to turn irotn without much additional light. These schools
may announce creeds, and set up systems of religion, and propo-
gate doctrines that may win the respect of men, women and chil¬
dren , but when they attempt to pierce with light the mysteries that
lie around the tri-personality of the God-head, they reel, and stag¬
ger, and start back; and well may they, for it is a mystery.
II. GOD WAS JUSTIFIED IN THE SPIRIT
Man's redemption cost Heaven so much that some of the in¬
habitants in Heaven are still looking at the price in wonder. Jesus
said, "I am justified." Sin had cost us the lost of the very image
of God. We were aliens We believed a falsehood instead of the
truth; yet He loved us and followed us out into the wilderness of
sin and saved us, though He died. To the astonished Angels He
said, "I am justified." It is evident that He saw in us more than
we can see in each other or in ourselves.
III. SEEN OF ANGELS
Angels fill important places in God's dominion. God was not
ashamed of us. He came to our humble home to do His redemp¬
tive work. The Bible depicts our home as being a cemetery.
"They that sat in the region and shadow of death have seen a great
light." Jesus was not ashamed to own us in this old cemetery
with Angels looking at Him. Angels were God's messengers.
The greatest message that was ever borne to earth was brought
65
by an Angel, "Peace 011 earth, good will to men, etc.". Again,
Daniel was discouraged and was leaving his place of prayer when
an Angel came and said, "Your prayer is heard, etc.". Pray on
my brother; if you have not the answer, do not be discouraged; it
will reach you in time.
IV. HE WAS PREACHED UNTO THE GENTIEES
It would not have been strange for Jesus to have been preached
unto the Jews, for He was a Jew Himself. It would h'ave been nat¬
ural for Him to have looked after His own household, but Jesus
broguht Jew, Gentile, bond and free, and offered them salvation.
The universality of salvation is here taught.
V. HE WAS BEEEIVED ON IN THE WOE ED
You could not believe in any man to-day that had had as much
said against him as was said against Jesus—He had been tried in
the courts and found guilty. Sentence of death had been passed
upon him in the most cruel and humiliating way; had been hanged
until dead and then buried. It is a mystery that anybody could
believe in such a character. A mayor of our city, a governor of our
state, a president of the United States, would not, no matter what
might be said in their favor, be believed, if they had passed through
the courts with garments besmirched, as the court before which Je¬
sus was arraigned. But we believe on Him in the World, thank
God, and instead of our belief in His becoming less, the thousands
upon thousands of converts that crowd our alters annually, tell
that there is a growing belief on the Son of God in the world.
VI. AND WAS RECEIVED UP INTO GEORY
Will they let Him in, in yiew of His long absence from home
and the ordeals through which He has passed? He has been on
the cross; He has been in the grave; and all over a sin-cursed earth.
Will they let Him in? Listen at the request He makes: I want the
glory that I had with my Father before the world was. I have
been away from home, it is true. I laid aside my royal robe,
but I am returning with yictory from earth for Heaven, and I
want the glory that belongs to Me."
"I,ift,up your neads, O ye gates, and be ye lifted up ye ever¬
lasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in." "Who is
66
the King of Glory," cried the gate keeper? "The L,ord strong and
mightv: the Lord mighty in battle."
VII. The last mystery that this old world has to deal with is,
How can God wash a soul and bring it to Heaven? He washes
us in His blood. The earth is full of sin, for we are born in sin. I
know that people go to Heaven, and according to God's word they
could not enter if they were not washed. Paul said, " I was caught
up to the third Heaven." John said, " I saw a new Heaven and
a new earth."
We shall follow Him bye and bye into the city of the Redeem¬
ed, where we shall go in to come out no more. Amen.
THE BANNERED HOST
•'The banner oyer me was eove". Songs of Solomon >:\
"In the name of our god,- we will set up our banner".
Psalms 20:5
David and Solomon were both very distinguished Old Testa¬
ment characters. Students of Divinity delight to study their his¬
tory because it is fraught with predictions that are sublime and en¬
rapturing. One can scarcely study their life and works without
being elevated and greatly helped.
David is exulting in the privileges, which are his to advertise
the attributes of Goa. Advertising is a business which is carried
on very extensively in the centers of thrift and industry today, mil¬
lions of money are invested in advertising schemes with a hope on
the part of those who make the expenditures, of increasing their
sales and thereby enriching themselves. The glaring headlines on
the bulletin boards, the boy with his arm full of posters, the great
Dailies used as white-winged messengers, are but a few of the
schemes employed to advertise the business ol corporations or indi¬
vidual enterprises of our time
If the products or commodities of the kingdoms of earth get a
67
a better showing and a larger place, or vica-versa, as it some¬
times appears by advertisment, it would seem not out of place that
the attributes of God should be advertised by those who have been
led to accept God through the knowledge of Him gained through
His attributes.
Who among His redeemed sons, no matter how steeped in sin,
can look unmoved upon the goodness of Gcd as it is revealed in the
plan of salvation, which like the soft and mellow rays of the Sun,
shines out over a world of sin, gathering up the bruised and man¬
gled bodies of the slain by the hand of the law, and bringing them
back to undisturbed reconciliation with God?
Who can think of God's mercy without being stirred as it leaps
as if on pinions, to the highest heights and the lowest depths, to
find the crouching culprit and leads him back to the favor of of¬
fended justice? And so we might run through the entire catalogue
of the attributes of God and find lessons sweet and comforting that
would woo us into the fold from which we have all si rayed.
