Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-10-19
International Sunday. School Lessons.
BIBLE PROMISES AND HOPES.

There is another class of Bible truths
which consists of promises and hopes.
These do not so much call for implicit
obedience rs for restful faith. PERHAPS
it is harder to make these promises
available in the personal life than the
precepts; harder because it is simpler.
Many who are faithful in performing
every explicitly required duty toward
God, fail to get such help as they should
from Gods promises to them, in the +
hours of darkness aud trial. 1t is not
that they are ignorant of these Divine
pledges. They know them well, they
can repeat them to others. they. per-
haps, speak of them eXultingly in pub
lie addresses or in their prayers. But
when the experiences of life came for
which these promises were given. the
promises are not found available for
help or support they do not prove a
staff to lean uron. or n strong hand hold
ing back from fall, Or Il light to shine
out of the darkness, dispell'ng the
gloom and making the Path clear.
1t Is as II ship were to 90 to sea with
cargo OF anchors. but when a storm
arose should not have an anchor of her
own available to save her from lee
shore. There are Christians who know
all the dOctr mes, whose heads are stored
with catechism, with creed and with
memorizcd Bible texts, who vet. when
trouble comes, have not one blessed
truth which gives them any real help or
comfort Tons of anchors, hut none TO
hold their vessel in the storm. Piles of
alpenstocks, but no one for them to use
in climbing Il single dangerous pass.
Great clusters of lamps hanging from
the ceiling of memory, but never n
GIFTED one to throw its beams on their
darkened pathway. Life-preservers in
abundance, to look at while the shin
moves on over quiet seas, but not one
to be found when the vessel springs a
leak and goes down within sight of
shore.
How can Bible promises be made
available in the times of need? How
can we get from them that help which
they are intended to give lis in living?
Not by merely reading them, nor vet by
carefully memorizing them They must
be recognized and accepted as the sure
words of God: as words that will be
fulfilled to the letter in the experience
of every child of God who rests upon
gently in the heart, and kept always
ready for instant use. Then when the
need comes against which those prom
lses make provision, they must be laid
hold upon, personally appropriated, and
trusted in as Co.'s fresh and explicit
assurance to His loved ones.
1t is, in fact, only in the experiences
OF real need that the value of the Divine
promises can be learned, One NAV
greatly admire life-boat as he looks at
it hanging in its place above the ships
deck on fair day at sea; but that life
boats true worth one never actually
knows till the ship is going down and
the life-boat is his only hope of rescue.
AS the railroad train sweeps along at
midday, an attendant quietly passes
through the cars and lights the hanging
lamps. 1t seems a useless and unnec-
essary thing to do. The lights beam
dimly in the bright sunshine that floods
the car. Suddenly the train plunges
into long, dark tunnel, and the lamps
are no longer useless. But for them.
total darkness would prevail in that car.
1t is so with the Bible promises. We
do not know their worth until we reach
the experiences in which we are help
less without them. We may admire
them when all is fair and calm about
us, but it is only when the shock of the
tempest is on us, and our earthly trust
is shattered, that we can realize the
value of hope which is fitted to bear
us up and to carry us safely 1t is only
when our path leads down into some
dark gorge of trial, where no sunbeams
fall. that we learn the worth of the
lamps of Heavenly promise. Their
beams shone dimly rs we walked in the
sunshine of human joy and strong
earthly hope; but now in the darkness
they flash out in brilliancy, and change
night into day.
1t is strange that Gods children
should be so slow to find what their
Father has prepared for them in His
Word. Let Bunyan's Pilgrim give
lesson to us all: "Now a little before
it was day, good Christian, as one half
amazed, broke out into this passionate
speech: What a FOOL quoth he, am
|, thus to lie in filthy dungeon, when
may as well walk az liberty. / have
a key in my bosom, called Promise, that
will. am persuaded, open any lock in
Doubling Castle. Then said Hopeful:
That's good news, brother; pluck it
out of thy bosom and try Then Chris
tan pulled it out of his bosom and be-
gan to try at the dungeon door, whose
bolt, as he turned the key, gave back,
and the door flew open with ease, ard
Christian and Hopeful both came out"
IS. S. Times