Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1889-03-01
Millard Union Bible Society.

held at the church, Sunday
evening Feb. 10th. Owing to the
inclemency of the weather the
congregation was not large, yet,
all who were on duty save one,
were present.
The President, G. W. Dendiston,
after making few remarks as to
the object of the society opened
the exercises by reading from the
scripture, which was followed by
prayer and singing.
Among the most interesting
features of the program was a
reading by Mr.. D. B. Cook of the
seventeenth chapter of st Mark,
in which he claimed Mary
Magdalene was commissioned to
preach the resurrection of Christ,
to the Apostles, Quite an in
teresting discussion was enter
ed into by the greater part of the
audience, and all seemed to take
much interest in the subject.
The society was next favored
with most excellent production
from the pen of Miss Kate Collett
in which the theme, Life of Moses"
was taken up and SO ably reviewed
that most of those who heard it
pronounced the same next to
perfect.
The society closed by singing
Precious Promises" Every one
felt highly pleased and entertaine
great expectations for the future
success Of the "Union." Sec.
We give below an essay read by
Mrs. G. W. Denniston, which
needs no comments as it will
speak for it self:
THE PROMISES OF THE BIBLE.
In considering the many
precious promises, "God has
given to the weary passer-by,"
we must remember that the
promises are given as rewards or
punishment, for acts of ours.
The first promise made to man
had it's conditions when God
said, "Of every tree of the garden
ye may freely eat, but of the tree
of the knowledge of good and
evil, though mayest not eat, for in
the day thou eatest thereof, thou
shalt surely die" We are apt to
remember Gods part of the con-
tract. but forget that we have
something to do, to fit us to be-
come the proper subjects toreceiye
his promised blessings.
But in contemplating the
promises of the bible we must try
to realize the difference between
the promises of God, and those
made by man.
First, God is able to redeem
every pledge he makes. while man,
is often unable to keep promises
he has made in good faith. For
instance we might say to
neighbor, Tomorrow, will as
sist you in a difficult task" and
tomorrow we might be on a bed of
sickness or something else may
have come between us, and our
promise. Or we may say, "Next
year we will give five hundred
dollars to some good cause, but
reverses of fortune might come, so
that we would be unable to keep
our pledge. But when was God
ever known to fail to keep a
promise, for want of resources?
When he said to Pharosh, "Let
my people 60, or l will bring
pestilence upon you," He had but
to command his servant to stretch
his rod over the land, or wen the
water and the threatened destruct-
ion came speedily. God is able to
keep all his promises.
Second, God will keep all his
promises. SO, if they have not
been verified to us, we may rest
assured we have not fulfilled our
part of the conditions. A father
might say to his son, "My son if
ycu will labor faithfully and be a
dutiful boy during summer, [
will send you to school next
winter" and the son might toll
faithfully and peform his part
well, yet the father positively re-
fuse to keep his part of the obliga-
ton; or ga daughter might say:
Mother, if you will get me piano
or beautiful dress, | will be
good and kind, and take all the
hard work off your hands" But
she might be so delighted with the
music of her piano, or SO occupied
in displaying her fine dress, that
she would entirely forget her
promise to her mother. Not SO,
our Heavenly Father When he
says to his children, '.Be thou
faithful unto death, and | will |
give thee a crown of life," not |
one of US believes, that any thing
but unfaithfulness will eyer de-
prive us of that crown. Or when
he says "The soul that sinneth, it
shall de- perhaps not one in this
house doubts that If he continues
in sin, his soul will die eternally.
The onlr cnnsnlafion he takes To