The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-08-22

Jacob at another time a real wrestling
with God about the matter. Well, and
what answer did he gets Was the
thorn removeds No. Did il cease to
be hurting, constant evil thing remind
ing him of his weakness. No Well,
what did Paul get from his prayings
Why, just this. Gods answer came TO
him saying. Ny grace is sufficient for
thee" As much as 10 say TO him, Gro
ON Paul with your thorn hurting YOU
But go with the assurance that however
keen the pang or humiliating the trial
you win be given the power TO bear mp
under il. Well, that was not very much
of an answer, You say. To some
minds perhaps not. But il was about
all the answer that Jesus got when he
struggled in the garden and prayed, IF
it be possible let this cup pass from me T"
The cup did not pass from him But he
was sustained while he drank il 10 its
bitter dregs- Somewhat like his Lord,
Paul prayed three definite times and
then got his final answer He did not
go on teasing God You viii recall
that when Moses was taken 10 the top
OF Mt Pisgah and there prayed that he
might be permitted TO cross the Jordan
and see the goodlY land, he got the
rather gruf reply, Let it suffice thee;
speak no more unto me Of this matter -
Ny fellow christian have you known
what it means 10 carry in prayer TO
God petition for the removal Of some
hindrsnce IN your way. the cure Of
some malady in Your body. the destruc-
tion OF some evil temper or besetting
sin and to go away with the feeling it
can never be. must drag out this
miserable course to the very end Then
haze you caught hold Of that deeper
assurance. that bitter and hard though
the trial is TO be. God is going TO be
with You all the way. If so, you have
laid hold Of the spiritual Gift which
God was anxious TO give.
But again Paul was taught by his
thorn the secret Of strength He
learned that when he was weak he was
strong. How many times yon have
puzzled your brain over this contradic-
tion. But after all how true il is 10
real life Here is a swimmer vino scarce
ly knows how 10 swim and full of fear
lest he is TO be drowned. He thrashes
about III the water exhausting himself
and splashing the water furiously. But
though he may be very strong man
the powers OF nature are mightier than
he and directly he is exhausted and goes
down But there Is a swimmer who
knows how 10 swim His mOtionsare
gentle, he drops in with the current OF
the tide and let's il carry him for mil as
even without any effort There is not
the outgo Of one-tenth the energy dis
played by the first man but there is the
greatest OF progress and safety. The
second man knows how TO let nature :
strength support and carry him In his
weakness he finds his strength Says
Robertson, Man is the weakest, and
yet the strongest of living creatures =
because he obeys the laws Of nature: he
has the strength of the lion, the speed Of
the antelope; he bids the sun be his
painter, and the lightning carry his
messages. and the seas bear his mer-
chandise: because he is the servant
therefore be is the master Ii is just
50 that We are strong with God The
man who is inflated with his own i'm
pOrtance, proud Of his strength and
sufficient unto himself is the weakest
sort of a man. He may have the
strength of Hercules and the intellect
of Daniel Webster but he is weak as a
babe But he who sees the great things
TO he known and TO be achieved in life.
and is conscious of his own weakness
and inability to attain unto them Of
himself wiz be led of God unto the way
of power and success