Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-12-27

III
the picture of the mother bird shielding
the little ones. What so warm. so com.
fortaale. as the mothers wings. or the
nest that love has made9 lsnt listen to
this: il you will only dwell IN :he SECRET
place" you shall abide under the sha dow
Of the Almighty; and as i that would not
be tender cnongh TO WOO ~. we are told
again. "He shall cover thee with His
feathers, and under His wings thou shalt
trust"
Home is the place for explanations.
! There we tell our secrets. II the neople
of the world do not understand US, our
loved ones in our homes do.
H.
It would be imnossible for ono 70 read
the verses Immediately following the text
without being impressed with the fact
that the most remarkable results will
follow our abiding and dwelling in the
Secret place"
In order that the subject may he the
more practical and helpful desire to suC-
/ gest some things which will surely be ours
when we fulfill the conditions.
l. In the Secret place" there is peace.
"In the world We shall have tribulation."
our Master said. 'but in Ne We shall
have peace" i have read that a certain
insect has the mower to surround itself
with film of air. encompassed in which
it drops into the midst of muddy. stag
believer may he thus surrounded by the
atmosphere of God. and while he is in the
midst of the turmoils of the world he may
be filed to overlooking with the peace
of God. because God is with him.
This Is true whatever v"ur occupation.
il it is ever so menial. The Rev. +. Y.
Never tells US of Lawrence. the simple
minded cook. who said that ''for more than
sixty years he never lost the sense of the
presence of God. hut was as conscious
Of it while performing the duties Of his
Lords supper" What peace he must
have had.
If you are constantly engaged so that
YOU have said it was impossible for Won
to enjoy your religion very much because
You were so busy. still vor NAV have this
peace. because you are in the secret
place" l know that it is imnossihle for
one to keen two thoughts in the mind at
the same time and do them both Justice:
but there is the heart as well as the
mind. and while the mind is busy the
heart may he rejoicing in all the fullness
of God The orator is conscious OF the
presence of his audience. ard his heH-i
j. touched by their appreciation wh;'e
his mind is busy in presenting the
thoughts that move them. Won may have
all your mind taken nm with the hook
Won are reading or studying. but vori
heart is conscious of the presence of the
one yon love and who sits nv your side,
The mother NAV be very busy in ore part
of the house: her mind NAV he greatly
engaged. hut her heart is conscious of the
fact that her little babe is in another mart
of the house. and the least cry will draw
her to the child. SO tho mind may be
occupied TO the very fullest extent. anc
even be disturbed nv the things about us
while the heart NAV he abiding ~ swoei
communion and fellowship with Him he
cause we are dwelling in the ''secre'
place"
Those were comforting words OF III.
Masters when He said. ''Peace I leave
with YOU. NV peace ! give unto you, moi
as the world giveth: give | unto YOU
Let not your hearts he troubled. neither
let them be afraid" So that 7 nav have
peace even when trial comes David founc
this to be true, for in that heautifu
Psalm. the 9th. he saws: I'm the time
of trouble He will hide RE in His pavilion:
in the secret of His tabernacle will He
hide me-" The pavilion was a great tent
in the very centre of the camp. and wher
he was there nothing could harm him:
he could be at peace even If he should
hear the sounds of his enemies. But the
expression is even stronger than that. for
David says that if it were necessary God
would even nut him in the "secret al
His tabernacle;" that is the snme as the
Holy of Holes: and who would not have
been safe there? Here is orr SECRET
has given us the privilege of going WHY
should we be disturbed ii troubles are
about us and our enemies rise up TO do
US harm?
2. In the Secret place. there is purity.
If our surroundings were only better in
this world, our lives would be purer. it
IS very easy to be good n the company OF
some people we know; they seem to draw
ont all the good in us. To be surrounded
by certain kinds of scenery Is to be lifted
near Heaven; to touch little child pure
as the angels of God is to receive bene::
diction. What could not the presence of
God do for us if only we were all the
time conscious of it? This is just what /
may have, did l but dwell in the secret
place." One of the reasons which David
gives for desiring to dwell in the house OF
the Lord was that che might behold the
beauty of the Lord"
wish that it might be possible for me
to make plain to you as / might un.
derstand it myself all the beauty that
waits us in the secret place." Think OF
the gorgeousness OF the Holy of Holes
in the ancient tabernacle. which is a
type of this! The wonderful curtains and
hangings of the place, its blue and purple,
its fine twined linen and threads OF
gold. Think of the beautiful veil with the
cherubim, with the embroidery so fine
that angel fingers must have wrought
them: the table of pure gold holding the
stick? Who from the outside looking upor
the badger-skin tent would have imagined
how glorious it was within? So i do not
think it would be possible to make plail
to you all that awaits you in the "secrei
place." He who has dwelt there with Goo
could not tell his joy if ne had an angel.
speech; but this l know, that If YOU vii
but enter in and dwell there, the yer,
beauty of the place will make you pure
and you remember that it is only unto
: "the pure in heart" that the vision o.
God is promised.
( l suppose we might have been with
Jacob when in his dream he saw the
heavens opened and beheld the ange,.
going up and coming down and heard the
voice of God, and we only should have
seen the dreary mountains round about
{ / doubt not by that we might have
been with Paul when he was caught up tc
the third heaven. and we should hav,
4 seen nothing but the humble surrounding
! of his tent. And / doubt not but that
/ If Paul were here to-day lac would SET
! God here this morning. and he would
have walked on the street with Hin
yesterday. Is not the trouble with
ourselves instead of our surroundings o,
! our tine: Every permitted sin encrusti
the wiadows of the soul and blinds ouI
vision; and every victory over evil clears
the rision of the soul, and we can see
Him little palmer.
The unhoiy man could not see God Il
he were set down in the midst of Heaven;
but men and women whose hearts are
pure see Him in the very commonest walks
of life. And there Is rot a place in the
world IL II is right tha. we Shnuid have