So anxious was David to carry forward the work of advertis¬
ing his God that he called Nature to his assistance and made it
contribute to this end. Said he, ''The heavens declare the glory of
God and the firmament showeth His handiwork; day unto day ut-
tereth speech, and night unto night, showeth knowledge". Con¬
tinuing-, said he, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the
soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
the statutes of the Lord are risrht, rejoicing the heart; the com¬
mandments of the Lord are pure, enlightening the eye, etc,".
Having learned something of God through the study of His
attributes, our text draws o,ur attention to a further study of Him
as He reveals Himself in a banner. "His banner over me was
love; in the name of our god we wile set up our banner".
To see a banner or flag displayed is not a strange scene. Ev¬
ery civilized nation has a flag, which usually floats over tjieir State
Houses or Capitol. The international law demands respect on the
part of ail nations of national flags; any disregard or disrespect on
the part of any nation might bring war and blood-shed to the of¬
fender.
Our own flag is denominated the Star Spangled Banner, and
exhibits its colors of red, white and blue. It is a privilege that
should not be lightly esteemed, for one to look upon a nation's en-
68
S1gn and to read thereon what it stands for. One rather ehjoys the
protection which the flag of bis nation gives, especially, when com¬
ing into contact with foreign nations.
God is ruler of both heaven and earth, and having subjects in
both, has provided them a banner which waves in bold relief over
these subject, while they wage war againt the opponents of right¬
eousness in the earth. This banner should never be allowed to
float at half mast or drag in the dust. It is a precious old banner,
not made of any fabrics of earth; the looms of human skill were
not employed in its making, it is the blessed product of the Divine.
Betsy Ross, whose house still stands as one of the land-marks
of Philadelphia, has been written down as a real benefactor of the
American people because of the real genius which she displayed in
the production of the American flag,
The banner, here under consideration, is not of earthly origin.
The text declares, "his banner over us is love". Its compo¬
sition will at once call forth admiration.
L,ove is the ruling element in the kingdom of grace. When
Jesus wished a distinguised mark for His Disciples, that they
might be known from other men in the earth, He placed upon
them a badge of love. Said he. ''By. this shall all men know that
ye are my Disciples, if you love one another".
The gravel, dirt, timber and stone may be essential in the com¬
pletion of beautiful buildings, but these are not all that is needed,
you must spread the cement over these to hold them intact, if this
is not done, much of the stability and beauty in the building will
be wanting.
The banne.r of Heaven which floats in bold relief at the head
of the column of God's militant army, is not made of material that
will grow old and threadbare or that will soil as it is borne through
the gale of persecution, or as it is fired upon by the beligerants in
the camp of the enemy, but the text declares, "it is made of
love".
Love never dies, its feet never grow weary; its heart never
ceases to yearn for its object; in the fire of persecution, it shines
with increased luster; like gold, it emerges from the crucible wtih
added brightness. Its field of operation is as broad as humanity;
its victories are innumerable; its votaries march, unceasingly, to
the music of the Cross.
Heaven has ordained to spread a banner made of love, over
69
us. If the Union Jack, or the Star Spangled Banner, representing
the two mightiest nations of earth, as they do, nerve their respec¬
tive subjects to do and dare in the time of war as well as in the
time of peace, I think the Banner of Heaven, wherever and when¬
ever displayed, should quicken the pace and intensify the interest
of every soldier who is privileged to march beneath it.
What benefit does this Banner of Love contain for you and
me? A buef analysis of its composition will make the revelation:
I. LOVE LAYS DOWN ITS LIFE FOR ITS FRIEND.
Jesus declared, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a
man lay down his life for his friends". "God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth m
Him should not perish, but have everlasting life".
Thus you see, my dear friends, that in the folds of this banner
is life, protection and everlasting rest. Let me entreat you in
God's Name to lend your aid in lifting it higher that it might float
over the myriads of souls that are yet beyond its protecting influ¬
ence.
I stood one day on Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington City,
and saw the men who composed the G. A. R., march by clothed in
uniforms; with gun and sword in hand, they marched to the music,
not as in other days, because the weight of years were upon them
and made their steps falter. Many of them had an empty sleeve,
or a wooden leg, but this did not keep them out of the line ofmarch.
I thought, as they passed, these are the men whose bosoms sweU
and hearts burn with the fire of patriotism or love for their country.
It was the banner of their country they were following, for rising
high above the marching column, I could see "Old Glory" waving
in the distance.
But, ah, my friends, the Republic to which you and I belong,
if we are marching under love's Banner, is from everlasting to ever¬
lasting. The line is so long that some are being mustered out,
while others are enlisting without disturbing thevmarching throng
Marching, now, may be irksome and tedious because moun¬
tains of sin are to be climbed, and our bodies which are our great¬
est care, tire in the long march, but in the Sweet Bye and Bye,
when the clogs of sin are extricated and our spirits return to God
who gave them, we shall have streets of gold on which to march.
70
The uniforms we shall then wear, will not be the blue or the gray,
but spotless white.
The music to which we shall then march will not be made by
fingers or lips that tire, but by heavenly musicians who have been
in attendance upon the throne before the morning broke over the
shores of Time, or Jehovah spoke light out of chaotic darkness.
