Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-07-09

Ss>t'SAA' s~Aho supply I'D 6lSulCSC lSVuo.
Now what we most need to perceive
and know is that God alone can do
this. He who framed the heart knows
it and can supply it. We must look to
him or else go hungry of heart. Man
shall not live by bread alone, but by
every word that proceedeth out of the
mouth of God" All this gives point to
our Lords words to lay up treasure
in heaven. Nothing else is adequate,
nothing else can satisfy.
God Knows Us Fully.
Blessed is he who finds out this
precious truth concerning itself. Please
get the point, that none but God can
know us fully, and do all that our ma
lures are capable of and require.
Mans Inability.
Let me read you some words which
have brought this teaching home to
my own heart and thought 1t has
been truly said, Man is only partially
understood or pitied or loved, by man;
but for the fulness of these things he
must go to some far-off country" In
proportion as we are conscious of be-
ing misunderstood and of being quite
unable to satisfy our longing for SYM
pathy and comprehension at human
fountains, We are impelled by spirit
ual instinct to ask for God; the
thought arises in us that He, though
He be very far off, must, as our Great
or, understand us; and as this thought
takes possession of the heart a trem-
ulous hope awakens that perhaps he
is not very far off.
Gods Ability.
Then the heart makes the discovery
of the truth that God can give it what
1T requires, that He fully understands,
that He can enter into all these silent
thoughts and unobserved emotions,
that He can offer an unfailing sym
pathy and faultless comprehension.
He is ready, too, to shed abroad His
own rich love in our hearts, leaving no
room for the hankering desire and Gre
atlng the peace of a complete fulfill
ment.
Threatened Spiritual Death.
What want us all to see this morn
ing is that no one can live as he
should, until he sees that he was made
to live for God, and opens his soul
that God may come in and work his
holy and perfect will to forgive, to
cleanse, to ennoble, to satisfy. 1t III
the souls spiritual death not to see
this. 1t is to perish with hunger af-
ter the fruit of the tree of life has
been offered
The Light of the Lord.
The text, THE spirit of man is the
candle Cor lamp Of the Lord" con
talns the very teaching which needs
to be learned by us all. THE spirit
of man is the candle of the Lord
THE spirit of man" is his soul-nature,
the personality, the real man. This
spirit of man is the candle of the
Lord; that is to say it is something
that was made to shine and should
shine for the Lord. 1t is true to its
possibilities just so far as it is the
candle of Lord.
Lamp Must Be Lighted.
Now if the spirit is the lamp of the
Lord, there are several things that
must be true of it. First, the lamp
must be lighted. God must enter into
the spiritual nature of man. This he
does in the work of the Holy Spirit
which begins with regeneration. There
iiiNo1 w ttiS Dii III IloIi dUoNS Ill OIu0l
to the lighting of the lamp, or rather
the new birth is the lighting of the
lamp. Jesus Christ, the Sun of Right
eousness, is the Light of the world
Said Jesus: 81 am the Light of the
World, he that followeth Me shall not
walk in darkness, but shall have the
light of life" Jesus life is the light
of men. Whenever Christ is turned tc
and received, the light comes in tc
abide, and to shine forever.
/ This spirit of man has not this light
apart from the touch of God. 1t has il
not of itself, nor does it ever attain il
| by any process of inherent evolution
but it obtains it; that is, receives it
for it is the free gift of God. KeeI
the point, we do not attain it, we OBJ
tain it. The lamp does not light it
self, it is lighted.
Light Must Increase.
Second, the light must be sustained
and increase in power. 1t must there
fore shine more and more The sim
pie requirement here is that Of growth
in grace. And growth in grace is eff
fected by the constant use of the un
failing supplies of grace. In no Other
way can the light OF the life grow tt
the perfect day.
Let us refer once more to Jesus
words: He that followeth me shall
not walk in darkness, but shall have
the light of life" Following Christ is
the condition of having the light at al
and may | not say the condition O
having it more and more? For trul,
following Christ means being entered
into by Christ, and therefore means
i becoming increasingly Christ-like.
PauI's Words.
The apostle Paul has caught the
idea in these words: But we allwitl
unveiled face rejecting as a mirror
Tor beholding as in a mirror,) the glo
ry of God, are transformed into the
same image from glory to glory, ever
as from the Lord the Spirit" Tht
meaning is this-the Holy Spirit give.
the follower of Christ to see Christ
yea gives him to look earnestly ant
lovingly upon Him, and as he looks h,
is changed more ana more into Hi
likeness. That is, he grows up int,
Christ
How to Acquire Growth.