The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-03
Because Underneath are the everlasting

There are times. when we specially need
faith. There are difficulties of religious be-
lief. There are things which the average
mind cannot comprehend. There are ques-
tons that we cannot answer satisfactorily
to ourselves. There are doubts which at
times crop in that are not easy to silence.
But the difficulties are not all on the side
of religious belief. Unbelief is even more
fraught and harassed with difficulties than be-
lief TO a sincere soul trying to solve the prob
lem OF life and fearful OF mistakes. But the
great question is not which has the most diff
culties, but which position offers the best
standpoint from which to take advantage OF
the great tidal waves Of thought and feeling
and purpose which help men to be better and
nobler and truer? Imagine If you can, a hu-
man mind, robbed Of it's faith In God and It's
hope of a world to come attempting to form
a consistent philosophy Of life. II honest and
true, 1t will meet with questions and diff
cuities and perplexities that will harass 1t be-
yond measure. Faith may be hard to main
tain. but 1t is harder to wholly abandon.
We need the faith of our text In times of
dependency. Many man, while doing his
best. has. like Elijah of old, become disheart-
ened. Elijah felt that the conduct of his ma
tion and the faith Of Jehovah both rested upon
his shoulders. His burdens finally became
too heavy for him to bear. Tired nature be-
gan to rebel. His enemies, who, numerous and
powerful, had been easily held at bay when
in health, suddenly aroused in him an IN
wonted terror. The perplexit.es and annoy
ances Of his position became unbearable
that he wanted to fly away to some desert or
WILDERNESS. Inc Ola nero naQ worked DraVely
and magnifcently, but we next find him mop
ing under a juniper tree in the woods and
hiding In a cave Of the mountain for fear
that tho emissaries of Jezebel Will discover
him and drag him back before the angry
queen.
But God was with him even here Elijah
had been overworked He had passed through
great excitement. His nervous force had
been depleted. His muscles had weakened
and his courage had gone with his physical
strength. God knew that what he needed
most was sleep and rest and recuperation. So
He let him NOPE for time in the fragrance
of the fir and hemlock and pine; to sleep and
eat and live close to natures heart until his
jaded energies were once more restored. Then
the call came, What doest thou here, Eli
joh," and Elijah responding, was soon at
his work once more. While the problems of
life are not solved by the towards and shirks
and weaklings and the work Of life must be
done by the consecrated and faithful. It vet
remains true that many disheartened sseul
with heroic qualities is sometimes numbered
for time among the useless lumber. But the
time OF feeble health, when faith Is weak
and hope small, is not evidence that God Is
afar off. 1t is Gods call to halt and rest; to
get ready for larger service.
We need to feel the undergirding Of the
Eternal God In time of shrinking from duty.
Jesus said to Peter on one occasion. "Simon,
son of Jonas, lowest thou Me-" Peter replied;
Yea, Lord Thou knowest that I love Thee"
said to him again: Simon, son Of Jonas.
lowest thou Me?" Peter replied as before:
.'Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that love Thee"
Jesus replied: Feed my lambs" Jesus had
called His followers flock and Himself their
shepherd. While He was with them He fed
them upon such truths as they needed to
keep them strong. But, going away, he must
have some one else to oversee His flock.
This conversation with Peter was doubtless
intended to lay upon him this responsibility.
While Peter was impulsive he was not ego
tistical He doubted his ability to fill this
high position. He had made many blunders
before. His very impulsiyeness was always
OF no. hirl into hA bot -
which Jesus applied was almost too much for
him. Turning to Jesus, Peter pointed to
John and said Lord, and what shall this
was the man for the place. Peter shows that
he was very human. We can all see what
some one else can do better than what
as religious life the call Of duty is responded
to: "Some one else can do SO much better"
But Jesus would say to them as He said to
Peter, ''What is that to thee" Here is a
work that needs to be done. It may be true
that some one else can do 1t better. But the
fact that you see that it ought to be done
ter would 1t be for the world II there were
more to respond quickly and heartily: Here
am l. Send me-"
We need to realize that God Is with US in
times Of prosperity. The times when we
childishly think that we do not need the
everlasting arms about US often the very
tation. The wise man says, "A merry heart
is a continual feast" and again, "a merry
heart Is good medicine" /. e., it Ia food for
the hungry and weak and medicine for the
sick. Many man who has no appetite for
his food and no refreshing rest in his sleep
is simply dying Of worry and peevishness.
little gratitude to God for the mercies and
blessings which are His; little genuine in
terest in others and a helping hand reached
out to some needy ones would do more to
arouse his appetite and put healthy blood
into his torpid veins than all the drugs of
the apothecary.
The best blood of the Christian church has
been refreshed and purified and filled with
joy by reason of the confidence which they