Going a step further in observing the exhibition of love, this
scene once came to my observation: A husband died and left a
widow and a boy ten years old. The winter was cold and the food
and fuel supplies all gave out. The child, realizing tUat his moth¬
er would die of starvation and cold, undertook to stay the ravages
of death by taking his little bucket and going to a near-by soup-
house to obtain soup for his mother
Morning after morning, with bare feet exposed to the frozen
ground, as the biting wind swept him, he stood in the line waiting
his turn. This was parental love. It was rewarded one day,
when a larger person jostled the soup pail from his hand into the
street; he stood with his face bathed in tears and it was then that
people of means gathered about him and learned his story, followed
him up to the lonely room and gave permanent relief to the afflicted
mother.
The love that gleams from the folds of the heavenly Banner is
searching for the hungry, for the naked aud for the sick. "I come,
said he, to seek and to save that which was lost".
The Banner under consideration, would not be complete if it
did not bear some message to the sons of men who are still in their
sins.
Yonder is a sinner steeped in crimes of the blackest hue; his
garments are still smelling with the fumes of the gambling den; his
hands are yet gory .with his brother's blood; his lips are still moist
with oaths, taking the name of the Lord in vain; his mouth is an
open sepulchre; his feet have taken hold of Hell. Oh! listen, such
a one, the voice of love calls, saying, "Come unto me all ye that
are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest". Again,
"Look unto me, all ye ends of the earth and be saved, for I am
God and beside me there is no other".
L,et me beseech you to enlist under the white banner of love.
Satan has a banner also, and is advertising the world over for his
subjects; every gambliug den, ball room floor and the haunts of
wickedness are each a recruiting station. His emissaries and ab-
7i
betors are legions. The benefits be offers are flattering, but be not
deceived, his banner i* black, his drum corps beats a doleful dirge,
his armour bearers are representatives of a defeated cause, his ban¬
ner must suffer loss in the final conflict. Move from beneath his
black flag and get under the white flag of everlasting peace.
The last consideration of this subject brings us face to face
with our duty as it relates to this banner. In addressing ourselves
to this, the text declares, "in the name of our god we will set
up our banner".
We must not only have a banner over us, but each one of us
must carry a banner containing the inscription or advertisement of
the kingdom we represent. No ship can come into the port of
New York which does not bear the flag or banner of the country
which it represents. As mighty and as strong as is one of our men
of war, it cannot get into the port of any foreign country without
our national ensign, ''Old Glory", flying at her head mast.
So, likewise, must all of us bear a banner if we would success¬
fully cross the ocean of life and get into the haven of rest.
Let us pause just here for an examination of banners, with a
view of finding out whether the inscription thereon is m keeping
with the bibical idea of a heavenly passport.
The inscriptions are:
I. Repentance
"Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish".
II. Relief
"Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief"
III. Conversion
"Except ye are converted and become as a little child, ye
shall in no wise enter the Kingdom of Heaven".
IV. Sanctification
"Sanctify them according to thy truth, Thy word is truth",
V. Love
"He that sayeth he loves God and hateth his brother, is a liar
and the truth is not in him".
VI. Mercy
"Love mercy, do justly and walk humbly with God".
VII. Heaven
Rising high above all the other inscriptions must the banner
72
containing this inscription be unfurled. If y^/u would reach
heaven, you must fix your eyes of affection upon it. You must
ever keep the grand old City, beautitul and full of grandeur,
as it is always in view.
AT HOME
It will be a glorious scene to behold the mighty throng of care¬
worn and battle-scarred pilgrims coming home out of great tribu¬
lation, haviug washed their robes in tears of sorrow and borne the
burden of the heat of the day. Some of these faithful ones lost
their good names and earthly possessions in the long and tedious
march of the earthly pilgrimage, but they have reached home.
Friends who outstripped us are standing on the banks of the
lily-lined river to greet us upon our arrival. Seated on a great
white throne is Jesus, our Elder Brother, who welcomes us to the
banquet.
Changing the old dusty sandals of earth for the slippers of gold,
changing our tattered garments, that are but filthy rags, for robes
of righteousness, changing deceit and treacherous coaipanships of
earth for angelic escorts, we shall join in with the mviiads in as¬
cribing all honor and all glory and majesty to Him whose grace
enabled us to make the joutney home.
THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL.
"FOR I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OE CHRIST; FOR IT
IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION TO EVERY ONE THAT BE"
LIEVETh". Romans 1:16.
The text is given by the Apostle Paul to the Romans Paul
was the author of fourteen of the twenty-one accredited Epistles
contained in the New Testament. These were written to the var¬
ious churches and church members with a view of setting them
right on some questions, or admonishing them to be diligent in the
pursuit of righteousness.
The Epistle, from which our text is taken, was sent to the
church at Rome, which was made up of various nationalities. Its
tone is not prolemic, as some claim, but it is rather a carefully reas¬
oned theological treaty, drawn up with a view of setting forth the
73
writer's view of the meaning of the Gospel in its relation to law, to
prophecy, and to the universal needs of mankind.
Gospel signifies good news and is that revelation and dispen¬
sation which God has made known to guilty man through Jesus
Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer. The Scriptures speak of the
Gospel of the Kingdom, of the Gospel of the Grace of God, of the
Gospel of Christ and of Peace, and of the Everlasting Gospel.
