St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-02-21

which he sought out during these long
days of waiting he came to under
stand all this, and SO was glad to see
Jesus and rushed confidently to His
side.
All, how many Christians there are
who have forsaken and denied their
Lord, who have proved faithless, who
have 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 no 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-
alize 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 mem
DRY of a wicked and ill-spent life. He
knew He had salvation in Christ Je-
sus, and vet 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 Eek
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 distressing and wicked
failure. Peter stood that morning by
his Lords side 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
hayward soul. Jesus, by His thrice
repeated question, Simon, son OF
Jonas, lowest thou me?" led Peter
back to the point of his failure ana
by His commands, ''feed My lambs"
'feed My Sheep He gave him 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 backsliding, 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
| turning to the promises OF COO Tor
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 its 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 ludA cNOA OSAoAS
realizes the desirability 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, we 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
thence to goodness, and goodness to
brotherly kindness, and brotherly
kindness to love. What a glorious
pathway! Every step of the way lii
up by the presence of Jesus, Whose
~