The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-08-29

IT,
lie ia near There are so many ways In
which lie Is near 10 us. First In creation.
II IS a great mistake, however 10 think
that we can find enough of God IN nature
90 satisfy our souls, for we cannot There
IS a verse written by Browning. If / mis-.
take not, ia which be says something like
this:
Earth is crammed with heaven. and
every bush IA on fire with God" But it is
a great mistake 10 seek to find Him only in
this way He is near to ms Ia providences,
and as a rule for the Christian God u
never nearer than when we pass through
trial. We sometimes see farther through
our tears than in any other way for they
are like telescopes a friend Of mine was
showing me a picture the other day taken
with telescope camera, in which a mount
ain fifteen miles away was brought 80 near
| that you could study IL in minutest detail.
| But He is nearest, Of course, IN Jesus
| Christ
First: He is near az a sin.forgiving God.
| "There is therefore now no condemnation
| to them which are in Christ Jesus, who
walk not after the flesh, but after the
| Spirit" Romans s: /. The thought OF the
Judgment is something awful, but let it be
| remembered that the word condemna-
| ton" is the same in the Greek as ludg-
ment" and for those who are IN Christ
Jesus, whatever their sins, judgment Is
| forever past.
Second. He is near as a mountaineering
! God. For all the PROMISES OF God IN
| Him are yea, and in Him amen. unto the
| glory Of God bv us" III Corinthians ! %.
| There IA not in all the eyigencies Of our
| lives a trial that cannot be Offset by a
promise of help found in the Bible and
! these all centre in Him.
| Third: He is near as a prayer-answerng
| God John l6 1924 "And in that day We
| shall ask Me nothing. Verify, verify l
| say unto vow. Whatsoever We shall ask the
| Father in My name, he will give 1t you.
Hitherto have We asked nothing IN NY
name: ask and We shall receive, that your
iov NAV be full" This is Gods own word;
and il our PRAYERS have not been answered
] tho difficulty is with ourselves.
Fourth: lie is near as a gracious Father.
John "a: GIG. "Jesus saith unto nm,
Have been so long time with YOU and
vet hast thou not known Me. Phlllnf lie
i that hath seen Me hath seen the Father
and how sayest thou, then, Show US the
Father? Beievest thou not that | am IN
the Father and the Father in Me- The
words that I speak unto you / speak not
Of Myself. but the Father. that dwelleth
in Ne; He doetb the works" By these
Words Jesus wanted Philip to know when
be had seen Him touch the eyes, OF the
blind and False the dead and comfort the
sorrowing he had had vision OF the
Father in His infinite love.
III
I've have lost the sense Of His nearness.
First In Genesis %. l6. we read, And
Jacob awaked out Of his sleep, and he SAID.
Surely the lord IS in this place; and
know it not" After Jacob had had his
day of fight and his NIGHT Of dreams he
awakes to saw. "Tha Lord was in this place
and knew it not" and the reason he did
not know was because he was deceitful
and dishonest. Ii we give this the right
name we shall saw he was sinful. but sep
arate us from God and hide His face from
Us so that He not only will not hear but
He cannot see. blessed are the pure in
heart. for they shall see Cod"
Second: In Exodus 3: 5. we read "And
He said. Draw not nigh hither but off thy
shoes from off thy feet, for the place
whereon thou standest is holy ground"
Moses had no idea that he would see God
in the burning bush. for he was not eX.
pecting Him, and let it be remembered
that we have failed to see Him because
our minds are not set upon Him. lie is on
Him we Should see Him at everv turn 81
life and every hour Of the day Your posi-
ton may be very unsatisfactory to YOU
but it is possible for Won in the most me.
NAL place tn see Christ just as Paul had
visions of Him constantly, and yet he was
only tent maker
Third: In Amos g. 3. we read "Can two
walk together except they be agreed ??
and that word agreed" in the Hebrews is
betrothal, while ~ the Greek is sym
phony" The reason we have lost ster
with God is because we have disagreed
with Him If we were as Indifferent to
that one to whom we were hetrothed ];
we have been to the claim of God there
would have been no marriage, and if we
were as Indifferent In the wife of our home
rs we have been to Him there would be ne
happy home Oh, that we might agreC
with Him to-day and keep step with Him
we would see Him constantly.
w.
lie is near and He will preserve. Psalm
n: 1926, "EhP stems of a GOOD man are or
dered by the Lord and He deGohteth il
his way. Though he fall he shall not ht
utterly cast down; for the Lord upholdetf
him with His hand [ have been young
and now am old; yet have / not seen The
righteous forsaken. nor his seed hegginl
bread" IT. is written in the Bible anC
Gods word IS always true Psalm l2l: 3
'He will not suffer thy foot to be moved
He that keepeth thee will not slumher
We may not be conscious Of His rearness
but He is near, lust the same We have
some time been in dark room all alone
nothing about us We have touched thu
electric button. when suddenly we reaIizes
that the furnishings of the room are OF
everv side of us We were not conscious
If them. hut they were near. and we hav,
lost consciousness Of God. and vet if w,
had but time to illumine the place wher
we live we would see all about Us the evi
deuee Of His presence. peace. pardon. love
iov Oh, that we mirht live in the fur
1ished room Of God. for He is near pro
: tecting us, defending us keeping back th
oestlerce. and so turning aside the arm o
] death from us. Trouble may come YER
near. but it cannot overthrow MS. II