The Apostle Paul was ready at all times to make his position
known as to the estimate of the gospel. The period in which he
lived was rather critical, especially as it related to what they called
the "New Doctrine of the Gospel". The cultured Greeks believed
in philosophy and had their colossal schools and efficient teachers
who inculcated into the minds of the youth, the idea of almost wor¬
shipping philosophy.
The Romans boasted themselves in the fine art of warfare and
took the first place in this particular. Both of these nations
laughed to scorn and ridiculed any individual who posed as an
Apostle of the New Faith It must have been quite an ordeal for
this learned and eminent scholar, Paul the Apostle, to have faced
this storm of opposition. But notwithstanding all of the calumny
and wicked epithets which were heaped upon him, he swerved not
from his position, but made it known in the language of our text,
"I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; for it is the power of
God unto salvation to every one that believeth".
In speaking to the Corinthian Church, he said, "We preach
Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the
Greeks, foolishness, but unto them which were called, both Jews
and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God".
Paul, no doubt had in mind the admonition which Jesus gave
when hesaid, "Whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and My Word in
this adulterous and sinful generation, of him, also, shall the Son of
Man be ashamed when he cometh into the glory of his Father with
the Holy Angels". Who would like to be among the number of
whom Jesus is ashamed? The answer must be,—no one. To be
ashamed of the Work of God and the Word of God, is to be
ashamed of God.
I. we should not be ashamed of the founder of the gospel
A good foundation is essential to the erection of any substan¬
tial structure or enterprise. No matter how beautiful the house
74
may appear, if its foundation is sand, the inmates feel an uneasi¬
ness which is not experienced by those who live in a house which
is built upon a rock.
The Gospel is built upon Jesus, who declares himself,—"The
stone which lies in Zion, etc. ".
The Moslems or Mohammedans speak with pride of their
Prophet and Founder, Mohammed. They point us to the four pil¬
lars upon which their religion stands, the Koran, the traditions, the
learned doctors, and reason. Their system of religion contains
things which any and all people can well admire. For instance,
the truth which it declares of the unity and omnipotence of God,
the responsibility of every human being to his Creator and judge.
These, with many other passages which the Koran contains, are
rays of light which a heathen world could n:>t gainsay. But this
religion does not carry men tar enough. It is an instrument of
discipline which develops to a certain degree, only. Allah, their
God, is but a negation of other gods. There is no store of positive
riches in his character. His voice is heard, but he cannot conde¬
scend.
Buddhism, founded by Buddha, has some enchanting features
also, but it does not satisfy, for it a religion without a God, with¬
out prayer, without priesthood or worship. But the Founder of
the Gospel, unlike the founder of any other system of faith, has
provided therein, that which satisfies every longing of the soul.
The Scriptures declare that,—"My Gud shall supply all your
needs according to His riches in glory". Are you weary of the te¬
dious march of life ? Jesus says,—"Come unto Me and I will give
you rest"' Are you tossed upon the billowy waves of persecution?
Jesus speaks, and these waves are calmed at His command. Xs
your soul convulsed by the upheavels oi sin? Jesus says,—"There
is a fountain open which will wash out the crimson stain, etc.".
It was the Founder of the Christian Gospel that brought "life and
immortality to light".
II WK SHOULD NOT BE ASHAMED OF THE APOSTLES AND DISCI¬
PLES OF CHRIST.
The original twelve were not graduates from any college or
seminary, as were the learned doctors who made themselves felt un¬
der the Mosaic Dispensation, but they were men chosen of God
and placed in charge of the greatest organization that the world
75
has ever known. The fact that they did not know letters in the
sense of the Rabbis of their day, brought about considerable dis¬
cussion among those who stood aloof and saw the organizations of
Christ's church spread. Someone was heard to ask,—"Whence
comes these men who are turning the world upside down by their
mighty persuasive truth, "for they spoke as the spirit gave them
utterance". Jesus commanded that these go into the world and
disciple the nations, or in other words, make disciples of all men
wherever found. These have not all been faithful to the trust im¬
posed, for some have fallen short, and have made a shipwreck of
their faith. But, thank God, we have one hundred and forty de¬
nominations, including Christians in every land, wh» are dissem¬
inating the truth of God and publishing free salvation to a sin-
cursed world. They have declared their loyalty to the blood-be¬
spattered Cross, despising the shame, counting all things lost for the
excellency of the glory of God.
III. WE SHOULD NOT BE ASHAMED OF THE AGE OF THE GOSPEL
When institutions have grown old, they sometimes lose at¬
traction for men. Man becomes disabled and inefficient when he
has grown aged and is bending beneath the weight of years. But
the institution of the gospel becomes more effective and makes
tighter its grasp in the world, which is unfriendly to it, as the ages
multiply.
IV. WE SHOULD NOT BE ASHAMED OP THE HISTORY OF THE
GOSPEL.
History is a record of what man has done and treats of the
rise and growth of the different nations and of the needs of their
great men.
'We delight to contemplate the history of Rome. Romulus
and Remus were the founders of the "Eternal City". The rise
and progress of this city, once the mistress of the world, presents
fascination of a remarkable degree for the stndent of history.
