Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-06-28
Great Expectatiops---from God


disappointment. He that leans on his owl
strength leans on broken reed. We ar
always going to be something stronger
purer and holier. Somewhere in the futur
there always hangs in the air golden idea
of a higher life that we are going to reach
but as we move on the dream of bette
things moves on before us also. It is lik
the child's running over behind the hill t
catch the rainbow When he gets on tn,
hilltop the rainbow is as far off as ever
Thus does our day dream of higher chris
tian life keep floating away from us anC
we are left to realize what frail, unreliable
creatures we are when we rest our expecta-
tions of growth and victory over evil in
ourselves. my soul wait thou only upon
God My expectation is only from him."
God never deceives us and never disap-
points us. do not say that God never al
lows us to be disappointed in our darling
plans Of life, in our children, or in our
most cherished projects. What l mean is,
that we are never disappointed in Cod
When we study the Almighty, whether in
his glorious Word or in nature, we find our
utmost expectation overtopped by the stu
pendous and magnificent reality. Read
such book as "Ecce Cplum," and see if
you are disappointed in your Creator
When, too, we obey God, we always find
our reward either sooner or later-iust as
surely as light comes with the sunshine.
When we trust God, he never deceives us.
When we pray to him aright-that is with
faith, with perseverance, with submissive
ness, and with a single eye to Gods will
he answers us. He always returns the best
answer possible. Our Heavenly Father
makes no mistakes with his dealings with
suppliants. He is sovereign, but not a
despot' 1T pleases him to keep us wait
ing for the trial of our faith, then we must
wait.
But delays are not denials. Gods long
dated promises are honored in his own good
time. If we had but to demand from God
just what we desired, and when we desired
it, we should be stealing his sceptre and
ruling the Almighty Ruler. Did you ever
know a child that ruled its parents without
running itself? And, if it spoils our chill.
dren to let them always have their own way
! am sure that it would be my ruin if
could bend my Heavenly Fathers will tC
all my own wishes. If this be your Eek
pectation" from God he will soon teach
you better.
God fiulills no foolish, greedy, presump-
tuous request. But he does keep his prom
ises. He never promises to let you or me
hold the reins.) He always answers a righ
prayer, and in the way and at the tim,
which his all wise love determines. AnC
with what unexpected deliverances anC
blessings he often loves to take us by sur
prlsel never went through revival il
my congregation without discovering tina
could not trust God our Saviour too much
or my fellow man too little.
Are you Christ's my brother? Then al
things are yours. In him dwelleth all tn,
fulness of the Godhead. "Of his fulnes
have all we received" said that beloved
disciple who leaned on the Saviour's Dos
ON. John was never disappointed in the
Lord; nor was Paul either, when he founC
himself "flled with all the fulness of God. ,
There is a fulness of suficiency in Chris
as Divine Redeemer. His blood cleans
eth from all sin. There is fitness of jus
tifying merit in him; for "thereis no con,
demnation to them who are in Christ Je
sus." There is a fulness of power in hin
who sis able to save to the uttermost al
who come unto God by him." There is
fulness of love in him who "having loveC
his own who are in the world loveth then
to the end" In my Lord and Saviour Je
sus Christ is fulness of grace and strength
and peace and consolation that no man has
ever been able to explore, and all the
needy sinners in the universe could never
be able to exhaust.
To little brooks men have often gone in
seasons of drought, and found only parch.
ed bed, cracked open with the heat. But
who ever saw the Atlantic low? What
ship ever failed to set sail for Liverpool
through the lack of water? Oh the depth
ofthe riches of the wisdom and knowledge
and grace of God When some one urged
old John Jacob Astor to subscribe for a
certain object, and told him that his own
son had subscribed to it already, the old
man replied, very dryly, "Ah! he has got
rich father" Brother, you and have
got rich Father, too. You are an heir to
the King of kings. Then ask for great
things, for call our expectation is from
him"
God must take it ill in us that we ask
for so little, and with such a puny faith.
He says, "Open your mouth wide, and |
will fill IT." He must ponder that we ex-
pect so little from him. "The Lord taketh
pleasure"-in whom? Why, in chose
that hope in his mercy. He loveth to be
inquired after" Oh if we would only ex-
pect enough from Ourinfnitely rich Father
up yonder, who can tell what blessings we
might obtain
Paul only expressed the unanimous iudg-
ment of all the heirs in Gods household
when he exclaimed: 81 know whom 7
have believed" He summed up his glo-
rious past and his expectations for the fu-
ture when he cried out with rapture: 81
have finished my course; have kept the
faith; henceforth there is laid up for me q
crown OF righteousness which the righteous
Judge shall give me in that day |" Paul
looked for thatmagnifcent inheritance. So
do |. So may you if you are follower OF
Jesus. expect that if L endure to the end
shall be saved. / expect-and confident
ly' too-through faith / shall be kept by
the power ofGod unto salvation. | expect
that when walk through the valley ofthe
shadow OF death He will be with me his
rod and his staff will comfort me. Heaven
Is TO me only an expectation. So is to-mor-
rows sunrise. l have not yet seen either
of them; but they are coming. Behind this
days midnightlies Tomorrow dawn. Be-
hind that night called death lies the dav-
dawn of Heavens exceeding weight of glo-
ry!
| expect that i'll hold fast to Christ I
shall see it. Beyond all that human eve
hath yet seen or human ear heard is that
glory to be revealed to me expect a ioy
that shall be to me "harp," and tri.
umpR mat shall be to me as a palm" and
glory that shall be as a "crown unfading. !"
Flgurative or not though the words NAV