Old Testament Gospel

XX. Old Testament Gospel.
Heb. iv.2

Israel in ancient days
Not only had a view
Of Sinai in a blaze,
But learn'd the Gospel too;
The types and figures were a glass,
In which they saw a Saviour's face.

The paschal sacrifice
And blood-besprinkled door,*
Seen with enlighten'd eyes,
And once applied with power,
Would teach the need of other blood,
To reconcile an angry God.

The Lamb, the Dove, set forth
His perfect innocence,**
Whose blood of matchless worth
Should be the soul's defence;
For he who can for sin atone,
Must have no failings of His own.

The scape-goat on his head***
The people's trespass bore,
And to the desert led,
Was to be seen no more:
In him our surety seem'd to say,
"Behold, I bear your sins away."

Dipt in his fellow's blood,
The living bird went free;****
The type, well understood,
Express'd the sinner's plea;
Described a guilty soul enlarged,
And by a Saviour's death discharged.

Jesus, I love to trace,
Throughout the sacred page,
The footsteps of Thy grace,
The same in every age!
Oh, grant that I may faithful be
To clearer light vouchsafed to me!

-William Cowper


*Exod. xii. 13.**Lev. xii. 6.***Lev. xvi. 21.****Lev. xiv. 51. 53.

Joel's Junk

A couple of years ago a ran across a smiling preacher on TV named Joel Osteen. After spending some time listening to him I became very concerned. I did some research online and found out he is a college drop-out with no seminary training, and that he took over his fathers Church; and that his father was quite close to Oral Roberts... red flags... red flags.... Since that time I have watched him on TV on many occasions. Osteen never mentions sin, and his entire message is man-centered, not God-centered. Anyway, it finally appears that some Christians are speaking out against this false teacher (a partial gospel is no gospel at all). Here is an article in the current issue of the Charlotte World.