Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-09-02
THE REV. R. R. bigger,
PREACHED An INTERESTING SER
MON YESTERDAY MORNING
IN THE
THIRD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
His Text Was Taken From Exodus,
Thirty-Third Chapter, Fourteenth
yerse-The

Yesterday morning, in the Third
Presbyterian Church, the pastor, the
Rev. r.. r. Bigger, preached an able
sermon On the topic:
my presence shall go with thee and
/ will give thee rest. EXODUS
xxxiii., IA.
Mr.. Bigger said:
THE one idea contained in tbs text
is that the presence OF God in our lives
gives us r~est-peace. At this season OF
the year, when vacations are about to
end and the time has come when every
preacher and every church member
should be at their post of duty, 1t may
seem very much out of place that |
should speak on the subject Of rest.
We are now beginning another year OF
hard work, and at first thought 1t would
seem that the question OF rest should
be the last thing to enter u minds just
now. But, dear friends, is there not a
certain kind OF rest which We ever
~need-even in the midst OF our most
vigorous labors? Yes, and it Is the KIND
of rest referred to in this text. The
word rest used here does not mean
nhvsical repose, nor does 1t mean a
cessation of mental labor. The promise
contained in our text was made to
Moses, who was engaged. both physic-
ally and mentally, in the great work OF
guiding a whole nation of people
through a painless wilderness. lie did
not expect nor want either physical or
mental rest, but these was a kind rest
which he id want and must have if he
would succeed in his labors. He had be-
come discouraged as a leader OF the
Israelitish nation. He felt that he
could not do the work which God had
given him to do unless he was diyinely
led. He dreaded the thought OF gong
forward without Gods presence. Our
text is Gods promise to be with him,
and that promise brought rest to the
troubled soul of this busy man. The
word rest, therefore, here means relief
HUN PGlPitAtI1 dLhIVtJ uhN ~
ty, and at the same time a blessed as
surance' that the mighty arm of God
will hold us up, provide for us and
crown us with success. That is what
made Moses the greatest. leader the
world ever saw, except Jesus Christ. He
was led OF Godl Abraham Lincoln was
conscious of the fact that Gods pres
ence was with him. Some n asked
him how he accounted for his wonder
full rise through poverty and many
other difficulties to his conspicuous and
useful place in the world. He replied:
From the time that / was a boy until
the present moment, l have always be-
lieved that was led of God. l tell you,
when a man is led of God nothing in
the world can stand before him. What
this nation needs at the present time
is more men led of God.
Now, every man can be divinely led
and have this rest il he will only so
forward, putting his trust in the Lord.
This rest this peace, is one Of the
characteristics of the true Christian.
God still says to every o~bedient, trust
full son and daughter, just as emphaI-
ically as He said to Moses, My presence
shall go with thee and | will give thee
rest Therefore, in the great work of
another year we need this peculiar
blessed rest.
q. We need rest from perplexitY.
There are times when We know not
which way to turn. How miserable is
the man who is lost in the woods. Per
picked, alarmed, he knows not which
way to turn. Nothing would relieve his
perplexity so much as a guide in whom
he could repose complete confidence. in
the journey of life we get lost in the
woods OF sin and trouble. We must
have a guide or our perpleyity may lead
us to ruin. In jeremiah we read: The
way Of man is not in himself; it is not