We also study, with delight, the rise and progress of Greece,
with her internal bickerings and numerous wars. We follow the
stream of history as it leads to the knowledge of the great men who
figured conspicuously in the civilization of the world as it winds its
way through ancient, mediaeval and modern history. But with all
of the charms which secular history presents, we find fascinations
76
more bewitching when we turn to Ecclesiastical histoiy. The his¬
tory of the men connected with the Bible is one which we cannot
fail to derive benefits from, if we choose to study it,
Study: —
Moses for meekness.
Job for patience.
Nehemiah for deep emotions
John for symbolic statement
The history of the Gospel is one of which ncne need be
ashamed. It has changed* despotic empires; it has freed the slave;;
it has erected Christian Institutions for the poor and unfortunate;
it has levelled empires of sin and rescued from the grasp of the evil
one, men of all ranks and station, and brought them as prisoners
of hope, to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ,
V. we should not be ashamed of the remedy for
sin which the gospel offers.
We are living in an Age when men are bussing themselves
about remedies to an extent which was not hitherto known. The
Cabinet, at the White House, is searching for a remedy to prohibit
the clashing of Nations. The city municipality is looking for a
remedy to check the onward sw.eep of vice in the cities. The scien¬
tist in the laboratory is compounding drugs to dislodge the germs
or disease. And so we might run throagh every class of individ¬
uals and find them searching for remedies to this or that end. Bat
many of these devices fail, even when sleepless nights have been
Spent in quest of them.
But I am not ashamed of the remedy brought forth for sin.
The leprosy was the most dreaded malady known in the catalogue
of diseases in ancient times, and those who were victims of ttiis
disease had to be isolated from the society cr community of those
not so afflicted; but the lemedy for sin needs no such regulations.
It saves its victim wherever and whenever found, notwithstanding,
it ts the most malignant plague with which the human family has
had to do.
Under the Jewish Dispensation, blood was required by the sac¬
rificing of bullocks, doves, and pigeons, etc. These lost their
eflicacy, but the Gospel brings forth an atonement in the person
of God's son, who bared His side and welcomed the plunge of the
Roman's spear, that a stream, which the poet pleases to call "A
77
fountain of blood" might be opened for the cleansing of the soul.
This remedy stands out as the only cure for sin sick souls, and no
matter how deeply dyed in sin we may be, if we plunge beneath
its waves, every spot will be washed away.
the power of god.
The Apostle Paul's reason for not being ashamed of the Gos¬
pel is that it is the Power of God. Men delight to be connected
with power, hence we see them tunnelling into the bowels of the
earth in search of the ladened energies there stored away. When
once these have been harnessed, great enterprises spring up in
which these energies are put into practical use. The steam car is
sent dashing along the track by the power which is brought to bear
upon it. The electric car gets its impetus from the power house
and is sent bounding away with its human cargo with as much
ease as the boy flying the kite These are all efforts which demon¬
strate the power of man; but the Apostle Paul declares that this
Gospel is the' Power of God. This Power is traceable to the
formation of the plan of redemption, or even further.still, to the
creation of the world;
But I delight to think of God, in His own wise Providence,
in His omnipotence, bringing forward a plan which meant the
complete salvation of a lost world. This power has pushed to
completion, the remedy which is brought forth in the Gospel for
the restoration of all that was lost in the old homestead of Eden, etc.
unto salvation.
1 glory in the thought, as did the Apostle Paul, of a complete
salvation. The Gospel had been sent as if on fleet feet on an
errand of mercy to overtake a world that is speeding downward
faster than one can calculate. It has been sent with a view of
overtaking and bringing back this lost world by the power of love;
by the power of persuasion, as these mighty agents may be used
in the hands of faithful men.
I like to think of a Savior. If some man could have been
found with foresight sufficient to have saved the lives of the inhab¬
itants of Martinique, which was buried sometime ago, thousands
of men, women and children would be still pointing him out as
a Savior.
Jesus went further than this. He saw a world, not in the
78
throes of a volcano, not resting upon some burning mountain, but
a world that was veiled in sin, the destruction of which was inevi¬
table. Jesus plunged into the dark cavern and saved it from total
destruction by giving His own life, for this old world of ours.
Why not every man, woman and child extol Him as a Savioi?
Many do, many shall, but I am pleading for the residue.
reward offered by the gospel
Almost daily, you will see in the newspapers a reward offered
by some government, precinct, or individual for men who have
committed crimes and are wanted by justice. But the Gospel off¬
ers a reward in an entirely different way. It proposes to reward
the individual who will go into the vineyard and wt>rk. It doesn't
even require that the full day be spent. The order is, — "Go into
My vineyard and work, and whatever is right, I will pay thee".
Again, the individual who comes in at the eleventh hour will find
a place at which'he may go to work and the just steward will rec.
ompense him.
We are to be rewarded on earih and then rewarded in Heaven
with Eternal Lite. I delight to contemplate my reward which is
to be given at the close of the day's march. Notwithstanding the
way has been overhung with dangers, beneath which has crawled
the adders of destruction, "the Lord has b:ought us by His Grace
safe thus far and still He doth His help afford and hides our lives
above".!
THE FLOURISHING OF THE RIGHTEOUS
"The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree."
Psalm 92:12
Our text is taken from a song of praise which seemed to have
been an outbuist from David, the sweet singer of Israel.
