The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-08-23

thou didst we'll that II was in thine
heart" And He takes the will for the
deed. '~
the deed? There are people whose re-
lgion is merely and only sentimental.
They are full of good wishes and plans.
Always telling what they would like TO
do but never doing anything. Their pur-
poses for good are like the momentary
flashes OF heat-lightning at the close OF
a summer day, just an instant darting
across the clouds and then gone. Does
God say Of these well done? Does He
take the will for the deed. No! we must
not stretch the blanket of consolation so
far as this. 1t will not cover all these
temples. We must apply this consola-
ton only to similar cases.
A neighbor Is full of professions of
great things he would like to do, yet UNI
willing to do the little things he could
you do not take the will for deed. A boy
who has an apple nearly eaten, meets
another boy and says, II wish you mad
nice big apple, but l have no more,
take a bite of this one, take 1t all'-you
take the will for deed. But II he says,
'I wish you had a whole and does not
| offer even a bite, the other boy will say
his talk about wishing Is sham and he is
mean and stingy Do not tell God about
the big red apple you would like to give
| Him and then not offer Him any of the
| little you have.
ALI. SWEPT AWAY.
So with single breath of Indignation
| at ourselves, of sorrow and shame for
| the sham pretensions to good deeds, that
we have cherished the barren sentiment
alism that does nothing to prove itself
| fruitful and genuine-with a single
| breath sweep all these away, and look
| down into the heart upon those temples
of more subs stantial sort Temples
4 90 n,,l
| dent desires, affectionately reared and
garnished in gold and silver and pre-
c!ous stone. Take to your heart the con-
| ISOLATION as you look, that God takes the
will for the deed God says Whereas
| thou hast built them in the heart only it
1t well, thou hast well done"
Though David was denied the privilege
| of building the temple, God permitted
| him to make preparation for building 1t,
| let him do part Of what he had planned: :
| God took the will for the deed as to
what he was hindered from doing and ac-
cepted the perfect temple of the heart;
| God permitted Davd's son to materialize
| the temple in the stead of his father;
| and God promised to build a house for
| David to bring special blessing upon him
and his children after him.
| In II Samuel the 7th chapter, is record
| ed promise to David, given at the time
| when David disclosed his plan to build
|
| wish and purpose, "The Lord telleth
| thee that He will make thee a house."
THAI is as He explains, "I will set up thy
| seed after thee-and will establish his
| kingdom" one of the chief desires of
| David's heart connected with himself
| and his own family.
| Similar compensationS God often per-
mits His builders, disappointed in their
| execution of their plans for Gods glory
| and mans good today.
| God let's Us do part of the work. 1t we
| cannot give a million dollars, He lets us
give $1,000 or 500 or $40. If we cannot
| give all our time to Christian work He
| lets us give a little.
| WILL FOR THE DEED.
God takes the will for the deed as
regards the balance, which we are provi-
| dentially hndered from doing He looks
| not only outside us but within.
God sometimes mGterializes our temples
for us at the hands of others. Sometimes
| our children finish the work we have be-
| gun or planned or wished to do.
God will build house for us-He will
bring special blessings upon us and our
| children after us.
My child expresses desire to do some
thing for me and there is at once awak-
ened a desire and purpose to do some
| thing for my child-so with my heavenly
Father and His dear children You plan
| to build a house for God, and God will
| surely Duild house for you.
Let us build then these temples in the
heart. Let us then do the best we can
to build our temples outside the heart
in the deeds of life. Let us leave the rest
| cheerfully with God. He will surely ap-
preciate and accept. He will bless. He is
not unrighteous to forget your work OF
faith and labor of love. For the present
1t may seem to be a case of loves labor
lost. By and by it shall prove a case Of
loves labor found and rewarded.