The Holt County sentinel., 1898-07-08

church of Maryyille, Mo-, Sabbath NOR
Missouri, Sabbath evening, June 18th Il
Text, Psalm, llS-5. II called upor
the Lord in distress, the Lord answered
me. and set me in large place
This llS Psalm from which the text i:
taken is said to have been a favorite on,
with several very celebrated personages
One of these personages was Martin
Luther. Said he ..it is my Psalm and
call il mine because il has come to my
aid again and again and supported me
in heavy trials, when neither emperor
nor king, nor philosopher helped me, >
Another of these personages was the
Apostle Peter when he i'm company with
John. stood before the Sanhedrim and
amazed the Jewish council with their
boldness and showed his familiarity with
both the letter and spirit of this Psalm
when he said to them: BE it known
unto you all and to all the people OF
Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ
of Nazareth, whom We crucified- whom
God raised from the dead, even by him
doth this man stand here before you
whole. This is the stone which was SET
at nought of you builders which is be
come the head of the corner. Neither is
there Salvation in any other, for there
is none other name under heaven, given
among men, whereby we must be saved
"(Acts, 4-ll-l3J But the greatest of all
personages that ever made use of this
Psalm was the son of God himself who
upon certain occasion with remarka-
bic appropriateness quoted q portion OF
it as applying to himself when he said
in an address to a company of the Jews,
Did ye never read in the scriptures, the
stone which the builders rejected, the
same is become the head of the corner;
this is the Lords doings and it is mar
velous in our eyes," Matt, 2l-i2.)
Thus the Psalm, rs whole, has Di-
vine, as well as human, Endorsement and
yet the words We especially mean to call
attention to this morning are recorded
in the last clause of the text, viz: "Set
me in a large place"
In using these words we will doubtless
give them much farther reach of
thought than was in the mind of the
Psalmist when he penned them. David
evidently was thinking of his personal
experience-how his enemies had eset
him on every side until he felt himself
in direst need, and then God hearing his
prayer for help, delivered him out of
their hands, by setting him in large
place, where he had plenty of room,
where he could more freely enjoy
himself without fear of injury from any
foe.
And just here we would have you
know and believe, that what God done
for David, he has already done for each
one of US, and to doubt this is to show
weakness, and yet how often do we find
persons doubling. See how it was with
Gods people of old-ancient Israel.
They are asked to leave Egypt, in order
to enter Canaan. After months of Won
derful experience, with many proofs of
the guidance, and faithfulness of God,
they stand on the borders of the prom
ised inheritance. 1t was secured to them,
by a deed, whose validity none could
question. God had assured them that
if they would keep his covenant he would
bring them into possession OF the land,
Mum, l3-l7-33.)
And yet, with the possession full in
view, the promise of God was not enough.
They must have human testimony in or
der TO believe. So they sent men from
every tribe, who when they returned,
brought report such as might be ex-
pected from the spirit in which they
went out. These reporters came back
and said, sit is good land," but "there
are giants there" and ''walled cities"
and moreover We look to those giant
sons of Anak like grasshoppers." How
this element of doubt comes in to inter
fere with the comforts and usefulness of
good people. Who told these people of
the promise how they looked to the
Canaanites? When we think the giants
of evil consider us helpless before them,
the thought comes of our own timidity.
In this matter the Lord has set us in a
large place. Instead of our seeming like
in opposing wrong, the
fact is that when Gods people really set
themselves with courage against any
form of evil, there is great stir in the
enemies ranks and combining of forces
for strength, because they know that
even, zone saint with God" is majority
against all the hosts of darkness.
Yet as thoughtful people who wish
to know where we are and what we
ought to do let us not forget that the
world power is always alert and active.
The devil is an artist in the way of in
venting enticements, garnishing up his
traps and covering them with tinery. He
takes great delight in Turing unweary
souls into excitements, clouding their
spiritual life, and putting them in com
promising positions, which destroy their
spiritual power. How many Christian
lives have been darkened by these,
"wiles of the devil' and have fallen into
that have prevented them
from laying hold on priceless opportuni-
ties and using them for the Master.
Then too the beginnings of the ways
Of disobediencc are often almost imper-
ceptable and the ends of such ways un-
There is way that seemeth
right to a man, but the end thereof are
the ways of death" Turning from the
life of communion with God, from the
privilege of service for him to the indul
gencics of a carnal and worldly life, is
like the letting in of waters that sweeps
down all the resistances which years of
correct living have builded. They are