The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-05-09

man ever done toward his own szNauon
Nothing God has done II al aIsni siS
be ginning. How unhunnan Goo ueas-
Ynent of us, How inhuran our treatment
OF Him, He sfoops 10 our necessary. Ha0ai-
TESTS Himself in such a way fnat we can
realize His rnerrffui love. makes All tHe
promises plaiss all the rewards, PROVIDES
for all the contingencies. pegs " 20 as
cept His prorered salvation restores US
when We fall. and sends Us the Genie ing
message through His word OK QUIZ
your own salvation with fear ana trem-
bling for I, Is God that worketh IN you
both N vriiI and 20 do OF His good pleas
ure'' Let me repeat tnat iast Claus
Both 10 vill and TO do. DO you take
in all that is implied in these WORDS CUR
very desires 10 please HIM ere so,srh
a. the termination Of a divine seed in the
dssnerafeIv moor soil of a polluted heart
The ~oul rouses from its lethargy and
locks II, loathfng at It's long list OF sins and
in feebleness and trembling Tear reaches
out after God; and oh. mystery OF msstsr-
les. in the very act or reaehins slrenetn
comes From within2 No. from God
Then as the soul struggles 10 get clearer
idea OF its duty IL cries out: LORD what
wilt thou have me TO dor DOE An, there
IS nothing to do. II has All peen dome
long ago. That was the questfoh the
people put TO John the bapIist IN Inc
wilderness and TO Peter on the cay or
Pentecost- That was the question saui OF
Tarsus put TO Jesus when ne was IN
horsed on the road TO Damascus. That
was the question the Philippian Jaiier put
to Paul and SiIas. IL was the question
the rich young ruler put 10 tnris,- 10
YOU remember the several answers. Vas
there any great task assigned them upon
the merit of which they were TO demand
fs difference De-
tween perance and penitence. Were NOT
these the answers Repent, believe. foi-
low me. Is not this the very question You
have put to yourself time and again, iei-
low Christian. because ii has not seemed
uossfble that God could do SO mucn for
you without your earning IN some Way
His saving grace? Did you get any COM
fort out of that thought? Just look at
the absurdity OF ii. What can a mite
being do to gain eternal glory? Nothing
but believe and accept the divine promise
How was it with Abram? The setting IN
order of the slain animals tested MS latin.
The patient waiting and watching from
morning till evening showed the continu-
ance of mis- faith. The reward came in the
awful presence and the consumed sacri-
flee. Later in his life he cried TO his
wondering son: God will provide Himself
a lamb for the burnt Offering SO over
every penitent soul divine mercy cries;
Deliver him from going DOWN 10 the PIT,
| have found a ransom.
But then there comes another fear to
the newly converted soul: While l am
not required to do anything to become
Christian, am expected to do good deal
after / take a stand for Christ. fear my
inability. / am afraid to venture Here
comes in the rest of that verse l have
quoted. For God worketh in you
to do of His good pleasure" Almighty
Enct Ia
ness. Your effort Is successful because
God nerves your arm to perform it. Your
endurance is sure because God links Him
self with your faith. Your good works
are accepted, not because of their intrin-
sic value, but because of the faith which
they express. But" you say, ''tempta-
tons will come" Yes. but listen to the
encouraging words, THE Lord knoweth
how to deliver the cody out of tempta-
TONS But" you say, Il shall have to
deny myself so much" Hear the Christ
to those who show this spirit for His sake
and the gospels: They shall receive an
hundred fold now in this present time,
and in the world to come eternal life.
But" you say some great sorrow may
come upon me and / shall lose my faith"
Hear the assurance given to Job: He
shall deliver thee in six troubles; yea,
in seven there shall no evil touch thee"
Hear David in the midst of his conflicts:
God is our refuge and strength, very
present help in trouble" Hear the words
Of Jehovah Himself: When thou passest
through the waters I will be with thee,
and through the rivers they shall not
overflow thee. and when thou walkest
through the fire thou shalt not be burn
ed Show me an emergency in your life
for which God has not made complete
provision: show me danger from which
he has not made way of escape. You
cannot. You cannot. Am / not right,
then In declaring that the whole cove
nant has been on His part: that the
mighty work of saving guilty world has
been fully accomplished by Him alone,
and that we have but TO exercise the faith
of Abram and the blessing. not only of
salvation but of upholding power shall be
ours? VIII you. then. throw away the In
finite mercy OF an infinite God, when ii
may be had for the mere asking, yes, even
for the mere receiyingr He has been ex-
hausting His divine resources OF wisdom
and love TO do, do eternally do. for you;
will you not do this for Him--accept what
He has done?
The Crosa; The Cross:!
I see finally in this strange Occurrences
something that reminds me of the dark
nass of that dark hour during the tremen-
dous scene of Calvary. and something that
reminds me of the brightness of that
bright hour when the Spirit descended in
mower upon the church. Three crosses
,rpon hill. The Savior. the saved and the
lost an represented. Blood trucking from
the central cross. royal. vicarious. Agony
dcep-furrowed in the brow of that kingly
victim. A ieering mob. A hearth broken
mother. A few gTieving friends. A worlds
sin pressing against guiltless heart until
n breaks in anguish. A thick darkness
yelling the sky above. A thicker dark
ness obscuring the Fathers face. burst
of utter desoiation. The bowling of a
princely head upon an absolutely pure
breast. and II Is finished. Was IL not A
furnace. an awful furnace. a furnace in
which the darkling smoke OF Justice
seemed to obiiterate every trace of lun1in-
Gus mercy Oh the suffering of the cross.
who can estimate II? II was pain for
which there was no alienation. loneliness