Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-03-27

Oft it causes anxious thought,
| Do love the Lorf or no,
| Am his or am | not.
Can such people ever have read these
words Of the Lord Jesus? If they
have read them, can they ever have
understood them? If they have both
tread and understood them, can theyeyel
have had a determined purpose to haze
his commandments and keep them.
Surely the words are definite there
can be no doubt about them With
this text before him, it ought to be s
shame to any christian to have such q
feeling as is expressed by the above
stanza. If any of you have such q
misgiving to- day, it will do you good
to consider these words Of the Mas
! ter.
First-They define clearly rho they
are that iors him, che that hath: M
commandments and keepeth them, he
it is that Ioseth me"
If you are doubtful about your love,
therefore, the question for you to settle
Is not, have | a strong and easily dean-
ed feeling of affection toward him
not, do | greatly delight in thinking
Of him, and reading about him not
do | find very much pleasure in rclir-
ious exercises bat d. | haze lis cont-
man,lme@'s onI keep theDs? Such a
question as this, put TO yourself hon
estly, will put you upon tue further
inquiry, what are his commandments,
and it, upon looking them up, and re-
freshiny your memory with them, you
discover that they appear new to YOU
that You have not really had them
that YOU have not been careful to huo,c
them, let alone to keep them you NAV
as we'll concluic that your love to Je
SIC; is not worth much. II. on the
cor,rarv. you find that Won have them.
that they are not new, but lust what
you have been trying to observe, to
Keep; that they are IN fact the law Of
your lite, You have the Lords own as
surAncc that he counts YOU among his
loving ones.
Second These uorls as c1errIy define
rLo Hcy are that christ tocss. that is,
With whom he Is Dfenxed. He loves
siHncrs, 50 much tnat he is ready to die
for them. has died for them loves
them s., much that he is ready t. live
for them, does live for them: loves
them SO muc: that he for-iycs them
until seventy times seven, VII they
will let him, but he is rot pleuse5 VITA
them; is not co.nfortoi in them :; thew
are a grief to kim. His love to them
is goodwill but not satiafaction With
those that keep his commandments. on
the other hand, he is satisfied, comfort
ed ; they are JOY to him they are
the very ''riches Of the glory Of his
ale shall be ioUcI OF
may Father, and | will ioce him., as
though he did not love others at all, 50
peculiar ana gracious and JOYOUS is hi,
feeling toward tholr.
Thirl-.tI uiI naaitest ,,e4se'f' TO
him." 10 whom! 10 those who
have hal 4 very marvellous anI-as they
tnink-sup experience No ,
Is it to such as lave tender feelings, |
and are conscious Of much affection |
toward Jesus! not necessarily: Isl
it to those who can talk in meeting and
Get enthusiastic over the things that
belong to Jesus? Certainly not be-
ceuse Of this. sIt is to him that hath |
NV commandments AMI toonotb tham -
And what is this manifestino not the |
bodily shape, though that is not i'm
possible, for the Apostles saw him af
ter his resurrection. anl many since
have had . vision of him as ncrsooa
and real but he will manifest the truth
himself the roa];tv Of his
mower wisdom beoutv olo-
~. lie will make them knon, by al
revelation that shall toucb their spir-
lima, senses inst as the rb;nrs oe the
world touch our outer senses. that he
IS +: that he is L,yd Of all: that .eof..
him and through him and to him are
ali thi,nts7 that he is able, and that
he actu,lly Will save them to the ut
It IS 4 uapif,st;1r that will
satisfy them. even as ;,oI satisfied
Moses when he granted that wonder
:. as r II IL