The Newtown bee., 1902-08-15

ana lOlO us dSd1uSU OllC uuOA POSoSN gusts of life. God comments himself fo ms by His evident superiority over what we think is irresistible. He is not phased by human predicaments, or baked by crises. He is constantly evolving good results from apparently dismal plights. He even waits while some evils kill themselves out with pernicious activity.
 It is quite needless to imagine or dog matize that God foreordains the con- fusion of the natural law. He did not make Saul commit suicide; the Kings own self blasted course led up to just such an inevitable tragedy. He did not make Indas traitor; the man let himself be made the easy victim Of vicious plotters, he loaned himself to corruptive forces; and his suIcide prov, ed his remorse over bad Dpersonal blunder. God did not fOreOrdain the Civil war; it was humanly necessitated. Blunted moral sense had to pay it's natural blood penalty. If one eats poison mushrooms, he must suffer for carelessness. We are never to shoulder off on God what we must carry on our own shoulders. Just as foolish is it to eliminate God, because the situation seems too much for us. That is debas- ing God to the human level. He is no longer God, only laundering, absentee man. Experience that is at all valu- sleeps, never takes a vacation, and never asks us to forget Him. He has RESERVE RESOURCES WE HAVE FOR
 GOTTEN
 or never reckoned upon. He nev- CT initiates cowardly men who r,i 1or cnninn1U 0lrNn and whine and whimper in their ignOr- ance and inertia. Being forever equal to the emergency. He calls to the doubter, the idler, the fearful hiding in some convenient burrOw, "What doest thou here?"
 Let us never overlook that kindred truth, Gods watch-care is for greater ends than we often imagine.
 Elijah welcomed food because he was hungry. God fed him, because He wanted to use him in still larger way. The man was ready to die if JeZebel was to conquer; but God wes still manager. A common sin is that of the rophet,-forgetting that God is His own manager, and never sublets His powers to the evil. Per haps Elijah lost courage and faith be- cause Jezebel eclipsed her husband in cyclonic energy. 1t may be he tired of waiting for her death, just as some people fret over the longevity of sa- tanlty and wish for other folks funer- alS.
 After the campaign is over it is easier to see that God was the super for general. Wellington fancied he and circumstances had much to do with Napoleon's defeat. Many of Gods best plans mature with aggra- vating slowness, we think. We would like to be manager-in- chief fora while, to hasten the desired end. But God writes history often with slow pen strokes. He did not hurry an express train load of corn from Egypt to save Jacob from starving; but He let Joseph grow to be Pharoah's cham berlain, for purpose. Management is not always synonomous with speed. Gods best work can never be rushed, risked by blunders. Douglas was the more brilliant debater and triumphed over Lincoln; but God looked ahead and saw that Lincoln would be the safer pilot for this Nation. When the necessity dawned God did not find Lincoln hiding in any cave, pining and whimpering over defeat, but ready for action: so He called him to the front to demonstrate the truth Americans needed to learn and so teach the world.
 It is this very luminous fact of GODS ABILITY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM that staggers us that makes Him God to me. If our inetticiency were not off set by His Almightinness, A that knows no defeat, no failure, no error of judge ment, no lack of reach, and no ex- haustion, why it would be high time for us to quit worshipping Him. h. tinitude of ability, lodged in one we call God, lifts life from the degrading, discouraging level of a hopeless, heart- less scramble for mere things. He lets us share in that inexhaustible ability by feeling that it is being ex- erted continually on our behalf. That ought to give poise and power to any soul, no matter what the complexion of circumstances; it ought to generate courage and stimulate faith.
 When the prophet blundered, God hinted his presence and power by sum- moning to loftier action than fear. God is always calling man to better doing, both for His and mans sake. It is merciful in the Almighty not to leave us to ourselves. cOuched in our cares of melancholy, fear and distrust. Anxious breeding is poor food for ones heart, for timidity starves and doubt palSieS ones powers; it numbS the higher senses, and makes us ob- livious of the inspiration that comes from faith in an all-Sufficient God.