The Penn's Grove record., 1903-07-24
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divine message would receive, afraid of
formed rod revealed the secret of his hesi-
fancy; he fled from before it; fear was
within his heart. God gave him mastery
over that weakness. He reached forth his
hand and grasped the menacing serpent
and it became a rod again. Moses was
taught and, as his after life revealed,
learned the lesson Of fearlessness for God
and His truth. "lf God be for us who can
be against u.s."
The relation of fear to all life and truth
Is an interesting study, one on which more
light is now shed than at any other lime
in the worlds history. Fear is altogether
detrimental to the health and growth OF
the physical body. Professor Sully tells
us of children dwarfed and ruined in body
and mind through the shock and power
of simple lear. Psychologists tell US, and
we know from experience that fear htnders
digestion. that it brings mental collapse.
The changing of the color of the hair IN
one night through the paralysis of fear is a
well established fact. That which can so
radically change the color of pigment must
have an awful effect upon the more vital
and direct parts of the body. Fear de-
stroys mental and spiritual development.
Every book on pedagogy and tie spiritual
training OF children now recognizes and
emphasizes this truth. Dickens powerfully
illustrated this truth to all England in biz
Nicholas Nickleby." Fear has worked
havoc in the religious life: it has distorted
the vision of God and frozen the genial
and natural exprs 5sions of worship. it has
paralyzed and hampered the church in her
triumphant march. 1t has transformed
many of the messengers OF God into poor
whining and ineffective apologists. IT is
this fear in religion and for religion that
our God would have us overcome even as
He had Moses overcome. A right concep-
ton of Go is assurance that lie must
triumph in the work of His hands, that
His kingdom must come and His love and
truth prevail everywhere. God would have
His children confident in the presence of
difficulties, assured in tie presence OF
perils, calm in the mighty storms of preju-
dice and doubt, certain in the midst of un-
certainties. He would have us obey Him
as implicitly and lovingly as the gentle
child obeys the loving parent. In all this
He would have Us open eyed to danger,
direct in the meeting Of it and sure in the
mastery of it.
To-day the church, as a whole, is more
possessed of fear than we like to acknowi-
| edge. A dominant mate ialism and world
illness freeze the faith ard hope of a great
number-evangelical zeal and enthusiasm
are at a low ebb in these trembling chill
dren of the Most High. Critical scholar
| SHIP, Will dl liz INTERPRETATIONS VI ~
higher criticism, stands before the church.
1t must be met. Some feo- that dire and
dreadful result to the cause Of God must
ensue. The sciel 'fc spirit stalks abroad
in the land and has seized the people with
a mighty grip. Many a child Of God.
knowing that his most precious possessions
have not and cannot, from their nature.
come through or be established by such a
spirit, but that they are the gifts of faith
- Aa1,nn nth faar fror, hoforo thu inn Z.
ined terror. 10 all sucn fearful believers
God says-even as to Moses in the miracle
Of the rod-'meet the difficulties, seize
them in their vitals and fear not" -
There can be but one result to the child
of God. The Apostle Paul knew this when
he wrote: "All things work together for
good to them that love Cod" There can
be but one result to the Kingdom OF God
"His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom"
All things shall be put under His feet.
In the preparation of His church our
Saviour gave great attention to the eradica-
ton of the elements of religious fear. His
addresses to the seventy and the twelve
were supreme emphasis upon confidence
in God and fearlessness toward man and all
things that were or might appear in OPP
position to the work Divine. Behold |
give unto you power to tread on serpents
and scorpions and over all. the power of
the enemy, and nothing shall by any means
hurt you"
In His relation to them on sea and land,
alone or with the multitudes, before and
after death, there constantly appears di.
rectly or BY inference the Injunction: "Be
not afraid.9 The Master would have His
children joyfully expectant Of His presence
in every place and under all conditions
and to realize that that Presence. was the
ultimate solution of every problem, the
resolution OF every difficulty and the fui-
fllment Of every promise; that the fearless
challenge Of the church should ever be:
"If God be for us, who can be against
..aS ~