David was the youngest son of Jesse and was one of the most
remarkable men either of sacred or secular history. He was the
Lord's annointed, chosen by God to be the King of Israel, instead
of Saul, and was consecrated to that office by the venerable proph¬
et Samuel, long before he came to the throne. He was a sweet
singer and was once chosen attendant upon the king that he might
sing away the melancholy spirit that possessed him. Under his ad¬
ministration, the Ark of God, which had been taken from the Holy
City, was returned. The ordinances of worship were remodelled
and provided for with great care during his reign. He administered
justice to the people with impartialitj' and gave a strong impulse to
the general prosperity of the nation.
His wisdom and energy consolidated the Jewish kingdom and
his organization of the army and his war-like skill enabled him to
not oiily resist with success the assaults of the invaders, but to ex¬
tend tne bounds of the kingdom over the whole territory promised
in the prophecy, from the Red Sea and Egypt to the Euphrates.
With the spoils he took in war be enriched his people and provided
abundant material for the magnificent temple he proposed to build
in honor of Jehovah.
It is from this character that we are to get some inspiration
and gather some lessons upon the great theme or subject of the
growth and flourishing condition of the righteous.
In introducing this subject, he opens the discussion by saying,
"It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord, and to show forth
the loving kindness in the morning and thy faithfulness at night,"
Going further he said, ' 'Upon an instrument of ten strings and upon
a harp with a solemn sound," would he praise God for the wonder¬
ful display of His power and goodness that he had witnessed.
THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL FLOURISH AS A PALM TREE
This brings us to notice the importance and value of some of
the trees mentioned in the Bible. The naturalists divide the world
into kingdoms, namely, Mineral, Animal, and Vegetable. A study
of these gives one an insight to natural objects that are pleasing as
well as instructive.
Our text invites us into the vegetable kingdom that we might
study a few of the objects found therein. The holy men who wrote
as thev were moved by the Holy Ghost, made sacred everything
about which they talked or sang; also useful lessons may be gath¬
ered by us from the objects and employed by them to. enforce or im¬
press a truth.
The inanimate stone imbedded in yonder mountain, apparent¬
ly of no service to the earth or man, was brought forth by the in¬
spired penman and made to represent a great truth. David sung of
it saying, "When my heart is overwhelmed within me, lead me to
80
a rock that is higher than I." Isaiah said, "A man shall be as
a hiding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest, as a
nver of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in the
weary land." The poet' s muse took fire when he thought of Jesus
Christ as a cleft rock, and he sang out
"Rock of Ages, cleft for me
Ltt me hide myself in Thee,"
Another Prophet looked out, saw rolling clouds and flying
birds and wrote, "Who are these that fly as clouds and as doves to
their windows?" These objects, no doubt, reminded him of the
homeward flight of God's redeemed Israel.
In the study of the Bible we observe that the inspired men of
all Ages were pleased to draw wonderful lessons from the trees.
Among these may be mentioned the willow, sycamore, cedar and
palm *
The willow tree will have a place in our memory as long as we
can read the account of the captives who sang, "By the River of
Babylon, there we sat down; yea, we wept when we remembered
Zion." We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst there
of, and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, "Sing us
one of the songs of Zion." "How shall we sing the Lord's seng
in a strange land, etc.?"
The sycamore tree has been made memorable because it was
up in its boughs that Zaccheus, the wealthy superintendent of the
tax gatherers of Jericho, took his place to view the procession
which Jesus was leading through the city of Jericho. His wealth
and position may have induced him to withdraw himself from the
crowd, but Jesus iebuked his pride and humiliated him in the
midst of the marching throng by calling him down.
The cedars of Lebanon were noted for the hardness of their
undecaving vigor. David likens the Christian unto the cedar, say¬
ing, "He shall grow like the cedars of Lebanon."
The palm tree around which .our text is woven is in many re¬
spects the most remarkable of ttie trees hitherto referred to. It
towers heavenward. Its fruit is delicious. History tells us that
every part of the tree is serviceable. It was palm branches, too,
that they used upon the occasion of the triumphant entry into Je¬
rusalem . This brings us to notice the flourishing and growth of
the righteous which David compares to the palm tree.
i. The palm tree will not grow in filthy places, but in the
purest soil only; neither will the child of God. "They that are
planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our
God."
II. The palm tree cannot ripen its fruit in all climates. The
saint of God can only bring forth fruit of obedience, purity, and
chastity within the church of God. "If ye continue in my word,
then ye are my disciples indeed."
III. The palm tree is very straight ana grows upright, so
does the child of God. "The just man walketh in his integrity."
IV. The palm tree when young is very weak so are the babes
in Christ.
V. The palm trees by growing together do join and clasp
each other and grow one to the other; so do the saints of God. "In
union there is strength " "We took sweet counsel together and
walked into the house of God in company " "They that fear the
Lord spoke often one to another."
VI. The palm tree is always green; in like manner ihe child
of God flourishes and grows like the grass in springtime. David,
referring to this, said, "He shall be planted by the rivers of water,
and his leaf shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall pros¬
per."
VII. The palm tree is not only beautiful in the greenness of
leaves, but it is a tree that is full of fruit. Fruit bearing is a di¬
vine obligation that is binding upon every believer. It is declared
in God's word, "By their fruit ye shall Know them." It is further
stated, "The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering,
gentleness, goodness and faith."
