Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-05-15


unto blood striving against sin. n.'-Heb. 12:3-4,
In other words; in your struggle
against temptation-your effort to do
right, Notwithstanding the wotld, tie
flesh, and the devil, would beset you
and fatter or drive you into wrong do
lng-when the way upward and God
ward, is rough and thorny, and on
looking at the trials Of the way, you
are ready to cry oft as Jacob did,
"these things are against me- '-consder
Jesus who endured more than you will
ever understand, yet who ovcrcatne !;
for ye have not yet resisted unto blood,
striving against sin as y, did; We have
never found such suffering in the way
OF love and duty as He found there
has never been a time when it cost uou
SO much to turn away from present
ease and personal safety that others
might be blessed and saved; the temp
tation came to Him as it has never
come to you; the struggle between
His purpose to love men to the end,
and the natural desire to escape the
fearful experience which the wickcdness
of the world would bring Him, made
Him sweat blood and cry out to God
in an agony which as vet none of US
are good enough to understand, vet He
ovcrcame, and if you will consider Him
and enter, in your thought, into the
fellowship of His suferings, you also
will overcome and will not weary or
faint in your minds.
The text suggests these three things :
l. Your life as christian, will have,
in this world, its days and hours Of
conflict with the powers Of darkness
and the influences of evil. You will
find IN striving against sin, that your
foes are on every hand, and that defeat
IS simply certain to you unless YOU
striee with real courage and constancy.
Indeed those of you who are spirit
uslly mindedf know this perfectly.
,. But Jesus Christ knew this too in
his own experience. ! ssHe was tempt
ed in all points like as we are, the
difference being, that the temptation
never oyercamc Umt while arc have SO
often fallen. But the trial vas none
the less to Him, that lie ever oyercame
il. I1e have never fallen where it was
not possible for US to bayc stood firm
in intc3rity-in obedience to God.
He have tai'en rathersthan ro!nutoriiy
sutt- some self-deni;1 or pain lie
ro',At0riy sHGcred father than .fuU,
re have not vet resisted unto blood
striving against sin !; IIIe did-witn@ss
Gethsemane and Calvary Nor had
He more to help him conquer, than
have veto say he had, is to deny that
che was in all points tempted like as
we are The strong man has not the
same temptation to loiter at his work
az the fecIfc man. No; Christ had
the angels az his command when He
asked Sc have we. He had the
strength of Gods spirit to rely upon
in the same way; SO have We. In
HIMSELF and in hiss particular trials,
and apart from just such help as we
can GET from ab"vcJ his striving. was
quite as difficult as ours, nay it seems
to me to be set forth in the Bible as
greater by far than anything we can
ever know. But Jesus always over
came.
8. And therefore, so can you. " hen
YOU are tried then. consider Him the
thought will inspire you when you are
like to be weary and faint, and in the
midst of the contradiction of sinners
against yourselfyour faith and patience;
your forgiyin. love, will triumph even
as did His.
| think we should do we'll to rcmem-
these things, and also these remarks.
1St. Jesus Christ is the worthiest
object of consideration, and he who
will reach the best character the high
est manhood. will consider Him before
and more than all things.
Would YOU be wise consider Him
would You be strong,' consider Him
would you be useful, successful, restful,
consider Him but
2nd. Consider fhinh; about Him.
Send your thought out after Him until
You find Him. then study Him. If
you that are easily weary and faint,
would consider Him tithe as much
as you consider the contradiction of
sinners against yourselves, you would