The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-31


lzasioa and me proyidentlal lnterfeTencss
through which alone the world has been
enabled 10 gr0w better and purer as the
centuries hy by. without acknowledging
with thankful hearts the Infinite wisdom
and mercy q God: and when we begin 70
fafhon the c0n8escension q God and 70
climb 10 the heighs Of HIS love and 10
swing cut and around with our ooidest
faith. bur al Insignificant ark OF the IN
fnlty Of God as represented IN Jesus
Christ our Lord in redemption's plan. are
we not ready 20 exclaim, as we sink under
the overpowering thought: sufficient IN
creation. sufficient IN providence, thou art
most sufficient OF al II grace2'
Take God out OF Nature and you have
but q series o. successive biunders. freaks
that have no meaning. beauties that per-
ish. upheaysis that puzzle both scientist
and saint, Inconsistencies and collisions
that destroy each other with no resultant
good. Enthrone God on the material uni
verse and order gTasps the sceptre and IN
eTr.ng intelligence issues the DEGREES. Take
God out OF history and what a medley viii
present itself for our consideration. Wrong
triumphant, right under the heed OF oes-
potIsm; vice gioating over the defeat OF
virtue; power allied with evil marching on
unchecked while powed allied with good
seems impotency itself; gold that should
develop used 10 destroy. scholarship that
should elevate depray!ng mankind; adYan-
taReous circumstances with the odor or
prosperity on their breath proving bat
blight and mildew 70 the hopes OF the race
But brush aside that Infamous negation
and acknowledge God's hand in history and
the pattern IS right side out and the knots
and tangles OF human incompeteney dis
appear.
Take God in Christ out OF the scheme OF
salvation and man becomes mere crea-
Of cir hat led
influences 20 be counterhaiIed by another
and opposite set dependent upon fortuity
for his advancement and receiving AZ the
hands OF a sort OF blind fate an ultimate
imparadisation, though his life here be but
a slow evolution toward a higher state be-
yond. But once acknowledge Christ the
Lord as the Savior Of sinners by faith and
all conditions OF men as dividing lines van
ish and al barriers are removed. and the
poorest Ia his rags and the richest In his
affiuence. the most ignorant without men
tai equipment and the most scholarly with
his eTudition, the lowest down In the scale
OF worldly success and the highest UP in
worldly honor, can all and equally through
repentance and faith rejoice In pardon and
rest In peace, each conscious of his own
utter unworthlness and insufficiency. and
all finding their sufflciency In God. In star
that glitters and sun that dazzles and
scroll that unrolls its recurring events. and
soul that asplres beyond all that earth and
time can give, / see this sublime fact of
Gods supreme power and eternal truth,
and hear the testimony OF the ages deeiar-
ing that in all things, for all things.
through all things and over all things. in
iife. in death and forever our sufFiciency is
of God and God alone!
Reproxing Fact.
Secondly. / mention this statement as a
reproving fact. There is altogether too
much self-sufiieiency IN the world. and 1t
is not unknown in the church. Men very
easily learn to rely on the influence OF
their position. the power OF their gold. the
| ingenuity OF their inventiveness as factors
In the general advancement. Men too often
imagine that they are Indispensable to the
| success of an enterprise commercial or re-
| igious. The human is so prominent in
their lives that there seems TO DO little
room for the divine TO operate. God SCI
dom gets any glory in their experience.
though n is only through him that they
I've and prosper. Men who ought TO know
better because they profess better things
erect the whole structure of their earthly
fortunes upon human conditions. They DO
not just sec how God makes bis presence
felt IN the grain fields for trade purposes,
| In oceanic tides and In currents for COM
mereial effects, IN railroad beds and steam
| ship routes with the Ideas OF profit and
| loss before him, In national disputes and
| even bloodshed with the great law Of com
| peasatlon part OF His thought So they
| watch and worry snd plan and control and
| when they succeed and Increase their es-
| tate they mildly remark: II thought l
| could solve that problem" or being de-
feated, the invariably lay the blame on
| somebody else. rather iatimat.ng that II
| their ideas could have been followed the
| result would have been vastly different,
| DO so-called good men act this way? On.
yes. pretty good men. Do they pray? Well.
yes. In certain way. They tell God on
| their knees how high and lofty ard xiori-
| Gus He IL seated on His throne in the
| heavens, and once IN a long while. when
| they don't forget x. they make some feeble
| confession OF their own sinfplLe-s and I'M
/ wOrthrsss. out then they don't mean IL.
yoa know. They pray In a general sort of
| a way that the world may grow better. but
| taey don't see just how they ars going 10
| help f.. They wipe the communion wine
| from their lios and retire from the Lords
/ table and go into the weeks fight for gain
/ or applause with only dim reneu brance
| that they have renewed any covenant or
| that there has been present during that
| sacrament any holy parsonage with whom
| they could renew II, God 20 them Is afar
| of: He Is not IN their lives and daily walks
| Sc a friend and helper. oh how different
| the true believers attitude. Every breath
| tells him Of Gods sustaining power every
| puise beat means q blessing. every success
| gives him cause for gratitude every def.at
| becomes a divine discipline. every dav
| begins and ends with God, the source 81
| his being and the comfort OF his life. To
| pray IA 70 fling himself. sinful, errfng.
/ helpless, Incapable into the arms of ore
| who is si-sufffcient.
| The extreme putting Of the seE-suf7-
| cheney that always dwsrfs II 4 does not
| destroy. spirituality. may not az vour
| case. my brother my sister. but ca n Won no.
set a lesson from IL DO YOU not perceive
| that the moment YOU let go Of God Won
| arc adrift upon a shoreless and bottonless
| sea- Who are you that YOU should at.
| tempt the management OF your own ca
| reerF Where did you get wisdom enough
| 20 pierce the veil OF the future or mower
| enough 70 oppose God's plan for your Wfe.
| or inventiveness enough to outwit i0finlte
| intelligence Depend upon it se4f-zllfFi-
| cheney iu any form Or degree vii meet its
| retributicn. There are no trifies IN vonr
| lie 80 smal that you can ATTEMPT un-
| aided 10 direct them IuhnIteSrnala when
/ looked AZ IN their relation IN eternity be-
| come in6nitu8es You laugh az a triae
| but God may hang a destiny uuon a.
! Many an hour frfttesed away liz uuseef,.',
/ pleasantly may leave 70 regrets for mis-
/ spent time. and yes thu dying lIbe-tlne
/ cried cat, "Ha4f my future for a single
/ hcurr' " we take God az AZ. We mas.
| take Him altogether an8 Tor everything
Dr. is the most foolish idea under tne san
| God thc glory AMI then take tae credit
mostly 20 ourselves. God cannot reign
/ where aelg revels A our weakness a
! GCd's opportunity 50 cur sc}f-surrensler IS
| TIE signal for God q ssfti CicnCy 10 triumph.
An Furournwfnu res~t