The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1902-06-21

to some task of tent-making to make
sure of his next meal and lodging.
With his closet door shut and just
one request on his lips he pours QUIT
his soul before his Lord in anguish OF
pleading. The one-request prayers
into which are thrown all the intense
desire OF ones being are the prayers
which reach the ear OF God. Lord, II
Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean"
"Lord. that might receive my sight"
See the needy multitudes following
Jesus, each with one petition on his
lips for the supplying of some supreme
need. The leper, the halt, the lame'
the blind, the centurion for his ser
want, the ruler for his daughter, all
come with~one persistent cry which
never failed to reach the Masters ear.
Paul goes over his whole case with
the Lord, he opens up his heart to the
Divine love and sympathy, he makes
his request known. God hears but does
not answer, and Paul leaves his closet
with heavy heart and darkness all
about him. No light from God. No an
swer. All, Christian, is this your ex-
perience? Have you pleaded your one
request before the Lord in your closet
alone, and gone out again with no light
and no Joy? The fault is not that of
your loving and wise Heavenly Father,
but is due to your own condition OF
heart, which as yet is not ready for the
blessing which God wants so much to
give. "The heart is deceitful above all
things" and 1--WE ask, and receive not,
because we ask amiss (without at first
being conscious of it), that we may
consume it upon our pleasures" Paul
is in darkness, but he knows the trouble
lies within himself and not with God.
With David he can exclaim: "Why art
thou cast down, o my soul? and why
art thou disquieted in meP Hope thou
in God: for shall yet praise Him for
the help of His countenance."
Again Paul seeks his closet and again
he unburdens his heart before God. As
he waits there before his Lord his heart
| is made ready for the blessing; it is
cleansed from selfish motive and de
sire and his will Is brought into har
| mony with that of his Lord. Perhap,
he begins to realize the danger he wa'
in of getting out of practical touch will
the needy world through too constant
dwelling in the third Heaven expert
ences. This is one danger which beset.
the deeply spiritual to-day. We neet
| the mountain-top experiences; we may
have them, but we must not build on
temples there, one for Christ and on,
for the few favored disciples, but W.
must get down among the multitude
to seek and to save the lost. Chris
went down from the mountain Of trans
figuration to the death on the cross
! We must come down from our noun
tain-top experiences and give our lives
for others, If we would find them again
AS God taught Paul that lesson, so vii
He teach you, and you will come to real
ize that the thorn in the flesh is given
"lest you should be exalted allow
measure through the abundance of tn
revelation"
Paul went out from the presence o
the Lord at that second seeking re
freshed, yet humbled. The thorn
there to remain, and he Is sorely but
feted. There is joyless submission o
his part. He must endure for Jesu,
sake. All, how often this is the cond
ton Of the Christian heart! Realizf
ton that the affection, the infirmit
must be borne, but joylessness in
all which is discouraging and dishear'
ening! With Paul we need to get bac
, into our closets a third time and hes
, the sweet tones Of our Master say
e "My grace is sufficient for thee: IL
E my strength Is made perfect in weal
: ness" Then we can go out singir
with Paul: "Most gladly, therefor
: will rather glory in my infirmitie
: that the power Of Christ may rest upo
: me-"
s Strength Made Perfect.-There is
I difference between strength made pc
e feet and strength made manifest. II
r helpless and submissive babe in IL
i mothers arms snuggles close al
J, draws its nourishment and obtains 4
t rest under her sheltering protectio
and thus is her strength made pc
I feet in the weak submission of the Ii
e tie babe. Out on the street midst Il
J, gathering crowd the blue-coated of
!. Ger Is struggling with the criminal WI
e desperately seeks to obtain his fire.
d dom. The officer finally subdues h
prisoner and hustles him off to tn
y lookup. Here is strength made man
4 fest.
i Here is the little acorn with II
y germ of the mighty oak within I'll
y sheltering walls of its tiny priso
e Planted, the swelling, throbbing III
S pushes down and up, and the strengt
$ of nature is made perfect in the r
d sultant growth. AS the tree shakesi
!, spreading branches in the warmir
: sunshine and refreshing rain, al
$ pushes It's roots downward to the trio
ling stream below, natures forces al
strength continue to find their pc
:, lection in the submissive will of II
: tree. The darkening sky in the we
;. betokens the gathering storm, and
the whirling clouds and rushing win,
sweep violently by, 10! we find o,
> great oak lying low before US and RET
;. ize that the mighty, convulsi
y strength Of nature has been made ma
: ifest.
: Here Is q human life through wifi
:. God longs to pour His strength al
nouar Az LONG ne that life fs srIhm