VIII. The palm tree will flourish in spite of great hinderan-
ces. It grows where other trees wither and die. Heavy weights
have been known to have been placed upon it, but were never
known to impede its growth. The Christian is commanded "To
grow in grace and in the knowledge of God." The world may
hang weights upon him but instead of these weights hindering him,
"Tribulations worketh patience, and patience experience, and ex¬
perience hope."
IX. The branches of the palm tree are used as a sign of vic¬
tory. Victory is that for which every true enlisted soldier hopes
for in the final conflict. The victors in earthly conflicts have always
been extolled, notwithstanding the fact that at times they have re-
82
turned from the field of carnage bearing wounds that marked them
or the grave But the soldiers that are engaged in this spiritual
warfare will come out more than victorious if they faint not. Da¬
vid saw the waving, never withering palm branches, which to him
was emblematic of victory, and begins to sing, "The righteous
shall flourish like the palm tree, etc."
The Apostle John on the Isle of Patmus. said he saw, "One
hundred and forty-four thousand redeemed out of the earth." He
said, "They were clothed in white robes with palms in their
hands." These had gotten the victory over the world, the flesh
and the devil, and bad reached the Heaven of eternal rest.
A BETTER COUNTRY.
"And truly if they had been mindful of that country
from whence: they came out, they might have had opportu¬
nity to have returned. but now they desire a better coun¬
try, that is, a heavenly; wherefore god is not ashamed to
be called their god, for he hath prepared for til em a city."
—Heb. xi, 15-16.
The Apostle Paul, it is claimed, wrote the Epistle to the
Hebrews. Some find reason to doubt this, but whoever the
author may have been, the purpose for which he wrote is clear.
It was sent to Christians of the Jewish race residing" in some def¬
inite locality. It was sent with a viewr of informing" them upon
the subject of the la«v and its relation to Christ. Be it remem¬
bered that the first Christians at Jerusalem regarded themselves
as still belonging' to the Commonwealth of Israel, and with the
Apostles attending" the Temple daily, they were slow to rise
above the idea of the Gospel not being intended for the House
of Israel, only. They which were scattered abroad upon the
persecution that arose about Stephen, preached the Word to the
Jews only. Their eyes had not been opened to the mighty fact
that the middle wrall of partition was being" broken down, and
that the Gentile, the bond and the free, as well as the Jews, had
a claim upon this Gospel and were to be saved by it.
I.n the nth chapter of the Book of Hebrews the Apostle
83
seems to exhaust himself upon the subject of faith. ''Now faith
is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things
not seen." He is not content with telling what faith is, but he
goes further to tell us what faith does. To make his position
stronger, he calls, as it were, the muster roll of the worthies and
makes them speak as to the merits of faith.. Among the noted
characters in this roll are: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Isaac and Jacob.
In order to extend our knowledge as to what faith is capa¬
ble of doing with an individual, when that individual is possessed
of it, he takes Abraham from among the worthies, and pointing
to him, says: "By faith, when Abraham was called to go out into
a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed,
not knowing whither he went," for the country through which
he journeyed was strange. "He looked for a city which had
foundations, whose builder and maker is God."
The fondest hope of Abraham and his companions may have
been realized in the country which they found, but, alas, the sad
comment: "These all died, not having received the promises, but
having seen them afar off, but were persuaded of them and em¬
braced them, confessing that they were stranger and pilgrims of
the earth."
The text declares, "If they had been mindful of that coun¬
try from whence they came out, they might have had
opportunity to have returned."
I. This brings us to the study of the country through which
pilgrims, such as they, had to travel.
Abraham was born at Mesopotamia, which lies between the
Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. From here-, he was called to so¬
journ through parts of Palestine and Egypt. It-was while he
thus sojourned, that he learned that a better countrv was desired.
This is a grand old country in which we are living; grand
in its expanse and natural beauty : grand in its artificial structure
and natural resources; grand in its mountains that lift their
heads into the passing clouds; grand in its awe-inspiring and ever-
rolling ocean-: grand in its rivers and lakes : grand in its churches
and institutions.
We sometimes feel as though we could live always in this
clime. The wealthy among us seem to have so much ease
and comfort, that man}- of them prepare, by laying up treasures
84
in this world, as though they were to remain here always. But
^ many as may be the advantages of our country, it has some
disadvantages.
i-. Its earth is subject to volcanic eruptions, thus distress-
nig its inhabitants. Monsoon's and cyclones are prevalent. Win-
tei s blast and summer's heat bring life and death in their
changes.
2. Its inhabitants sicken and die.
I would not say one unkind word about these hemispheres
in which the inhabitants of this world must reside, because our
beneficent Father has lavished to a marvelous extent His good¬
ness in preparing them for our habitation. He has carpeted them
with green herbage; He has enlivened them with singing birds; He
has fringed them with lakes, and illuminated them with the glorious
sun, but with all of this grandeur Abraham found, as we shall all
find, that a Better Country was desirable.
The natural inquiry would be: "In what respects should we
expect to find a better country?" The answer comes loud and
clear: better in every respect in which this country is good
John saw this new country and exclaimed: "I saw a new
Heaven and a new earth ; for the first Heaven and the first earth
were passed away." Continuing, said he: "1 , John, saw the
Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of
Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." In this
the apocalyptic dreamer gives us a glimpse of the new country.
Having some idea of the localty of this Better Country, let
us notice the respects in which it surpasses this country or world
in which we now live.
