Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1903-06-03

hash grown bit old in its unbe.
ief towards God since Noah's day,
nor i'm its methods of attacking Gods
Word and Gods way. As a weather
prophet and architect. Noah was
considered dismal failure. but obe-
dicnce 10 God enabled him to look
hundred years farther than the
people who were laughing at him.
ana II gave him detiniteness of aim.
winch made the building of the ark
the supreme object Of life. Many
contemporaries of Noah were ap-
parently living with more definitencss
OF purpose than was the builder OF
the ark. and il seemed that they were
more, but when Gods
testing came, the flood swallowed up
everything that man had been doing,
except the great ark. which floated
out upon the dark waters and proved
that only he who builds into the
great purpose and plan of God has
real deiinitcness of aim.
A MOTHER reward of obcyiny God
n Is that of the possession of per.
feet confidence, which day by day I'M
folds into the nearer realization of
the future hope. Perfect confidence;
that peace abiding in the soul.
which rests undisturbed even though
the storms of life rage without. This
is "A condition to which the people OF
the WORLD arc absolutely strangers.
only those who obey God can know
What IT Is TO rest in Him; can
KNOW the confidence with which each
act OF obedience is performcd: can
know with absolute certainty TINT
the final results are to be as cndur
ing as God Himself. The soul that
IL building only for himself; the
christian, perhaps, who is following
MS own WILL instead of the will of
Tod, has to face the hours and DAVIS
and weeks of anxiety and worry. But
he who obeys God has no reason to
nc troubled or anxious over the ulti-
mate results. Yes. doubts and diff
cuities may come along the pathway
OF obedience To God. but not as to
the final Issues, but only as con-
Germs some of the minor details
which are to be worked out i'm at
tanning the supreme end. | have
no doubt that many difficulty came
to Noah in the building of the ark.
In carrying ont many of the details
of that structure he was building for
God, II is more than likely that he
mad his days of doubt and trouble.
but all through those long years of
building there was no shadow of
doubt AS To the certainty of the com
plction of the ark, or as 10 the neccs-
sity for its use. And so il is ALWAYS
with those who obey God. Their con-
fidencc is in One Who never fails. and
the act of obedience links their dcs-
tiny with the eternal purposes of
God.
IT is declared Of Noah that he did
i ALL that God commanded him.
That little word ALL H. mighty
word in its influence on final results.
Noah did ALL that God commanded
and so there was room in the ark for
all that Cod was to preserve alive
therein. lie did ALL, and, there
fore. there were no leaks to sink the
craft after it started on its VOYAGE.
He did ALL. AMI it was stanch and
serviceablc craft. able to endure the
deluge of forty days and forty nights,
and ride safely on the waters until
they subsidized. This is an important
word to look at in considering this
matter of obedience TO God. But
right here is where so many Chris
tians fail. This little word ALL
trips up their Lnwary feet. and the
craft they build for God j. defective.
leaky and unsafe. But il Is well tn
remember that you arc the one who
must ride in the ark you are build
ing for God. Noah observed the ALL
of Gods commandment. and hence he
reaped sure reward of his faithful
ness. Bot il is so hard to render full
and complete obedience, and not fol-
low the personal desires Of pride and
Saul found IL so. lie did
not observe the ALL of Gods com
mand when lie went out and varied
q gainst the Amalckites He saved the
best of the cattle, and brought Apap
back as a living witness to his vaIor
and prowess. But the ALL Of Gods
required that not even the
fat cattle and ASag. the great king, |
should he saved. And the failure OF
Saul 10 heed this little word ALL
cost him the kingdom, and sent him |
headlong 10 n dismal end. No small |
est detail escapes the watchful eve |
Of God. The ALL must be done. be-
fore he can bear testimony 10 the |
soul: DWELL done, good and faithfu |
servant. enter thou into the joy OF |
thy Lord" God said of Noah: "Ac- |
cOrding to all that God commanded |
him, so did he" That brief sentence |
is a complete cpitpmc to the life Of
Noah. One knows that that hundred !
years contract for the Lord WIS dis |
faithfully in every detail. |
WIN God be able to bear like testf /
nony for you and me? If so, that !
which you arc building for God will !,
float - surely n did the ark of Noah