Orange County observer., 1903-07-30
:, a-a.aou.e Ill oppression and

cou1d have overcome all oppression. .oa ana
have reached the land OF ilgne any e 'iessa
o,sa ne illstrates the significance, of the first
t,,'tb: tr1I Christ was cast down, thrown ASIDE
~, Tsrael The results of that re!ect!on are
i,no1vn to the world. The spiritual Il1e was vas
atronhied, but something more tnan .iS ;naS
resulted. In the path OF that people r';GM s.o1H
Christ in divine. opposition 70 'nI tha ." helm
Of Of God. became to them, OF, rather, TO
their nosition, y hostile power. ana musc
90 remain until they reach torth their
hands and accept HIM. a .zLss.,a
The third thought we would emPhasize
as tie teaching of the miracle OF 5ne roy
IS that no man 2 can be be eaaRRedd {Red with I'll fear
and Trembling, Moses was afraid to. 40 the tn
bidding Of God-afraid Of the reception tne ne
3;U;ne message would receive, AFRAID OF
the consequences to himself The trans
formed rod revealed the secret OF his nest /.
tancv: he fed from before It; tear was
within his heart. God gave nm IN sarab mabS'1ls hs
hand and grasped the menacing serpent
and il became rod again. Moses was
TAUGHT and as his after life revealed;
learned the lesson of fearlessness Tor God
and His truth, "If God be for us who can
be against u.s." ,,. ...,.
The relation of fear to all life and truth
IS All interesting study, one on Wnlcn lnole
in the worlds history. Fear IS altoge,thecr
detrimental to the health and growth e, OF
the nhysical BODY. Professor Sully tells
us Of children dwarfed and ruined in body
and mind through the shock and power
of simple fear Psychologists tell US, ana
we know from experience that tear h1huers
digestion. that it brings mental collapse.
The changing Of the color, of the hair. IN
one night through the paralysis of fear is
we'll established fact. That which can SO
radically change the color of pigment must
have an awful effect upon the more vital
and direct parts of the body. Fear de-
stroys mental and spiritual development;
training of children now recognizes and
emphasizes this truth. Dickens powerfully
illustrated this truth to all England in his
''Nicholas Nickleby." Fear has worked
havoc in the religious life; it has distorted
the vision of God and frozen the genial
and natural expressions of worship: 1t hay
paralyzed and hampered the church in her
triumphant march. It has transformed
many of the messengers of God into poor
whining and ineffective apologists. 1t is
this fear in religion and for religion thaS
our God would have us overcome even as
He had Moses overcome. A right concep.
tion of God is assurance that He must
triumph III Cllc WOIh VI LIS HduOS. lielv
His kingdom must come and His love and
truth prevail everywhere. God would have
His children confident in the presence OF
difficulties, assured in the presence OF
perils, calm in the mighty storms of preju-
dice and doubt, certain in the midst of un-
certainties He would have us obey Him
as implicitly and lovingly as the gentle
child obeys the loving parent: In all this
He would have us open eyed to danger.
direct in the meeting of it and sure in the
mastery of it.
To-day the church, as a whole, is more
possessed of fear than we like to acknowl-
edge. A dominant mate-ialism and world
illness freeze the faith and hope of great
number-evangelical zeal and enthusiasm
are at low ebb in these trembling chill
dren of the Most High. Critical scholar
ship, with all the presupnositlons OF the
higher criticism stands before the church.
Tt must be met. Some fear that dire and
| dreadful results to the cause of God must
ensue. The scier ific spirit, stalks abroad
mighty grip. Many child Of God,
| knowing that his most precious possessions
have not and. cannot,s from their nature,
come through or be Established by such a
spirit, but that they are the gifts Of faith
is fleeing with fear from before the mag
ined terror. 10 all sucn fearful believers
God says-even as to Moses in the miracle
of the rod-fmeet the difficulties, seize
| them in their vitals and fear not"
| There can be but one result to the child
Of God. The Apostle Paul knew this when
he wrote: Cali things work together for
good to them that love God" There can
be but one result to the Kingdom of God
ellis kingdom is an everlasting kingdom u
All things shall be put under His feet.
\ In the preparation of His church our
Saviour gave great attention to the eradica-
ton of the elements of religious fear. His
addresses to the seventy and the twelve
were supreme emphasis upon confidence
in God and fearlessness toward man and all
things that were or might appear in op
position to the work Divine. "Benold
give unto you power to tread on serpents
and scorpions and over all the power ol
the enemy, and nothing shall by any means
hurt vou."
In His relation to them on sea and land
alone Or with the multitudes, before anc
after death, there constantly appears di
, rectly or bv inference the injunction: BE
not afraid" The Master would have Hi
children joyfully expectant of His presence
J IN every place and under all conditions
, and to realize that that Presence was tn,
) ultimate solution of every problem. th'
resolution Of every difficulty and the full
fillment of every promise; that the fearles
] challenge of the church should ever be
) If God be for US, who can be acains
, u.s."