The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1896-01-25
GODS DYNAMICS.
Common Tools Can Do Great Things In
Hands Guided by Faith.


Common Tools Can Do Great Things In
Hands Guided by Faith.
The century just closing has been re-
markable for the discovery of power. 1t
has been finding out the force of steam,
and the potency of electricity. The
18th century was time for thinking
things out. In the secular world it
made great PHILOSOPHERS. In the reli-
gious world it made great theologies.
The 18th century was the time in sci
ence for opening great fields by physic-
al discoveries in religion, for organizing
great denominations, making stately
machinery. We are still in the excit-
ing domain of these inventions, which
mean possible power. The whole world
is tremulous with expectation of things
that are just about to be done, of powers
are Just about to be applied. This is as
markedly so in the religious world as
In the physical world. We are just be-
ginning to see that we have not yet used
al the working power Of the old doc
trines; ethics are interesting us now
mainly in their application. Theories
iregood for what they can do.
We shall take long and important
step forward in our ability to utilize the
doctrines and the machinery of the
.hurch, for making the world better,
when we go straight to the Bible idea
that God alone Is spiritual power, and
that sure as the wire needs the electric
charge before 1T becomes mighty to
3rag the car, or light the town, so our
nachineries and our capacities of
whatever sort need only, and need i'm
peratively, the touch of God before
they become of any use. In the 18th
century navigators and explorers
opened up the attitudes and longitudes
Sf the world, and civilization stood back
for moment and said: Here is great
.hance. o, that we had the power to
drive over the seas and drive into the
continents!" Then God was ready to
let Watt and Fulton loose upon the
globe and supply the needed force. Now
all the ATTITUDES and longitudes are open
Tor the Gospel. All great social prob
lens wait for its healing touch. All
business is ready to be turned into chan
nels of goodness and righteousness and
the church holds it's breath as it real
lies the great possibilities and says:
20, for power!" The chance is mani
fest. We want capacity to avail our
selves of it, and perhaps we spend time
In trying to invent some new applica-
ton or to find in morern methods some
lever that will move the world. Archi-
medes wanted a place; he had the lever.
We think we have the place, but we are
looking around for the lever.
Let us remember the lesson which
God gave Moses when He said: "Nhat
is that in thine hand?" Moses said:
This is nothing but stick. 1 guide
the lambs with this stick, here in the
wilderness" God said: Take that
stick to Egypt; will be in that stick,
and gee what it will do" Moses found
the lever strong enough to turn over
the Egyptian dynasty and to hold back
the tides of the sea, and split granite
till streams eushcd from it. The les
son is this: AS rule, God keeps the
track clear for His sovereignty by
working through the ordinary; He will
take any instrument that is in n will
ing hand. Mrs. Browning tells how
the great god Pan" went down TO
the river and took a reed and notched
1t, and blew through 1t, and wonderful
music the great god Pan" made there
out of the rushes by the river.
People who want to do Christian
work are oftcntimes anxious to find
some elevation from which they may
do 1t. They want a vantage ground.
The young man says: 81 am nothing
but clerk or carpenter, and can
do nothing for God; but, o, il 1 only
had chance to be a minister or for
eign missionary" The young girl says:
."Ah, IL were rich, or had social posi-
ton, l have heart that could under
take great things; but here, what can
do Mt tho sewing muchine?" 1t is
all a mistake. The grandest of thought
that can ever take possession Of an
earnest-hearted Christian is this: God
can take me on my own level and Use
me as am" For the most part, we cam
not leave our own level The housewife
will be housewives; the mechanic will
be mechanic to the end of the chap
ter. II we are ever to. have spiritual
power, we must have It, not by leaving
our natural sphere, but in it. The be-
ginning of useful living is just ut this
point; the engine must stay on It's
track. even IL it be q narrow-gauge;
the bird must stay in the air; the fish |
must stay in the sea; and the man must |
stay on the ground.
In the Greek fable the giant was un-
conquerable so long as he could keep in
touch with the ground. The place
where God puts us is the place through |
which the power rises. Any poor capa-
city Is enough to be conductor of Gods
power. The wall in the chapel in Milan
In rough, but IL will serve for the picture
II The Last Supper" II Da vinci holds |