The Tupelo journal., 1903-01-30

sIdnu dll tHls, aIu SO was glau TO see
Jesus and rushed confidently to His
side.
All, how many Christians there are
who have forsaken and denied their
sord, who have proved faithless, who
hive wandered away from Him and
forgotten their first call, and who
prolong the days of their mourning
and fail to come to the light because
they do not with diligence seek among
the Exceeding great and precious
promises" given to them for help! Are
you in the darkness, oh Christian? Do
you feel that because of your failure
you are shut away from your Lord
and that He has nc further use for
you? Take your Bible and search
diligently until you find the promises
of God which fit your case. Stand
boldly upon them in faith and the
clouds will disappear and you will re-
alze that your calling and election
are sure in Christ Jesus. I was talk
ing with a dear old Christian the
other day whose peace and confidence
were disturbed by the narrowing men,
DRY of a wicked and ill-spent life. He
knew He had salvation in Christ Je-
sus, and yet the record of the past
seemed too great for even the blood of
Jesus to wipe out, and not being will
ing to step in full faith upon the prom
Uses of God which gave him complete
deliverance he was burdened and
downcast; a gloomy Christian, instead
of the happy, joyful Christian who is
always found resting upon the Sex
ceeding great and precious promises"
of God.
But to return to Peter. He knew
he could take his place at Jesus side
again, because the promises of Jesus
made him bold to claim the right, but
he did not know that he could, nor
did he claim the right to, be rein
stated to his old place of service and
trust in the Masters Kingdom. He
was, as was David, willing to be only
a doorkeeper in the house of his God.
He was willing to be anything, to do
anything. And oh, what mighty
things God can do with a Christian
when He gets him into that posi-
ton before Him! Here is where fail
ure and defeat are made to glow
with a Divine victory, and the soul
brought to realize that "all things
work together for good to them that
love God" even when the "all things"
consists of a distressing and wicked
failure. Peter stood that morning by
his Lords side a willing instrument
for His use. Like the clay in the hands
of the potter, he was willing to be
nodded into any sort of vessel for the
Masters service. What a beautiful
picture we have here of our Lords
patience and love in dealing with a
hayward soul. Jesus, by His thrice
repeated question, Simon, son of
Jonas, lowest thou me?" led Peter
back to the point of his failure and
by His commands, "feed My lambs"
feed My sheep" He gave him a new
start in His service. Here was the call
to service. The sure calling which was
to have it's realization in Peters sub
sequent wonderful ministry. And this
is the way Jesus deals with every
Christian. The b~acksliding, failing,
disloyal Christian may always catch
a new glimpse of his Lord through the
repentant tears, and as new hope
springs in the breast there comes a
turning to the promises of God for
help and assurance. Then surely fol-
lows the coming of Jesus, His leading
back to the point of failure, and the
reinstatement and renewed call to
service.
The Pathway of No Falls.-Peter
sets the sign posts that mark the path
way along which there is no STUN
bling or falling. Out of Peters ripe
experience he learned the way over
which it led. He had not always
walked along it's safe roadbed. Where
is there the Christian who has? But
even though we fail always to follow
the right path, it is comforting to
know where it lies, for after the fall
the Christian more than ever before
realizes the d~esirability and blessing
of travelling the pathway which con-
tains no pitfalls and is not overcast
with fogs of doubt and uncertainty.
Peter says in the words of our text:
For if we do these things, ye shall
never fall" and by reading the preced-
ing verses we discover the route
through which the sure, victorious
pathway leads. The starting point is
at the cross where faith in the Cruel
fed One cleanses from all sin and gives
life to the soul. The next step leads
to virtue, and virtue leads on to knowl-
edge, and knowledge to temperance,
and temperance to patience, and pa
tience to godliness, and goodness to
%brotherly kindness, and b~rotherly
kindness to love. What a glorious
pathway! Every step of the way lit
up by the presence of Jesus, Whose
presence makes it possible for the
soul tt travel over such a perfect way.
And to such as walk in the pathway
of these attainments, there is no such
thing as failure, no such thing as back
sliding. Wherefore" oh, Christian,
"give diligence to make your calling
and election sure' by walking with
Jesus over this glorious pathway,
"for," as Peters swelling heart de-
c~lares, $50 an entrance shall be min
istered unto you abundantly into the
everlasting Kingdom of u Lord and
Saviour, Jesus Christ"
The True Religion.
1t is said that Henry Ii. of France
decided to become a monk. He sought
out a holy friar, whose word would be
~ L:.oc, D;r;,o ,or;+n, ssyU;1+ 49,,