The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1902-06-21
and obedi.ntiy constructed tho ark.

was looked upon as a weak and spirit
less member of the human family, but
the power of God was made perfect
in his submissive weakness when the
ark he bad constructed bore him safe
ly on the breast of the mighty food
while those who prided themselves in
their W strength and wisdom were
resting in watery graves. Abraham, by
his blind obedience to the Divine com
mand, established a nation and pre-
pared the way for the coming of
Christ. And in Christ we find the per-
feet exempliication of the mighty pow
er Of God being made perfect in
weakness. When Peter drew his
sword in protection of his Lord
in the Garden of Gethsemane, when
the Roman soldiers and officers Of the
temple came to arrest him, he turned
to that Jealous disciple and said:
"Thinkest thou that I cannot now
pray to my Father, and He shall pres
emily give me more than IL legions Of
angels?" Yea, verify He might. but
would not, for the strength of God was
to be made perfect in His weakness.
h seeming defeat on the cross. en-
abled Paul to write: "For l am not
ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for
1t is the power of God unto salvation
to every one that believeth."
Mans Extremity Gods Opportunity.
And if Gods strength is made per-
fect in weakness" it must needs be
that mans extremity becomes Gods
opportunity. God cannot do much
with the soul that is trusting in its
own strength and wisdom, and will
not recognize a need outside of itself.
But let a SOU get to the end of itself as
did Paul, and the grace of God is found
sufficient and His strength is made
manifest in the confessed weakness.
Jesus couldn't do much for the young
man who came to him seeking the way
of eternal life because he was trust
ing in the riches he was not willing to
give up; but across the lake of Galilee,
in the country of the Gadarenes. He
met the poor demon-possessed man,
and in answer to his cry gave him de-
~lverance. The thief on the cross who
came to the end of himself and turned
to Christ for help soon found himself
in Paradise with his Lord. The other
thief on the cross who stubbornly re-
fused to recognize the Christ, but re-
vlled Him, passed IN into darkness
n eternal death. In the one. mans
extremity became Gods opportunity.
In the other. mans extremity worked
for him his Owp Iae+r,o+;or
The helpless sinner at Jesus feet is
raised up a cleansed and saved soul.
God has to get a man down before He
can help him up. Man cannot step
from his sutficiency into the King
dom of God. He must realize a desper-
ate need. His cry must be, Lord, save
or | perish" The Christian at Jesus
feet, discouraged and disheartened
with his own effort to do and to over
come, finds he can do all things
through Christ who strengthened
him. Rev. F. b. Meyer, pastor of
Christ church, London, says: do not
sit down before that mistaken marri-
age, that uncongenial business, that
physical weakness. as though thy life
must De 1al'ure; but take In large re-
ihiorcements OF That Divine grace
winch is gwen otne weak and 10 those
mno nave no nilght' LUIS elear Una 81
iaul Ia" reached such a~condlt'oh that
IL was d matter OF deep eongratuiatlon
q I'm 10 oe uenclent IN mueh that
hen holu uear' M &c nave what most
men ureao' ne reJoleeo IN al
'na' diminished creature-mlsht Il
s'rengtheheo ms holu on COD
Joy IN raul rear
i%eu thae uoas strength was maze
PERFECT IN MS weakness d ne" source
Oh Joy was opened up 10 MIN. An,
now that Ihorn IN the nesh became ulg-
nineu Inc glorihed 'hat gay, "hen inns
p.esseu truth burst upon MS SPIRITUAL
Nisioh' raul energies from the gloom
o. ms pnyslea! lhhrmlty INTO tne gIor-
lous Ight OF the presence OF ms Loro
M morn Is no longer there as
morn ou' mas o tne EVIDENCE or
'ne presence OF the grace ana power
OF roo Inns Is your privilege, 100
ana NINE. me morn IN the hesh' the
aaiy lrlaI ana disappointment, lhe
misfortune ana prlVa1loh may all De
transformed 1ntO blessings.