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

that may grow out % Il ard you say. Who
Is sufficient for these things You declare
yoss are not. | wfn admit that az once
Nobody is. Yes. you say as a ray Of faith
Sights up yo1- face. God Is. Through
whAt agency? l ask. Through any
agency You are sure % that? Certainly
Through your You hesitate. WnyZ Be
cause you have removed yeur faith from
God and conferred Il again upon yourself
That thought which strengthened the IN
portant. self-STfIcieat man. has entirely
discourage you. That Is ArninIanisu1
run mad Il eiates on the one hand. but
dc3resssz on the other. You want little
more CalviniS-n in your disposition The
cnlv thing God wants Of you IS your con-
sent. He has made You supreme N this
particular The moment you begin % talk
bout Irresistible grace you have Calvin
isrn run mad. Gods gospe. IS not mad.
but an intelligent gospel Your consent
given. God has you altogether He VIII
furnish the viii 70 do the particular thing
he wants after You have surrendered your
heart 70 Hin IN prayer. He VIII furnish
the ability. give strength for the continu-
ity of effort and make you superiatively
happy in doing his good pleasure most sue
cesfuIly. That Is cslvo-arrninianisEn-a
near the truth as any Of US VIII ever get
But this NAV not be your trouble.
text What is Il that oppresses you? Does
declining health place its barrier across
your path so that the exertion which for
merry would have exhiiarated you now
produces fatiguer Remember that when
heart and flesh fail God Is the strength OF
our heart and our portion forever.
Has bereavement displrited you until
you have no desire 70 take up life's tasks.
and instead do you sit mourning over a
vanished past forgetting that God and His
promises are eternal? Then lean upon
this staff of comfort: st VIII never leave
thee nor forsake thee"
Have you been through bitter expert
ences OF disappointment and have many
plans failed, so that now you doubt
try again7 Let me give you this assur,
ance: THE Lord God is a sun for Hum
nation and a shield for defense"
Are you comparing your circumstances
with those of others who have not tried TO
serve God as you have done and yet ap-
pear 10 have an easier time in life? on,
look not down but up. and hear this
blessed declaration: II VIII guide thee
with Mine eye
What ais you? Does doubt bring It's un-
answered questionings TO your hearts
doore Let God be your confidence. Does
struggle unnerye you? God is your cap
tain. Does impatience fret you? God is
your eternal life. What is IL that makes
you trembe2 Has your good name been
maligned by gossiping tongues? Here is a
sweet eons0Ia ton: Who shall lay any
thing TO the charge OF Gods elect? II Is
God that iustiheth." Have former friends
who couldn't say enough in your favor at
one time dropped YOU out OF their books
and made you feel the change in their
treatment Your Master was even be-
trayed by one who ate with Him at table.
Their friendship. depend upon IL. was
never worth having. His Friendships swill
make up for every such loss
Have you been so often defeated that
II seems 10 you as though you could not
try again to live the pure and patient
Christian life you have espoused? Oh.
let me tell you, every one of you, that
God intends you TO be conquerors, yes.
more than conquerors. Let me bring you
again to the apostle who framed my text
when he was in the most rapturous mood
of all See the light sparkle in his eye.
Hear the enthusiasm tremble In his voice.
as he exclaims: who shall separate US
from the love OF Christi" That is the
only thing worth struggling for, suffering
for. watching for. Everything else per-
ishes; that alone remains. Who shall
separate US from the love OF Christ?
Shall tribulation? Never! His love
shall break right through that fiimsy veil
and thrill us with its reassuring ecstasy.
Shall distress? No we shall rise above
IL. Shall persecution? Who cares for the
darts 90 men, when the shield or faith
covers our breast7 Shall famine? All. We
have food that the world dreams not Of
Shall nakedness? We are clothed in his
righteousness. Or peril? We are hid in
his heart. Or sword? He can disarm
every foe.
Who shall separate Us then? No power
IN earth or he'll. For. cries out the ex-
ultsnt conqueror, / am persuaded that
neither death-he is right in putting that
first with it's shudder and darkness and
desOlation. Neither death nor life-more
mysterious and awful, when rightly re-
ceived than even death itself, with its
ambitions and seductions and fatterlng
compliments and cowardly desertions. Nor
life nor augels-even though It were
possible FOR one to descend from heaven
with some other gospel Nor principali-
ties nor pOwers-no matter what their
agencies Of compulsion; nor things pres
ont--thouGh in their dark catalogue be
Included worse things by far. than those
already mentioned: nor things TO come
though they should sxceed in diabolism
an our delu6ed fancy could conjure up
Nor height Of prominence. nor depth Of
misery. nor any other creature, no matter
what it's name or nature Nothing, abso-
lutely nothing shah be able to separate
Us from the love of God. which is in
Jesus Christ our Lord.
oh, the BIessedness of IL:
Blessed be God. He is sufficient. His
love wooes and holds: His power defends;
His wisdom enlightens; His mercy seeks;
His truth convinces: His Spirit convicts
His comfort consoles; His abiding pres
ence sllstains until the end.
Tired one get rest out Of this thought
Weak one. get strength. Questioning one.
dered one. feel about you the everlasting
arms. Defeated one. see here your eternal
victory. Your sufflciency is OF God He
can supply all your wants out OF his fall
ness. and when beyond the limitations Of
time. Won voice in triumphant strain.
your enlarged requirements He win be-
come your everlasting portion,