The age-herald., 1901-03-04
We Are With God Alone.

What the circumstances of our birth: what the accomplishments of our life; what the nature of our position, what the magnitude of our possessions, what the number of our friends or the disposi- ton of our enemies. 80 far as the act of our exit from this life is concerned will matter little to us then. All All must stand aside, And whether singly. in re- sponse to the call of the allotted term of years, wearied and seeking rest we go, or in groups, hastily summoned by some accident. the result of violation of established law, we are hurled beyond, Individually We are with God alone! Oh, how the heart has ached: oh, how the soul doth mourn: oh. how the eye will yet. as the days go by become fountains of salt and bitter waters In the presence of loved ones going out from us all alone! Alone? An. we say, 1t cannot be; it is too dark; too chill; too desolate; too drear; our loved one must not go alone. So far, l repeat, as humanity and all human conditions are concerned, 1t is, 1t must be. But so far, thank God as divinity and divine conditions are concerned it Is not, it need not bel Nay, so sure as there be God ditons are concerned it is not. 1t need not be! Nay. sure as there be a God 1t cannot be- For whether as comforter or avenger, God Is there, and all the sub sequent glory of paradise can never aug ment the measure of our present Joy If He be there as approving Savior, nor all the terrors of hell add to the gnawing or our present anguish if He be there as condemning judge
 We are then so constituted that at times none of the experiences that give expression simply to our earthly life and surroundings can gratify or satisfy us. and we hunger and thirst after God, and God alone. We are so conditioned that In stepping from time to eternity We must be with God. and God alone. What more reasonable then, l ask, than that at times we satisfy our hunger and quench our thirst according to the prompting of our constitution?
 That we seek an intimate personal ac- quaintance with God in time, so that we shall recognize His face and know His voice when, looking toward the immor- tai shore, We see Him appear and hear Him declare: When thou passest through the waters, l will be with thee?' l ask this question and insist upon It's proper considera ton and legitimate answer. be- cause only in such can we hope for the practice In our lives of the lesson the Prophet, in the use of the text, fin obedi- ence to the command of God, would have us learn.
 Month after month we preach; year after pear We hear! Is the seed sown by the prea being received and watered and fertilized by the nearer? Shall we come into possession of our inheritance? Do we now realize that it Is ours? Is it borne in upon our souls That we are the children of God; and If children, then heirs; heirs according to the promises heirs of God. and joint heirs with Christ to an inheritance that Is incorruptible unselfish and that fadeth not away An inheritance whose natural law Is growth, and whose nature Is to satisfy eternally? This is our privilege. God grant that 1t may be our possession. Before we can enter upon 1t there may be strong bands of wickedness to loose; heavy burdens of sorrow to undo; many oppressed with sla- very to set free; and many yokes of Satan to break and replace with the yoke of Him who says: Come unto Me, all We that labor and are heavy laden. and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke Is easy and My burden is light But all can be done in Jesus name for the glory of His king dom and the establishment of His power. And it can be done by us no matter what our past condition or present surround dings, if we shall but simply so declare and determine, by the grace and power or God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
 The East Accountable to God,