1. It is better in its territorial expanse in that its inhabi¬
tants shall have more room. John measured it. He said: "The
city lieth four square and the length is as large as the breadth:
the city is twelve thousand furlongs; the length and the breadth
and the heighth of it are equal."
2. It is better in point of beauty. The walls of the city are
of jasper and the city is paved with pure gold, The foundation is
of jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chryso¬
lite beryl, topaz, chrysoprasus, jacinth and amethyst.
3 Better in its elevation. It is a heavenly country. This
o-r<;ts that it is beyond the region of that which causes suffer-
ing, disease and death of its inhabitants. This would be the
more highly appreciated if we would think, for a moment, of the
disease and death which comes to us as we pass through this old
earth of ours. John tells us that the inhabitants of the heavenly
country never sicken and die. Let me urge upon you to seek
this better country of which the text speaks.
4. Better in its services. The service of God is delightful
at present, though that which we render is very imperfect. The
spirit is always willing, but the flesh is weak. But when we
reach the new country, we shall join in with David and say: "In
Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand are pleasures
forevermore."
5. Better in its society. ' The Christian will not feel him¬
self a stranger there, for he will be with kindred spirits. Here,
our associations are not always congenial, but there, our compan¬
ionship shall be agreeable and refreshing.
II. Where God is not ashamed to be-called their God.
Earthly parents are sometimes made to feel ashamed because
of their wayward children, and at other times, their hearts are
pierced with sadness because of their demeanor; and while it is
true that they rarely forsake their child, it does appear in some
cases that the)' do. But .when we once reach the new country
where God, our common Father, has assembled His children, the
text declares that He shall never be ashamed of one of them. Haw
could He, when from His own side He gave the water and the blood
for their cleansing, and whose loving heart felt the pangs of the
death spear, as the Roman soldier plunged it?
He is not ashamed of us though our birth may have been
lowly and no royal blood flows in our veins. We may have come
from serfdom, as did the first twelve Disciples of His own choos-
ing. But, if we have been washed, and thereby made ready for
1 eception at His table, He will not be ashamed to gird himself
and walk about in that spacious Temple and serve us. And we
shall not be ashamed to own Him as our God, though we may be
ashamed of Him now.
Jesus, and shall it ever be,
A mortal man ashamed of Thee—
Ashamed of Thee, whom angels praise,
Whose glories shine through endless days.
86
Ashamed of Jesus, that dear Friend,
On whom my hopes of Heaven depend;
No—when I blush, be this my shame,
That I no more revere His name.
Ashamed of Jesus-—yes, I may,
When I've no guilt to wash away;
No tear to wipe, no good to crave,
No fears to quell, no soul to save.
Till then—nor is my boasting vain,
To then, I boast a Savior slain;
And O, may this my §3ory be—
That Christ is not ashamed of me."
III. For He iiath prepared eor them a city.
I delight to contemplate a prepared city for the redeemed of
the Lord. We have now a better country, a beneficent and im¬
partial God, and a prepared city.
I have beheld some of the most beautiful cities of which
this world can boast. Greater New York, with its teeming mil¬
lions; crowded Chicago, with its heterogeneous mass; Washing¬
ton City, the capital of the nation, with its broad, expansive
streets, in our own country; London, with its three millions of
inhabitants, leading all others in this respect, and Paris, the most
picturesque and beautiful of all the cities of the world. All of
these may be mentioned as possessing many charming features,
but the text brings forward a heavenly city, which when com¬
pared with these earthly cities, the latter must dwindle in sig¬
nificance.
1. It has twelve gates, three at the north, three at tfie
south, three at the east, and three at the west. No matter in
which direction the heavenly pilgrims may come, they are sure to
find an entrance. This is not true of any city in this world.
2. There are angel guards and are ever on the alert. Guards
are. placed at the gates of Eastern cities, but they have been
known to fall asleep, and the inhabitants of the city, in conse¬
quence thereof, have suffered loss. But there has been an angel
at each of the twelve gates of this city, who has kept his station
87
ever since Lucifer was pushed through the gate and hurled dovu
the embankment to his dear-bought hell. They have been thei
ever since Jesus robed Himself and left His shining abode ni
His search of lost man.
3. This city differs from any city of earth'in that the wha
itants sing and are joyful both day and night. Not a song as
might be heard among the debauched of earth ; not a song with ^
out melody and pathos, but John describes it as a "New song,
"A song of Moses and the Lamb."
4. This city differs from the earthly cities in that it has a
definite occupation for its inhabitants. We shall be permitted to
pluck the fruit from the "Tree j^f Life/' which yields twelve man¬
ner of fruit every month, the leaves of which are for the healing
of the nation.
We shall be permitted to stand upon the bank of the River
of Life, with its water as clear as crystal, proceeding out of the
throne of God and of the Lamb.
Again, we shall be permitted to join in with the great, innum¬
erable throng, of whom John said he was not able to number,
and then exclaimed, "Hallelujah, the Lord God Omnipotent
reigneth."
Again, we shall be dressed in white robes, emblematic of
purity ; and palms we shall bear in our hands, emblematic of our
complete victory. A\ e shall have, also, crowns upon our heads,
emblematic of the promise that we shall be kings and priests
unto God.
Then with wings to cover our face, two to cover our feet,
and two with which to fly, we shall join the disembodied host
and be with God and the celestial inhabitants forever and ever.
Amen.