The Grenada sentinel., 1903-04-04

dOo 08 GOd OF Te1U80. 1ne loo OF
Jacob II the God who never fails His
children when they are In distress
and trouble. To speak Of God AZ tho
God Of Jacob, to claim Him az our
refuge, instantly inspires confidence,
for despite all OF Jacobs meanness,
and sin and wrong-doing, his faith
reached up by way Of the covenant
promises of God and obtained the
needed protection and help. To be
able to claim the God Of Jacob as our
refuge is to put confidence in a God
given protection in times of greatest
darkness and danger. This is the
kind of God we need! This is tho
kind of a God we havel
nUT not every one can claim that
- "the Lord of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge" Even
Christians oftentimes cannot make
this proud boast, because sin has
drawn them from Gods side, and be-
cause, when in difficulty and distress,
they have turned to human aid in
stead of looking to God. Not all
churches that are founded in the
name of the Lord of Hosts can claim
in truth that He is with them. Many
churches in their methods and prac-
tices, in their worldly-minded activi-
ties, are not in the blessed company
of the One Whose name they bear.
They may feel that they are further
ing the cause of Christ's kingdom,
but they are seeking to perfect in
the flesh that which has begun in the
spirit, and are walking with the
world and not with God. It means
much to say, 1.-THE Lord of Hosts is
with u.s." Who may make that claim?
How may one know that the Lord of
Hosts is with him? Let us consider
these all-important questions.
First, who may claim that the Lord
of Hosts is standing with them, that
! the omnipotent power is linked with
human weakness in invincible union !?
He who by a threefold act of will and
| heart has turned towards God, Las ac-
| cepted Him and is walking with Him.
| It is a matter Of attitude towards
God, of choice between self or God,
and of conduct following the choice.
Right attitude towards God will al
ways discover His dwelling place;
right choice will always place human
feet on the pathway along WHICH God
moves, and ght conduct will keep
the soul in step with the Divine will,
so that it can confidently claim, 1.-THE
Lord of Hosts is with me; the God Of
Jacob is my refuge" This three
runged ladder must be used by saint
and sinner alike in gaining the realm
in which God moves.
There is a sense in which the Lord
is always with the soul which has been
born again, whether that soul is liv'
ing in obedience to His will or not
for He knows them that are His-and
none shall be lost, even though they
are at last saved, $50 as by fire." There
with the unregenerate soul of man
for Scripture declares that God stand.
at the door of the human heart ant
knocks, and the sinner is told to cal
upon the Lord while He is near. Bur
neither saint nor sinner can make the
boast of the text unless his attitude
MS choice and his conduct are right
In the case of the saint it is the renew
ing of it's broken relationship with God
With the sinner it is the begin ming O.
a new experience, in which the atti
tude of the heart is toward God, tn
choice for the first time is made TO-
God and the conduct is with God.
NHE sinner cannot share in the tri
" umphant strain of our text unit
his heart has turned towards God, uu
, til his will has been surrendered ant
a new motive rules in his life. Atti
tude is the light which shows wher
God is; choice is the step which. j
taken, places the soul at the side o
God, and conduct is the music of tn
life which enables it to keep its ste]
with the Divine will. The Christian
cannot stand in the temple of Co
and sing with the Hezekiahs an
Isaiahs that "the Lord of Hosts i
with u.s." unless he quits his world!i
: ness and turns towards God; unles
: he "seeks first the Kingdom of Go
and His righteousness" and unless h
lives in his life the religion which h
processes with his lps. The churc
cannot claim it's right to these word
if it's attitude is not steadfastly te
wards God and away from the allure
D ments and enticements of the world
, if it chooses fairs, and suppers, an
' entertainments, and catch-penny al
4 fairs of every kind to raise none
e and interest the people it seeks t
G reach, instead of preaching the Gosp<
;. of repentance and salvation, and keeI
: ing itself unspotted from the worlt
o The words may be beautifully II
+ scribed upon the walls of churc'
/. the congregation which resorts thithe
s may read them over confidently &
d as to arouse a false sense of Divin
g nearness and cooperation, but mt
/, thinks in some churches at least ther
s are social and festival occasions whe
q God is very far AWAY. and the Dew