Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1903-02-19
GOODS PLAN FOR U.s."
Sunday Sermon By Rev. DR.. J. Wilbur
Chapman.
How the Believers May Experience Both Joy
end Peace, Blessing and Power-A High
Ideal for Every Life.

[ may apprehend that for which also | am
apprehended Of Christ Jesus" Philip
plans iii: II.
God has a plan for every life, and when
this plan is realized there is always IN the
experience of the believer both joy and
having an up.and-down Christian expe-
rience, hot to-day and cold tomorrow,
near enough to Christ to-day so that he
may almost touch Him, and SO far away
tomorrow that he questions If he has ever
been saved, this is certain evidence that
he has not allowed God to work out HIS
plan for him, and there is vet much work;
to be ac 'omplished by the Holy Spirit OF
God. An experience of unrest dishoInors
there is this unrest and dissatisfaction you
always find life in which God has, not
yet finished His work. peace l leave
with you; Ny peace give unto YOU was
written for such an one. and is his inherit.
aace. While it would be most difficult
,iiing to define peace, yet possibly the best
definition would be to take its opposite,
and so it would read like this: Peace is
the opposite of unrest of confusion, OF
Gods children, if they will but claim it.
1t is no more disastrous for ones arm TO
be out of its socket than for ones life to
run contrary to the plan of God. Paul
evidently I'D this in mind when he said:
"If may hpprehend that for which | am
also unprecedented of Christ Jesus" 1t
would be no more disastrous for planet
to go swinging out of its orbit than for q
life to run contrary to the plan OF God.
The fact is our crosses in this world al
ways come to us when our wills run con.
trary TO the will OF God. One piece of
wood placed over another and running in
the contrary direction always makes a
cross. Our peace and Joy come to us in
this life when our wills run parallel to that
of God. Though we may be obliged to
live in poverty and meet with what this
world calls disaster and failure, il we are
perfectly sure we are doing according to
Gods will we may say with the apostle:
"All things work together for good
we have but to read the Scriptures to
find this to be true. We find in Romans
i: 7. that we are called Saints" this is
our name. We learn in Corinthians III:
Q. that we are "laborers together with
God" We are told in Corinthians j:
8, that it is our privilege to be in fellow
ship with Gods Son, and this word "fel.
lowship' is literally partnership. In
Revelation ii: Y. God promises to give to
us His own hidden mama to eat. OF this
the world knows nothinG-it can neither
~ ~ ~, ~" ."n, 80 Ln ,,oJno Ihot
sa'n, ~ ri, NJ ~ o., ,,,t - g not
to he forgotten that we only tell secrets
to those who are near to us. God never
gives His secrets to those who are out OF
lt'loMMsn WIN ,h ,,' h. anu bs he,rt nnv IN.
Oh Ieilo"SnIp WIZ, mas III ny n'"I. %" Di ~
confessed o OF uhiolslven s'n, H. n ohId
Psans ~: ~ 'nu .,i' ~ 9".,o ~ h. ~ hnn,,.
or Goa Is Gescrlpen. ~ i w. &c e. ~ ill., ne c.
en- lIo,, "Ien'e I,so Cl.;.t IT T., Enla.
Vlour' ,he ,-oru oesuS ,n ~ H. Ehr;st;an
sans II: - ,ne Ina'e W. T, . aro tnId thot
charactrT IL uesstioea. W. o "n tha ' ,r .o,,
WorEmanshlp Is n'era.N Poen,, ~ et'v ~,
Toh pan we are all 'ha' Is 'oA'p'e'' anu
beautiful i
We. are very sure that we nave not az
tanned unto TINS pan. nj, A.. t,n:.
We are likewise comment that i9iilns
short OF it we are not satisfied, ana onr
cry, Is that OF the apostle Romans If,l
",Oh, wretched man that l am VINO Sh s,i
deliver me from the bouy Oh tnis uealM
We may have COD power. oor: XII:
My grace Is sulhcient 1or lhee; l1r my
strength is made. perfect IN weakness,
Most gladly therefore wlii rather gioIy
IN my intlrmites, that the power OF Chris'
may rest upon me-. Let us tnerg1ore
cease to speak OF the presence OF the no!
Ghost as an experience ana talK ABOUT the
better Christian lie as an ~ iet us re,
member ever alter TINS that Ohrist Is tne
power OF GOD. 10 eXa,t him, 10 lo II!
Him, to live His lie, ana TO ehthrone MN
IN our lives, IS power power Always ana never
We may have Gods rest. Hebrews ":
to 3-'Let us therefore lear, lest
promise being lett us OF entering INTO lis
rest, any of you should seem to come
Short OF 1t. Fol, unto us was the goSpci
preached, as well as unto them; but the
word preached dId not proht them, nor
being mixed with faith IN them mat heard
It. For we winch nave beNeVeu 90 enter
into rest, as he SAID, AS have sworn IN
my wrath, II they snail enter lnto my
rest although the works were nnlsheo
from the foundation OF the world, =,
1t Is most slgnl4cant that IN tne tehtn
verse OF this fourth chapter OF hebrews
we read: For he that has entered lhto
his rest, he a $50 hath ceased from his own
works, os God did from His.' On, that we
might all of US learn that it IS when we
cease to be selt-centred ana become ohflsI
centred, it IS when we i've lives OF unset
hShness and therefore ior the glory OF
Christ, 1t is when we look up and not m
in a word, it is when we cease from our
own works that we enter into Gods rest.
We may have Gods holiness. Hebrews
xii: l0-"For they verify for a few day:
chastened us after their own pleasure, but
lie for our profit, that we might be par
takers of His holiness Not inirequently
we find Christian people who are AFRAID OF
the word holiness. md yet the Bible has
distinctly. declared thai, without holiness
no man shall see God. III we are shutting
Him out Of our lives then we are deprivinq
ourselves of our brthright as His children,
We might sum up Gods plan for our
lives under three heads:
|. 1t is Gods will that we should be re-
generated John i: 10, l4-"Which were
born, not Of blood. MOI. OF the, will Of the
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt
among us, and we behed His glory, the
glory as OF the only beGotjS,en OF the fath
er; full of grace and truth , .. -,
Regeneration Is not working over OF
the old nature, Tor That which rs porn OF