The L'Anse sentinel., 1903-11-14

human heart In
this twentieth century Of the Christian
era than there was fourteen hundreu
wears before its dawn Are the people
Of to-day ruled less by their own ue
sires and purposes and anbitions 'han
were the Israelites OF old! And an
other question we want to ASK Is
stubbornness any less a sin to-day Is u
less offensive to God than II was IN the
days when "the anger OF the LORD was
hot against Israel" because OF Stud
bornness and when II cost Saul KING
domi Have the people of to-day oet-
ter right to do as they want to than ala
the people OF whom our text declares
-'they ceased not from their own 90
ings?" AS we read Gods warnings TO
those people, as we follow their history
and see the evils and calamities into
which their stubbornness plunged them'
we climb up into the judges chair
with God and condemn them. ana
then. having passed Judgment on
case over three thousand years old, we
rush of into the present OF our own do
Ing and our own stubbornness. In the
centuries which have passed since this
self-willed. stubborn people dwelt In the
land Of Palestine, has Gods attitude to-
wards the self-will and stubbornness OF
the human heart changed? Samuel. the
prophet OF God, told Saul that stub
bornness was as iniquity and idolatry,
and to-day is It less Ubiquitous and less
dishonoring to God than 1t was then?
We have asked these questions that
they may set you to thinking. We want
to take some pages OF history from Gods
sacred Book and let them shed their
light upon the pathway Of the present,
for 'these things were, our examples"
and have been recorded by God for our
instruction and warning.
THE brief words comprising our
L text are wonderful index to the
conditions which prevailed in the ma
ton of Israel. 1t Is not necessary that
the historian should enter into lengthy
details to understand exactly what the
people were doing When We are told
that they ceased not from their cwn
'doings. nor from their stubborn way"
we know that every desire of the flesh
was INDUCED and every vanity and
of the heart was given
full rein and scope. The natural way
ward tendencies were not checked, and
step by step they plunged farther and
farther into sin. The natural tendency
OF man Is always downward. God
placed man In the earth pure and SPOT
less. Mans desire led to the act OF
disobedience, and succeeding genera
lions ceased not from their own
doings nor from their stubborn way"
until the elimination came in the
flood, and only one man was found
who would listen to God and yield
ing the Judgment Of the flood the
tendency Of man to seek his own way
and stubbornly resist God was not
cured, and the human race again
plunged downward until the judg-
ment thunders burst upon Babel's
tower and man was scattered and his
tongue confused Man ceased not
from his own doings nor from lis
stubborn way. Then came the call
OF Abraham and the establishment of
q nation out of his loins, which was
TO be peculiarly Gods people and to
do His will. In the wilderness Jour
ney "they ceased not from their own
doings nor from their stubborn way"
and thousands were consumed by
pestilence and the sword They cease
not from their own doings but re-
fuse to enter the promised land, and
wander other 40 years as a penalty.
When finally they did take possession
Of the promised land at the point of
their history where our text brings us,
we find that they ceased not from
their own doings nor from their stub
born way" The judgment OF God
would fall. and under the stress of
the lash. temporary obedience would
be yielded to God. but soon the nat
ural tendency downward would assert
itself. and again God would have to
write: They ceased not from their
own doings nor from their stubborn
way" II was repeated failure under
the judges; 1t was failure and ruin and
destruction Of the nation under the
kings. They cea:cd not from their
own doings nor from their stubborn
way" And the indictment written by
God against the Jewish nation q one
which must be written against the
whole race of mankind. Natural de-
sire leads away from God. and stub
bornness Of heart dulls the ear to
Gods voice Of warning and blinds the
eye to the impending judgment.
KHAN likes to have his own way,
1v1 and It is q long sad record OF
sin which stands against him. God
said TO Israel: This Is the way,
walk ye In It." But Israel said, This
ID the way I want to walk. and the
people walked after the manner OF the
heathon nations about them. God says