St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-01-02
wing II Is the Power Of God.


claring that He must die for them, He
tells him to Get thee behind me, Sa-
tan, for thou savorest not the things
of God' OF what avail that sinless
life, Of what benefit to the human race
lost through sin, if as the Lamb of
God without spot or biemish He did
not shed His precious blood for the
sin of the whole world. And by His
sacrifice what a transformation He
wrought! His blood able to cleanse
from all sin Red blood to make the
black robes of sin white. Says Alexander
McLaien: ut is like some apparent
pieces OF magic that you can see per-
adays. There is nothing else that will
touch my guilt except that one great
sacrifice offered once for all for a
worlds sins, for your sins and mine.
There is nothing else that will de-
liver me from the dominion of my own
evil, except the power Of the life and
love of Jesus Christ planted in my
heart, and there bringing forth the
fruits of righteousness. There is an
old legend which says that the only
thing that could melt adamant was
the blood of a pure lamb. believe
that the one power which brings for
giveness-and forgiveness is not Mere
impunity-is the sacrifice of Jesus
Christ. And know that the one pow
er, which, transfused into mans life,
can make him live soberly, righteously
and godly is that blood which is the
life of Christ Himself impaired to us.
So, then, that which no man can do for
himself, and no man can do for any
others, and without which all else that
is done by us. for ourselves or for 9th
ers is inadequate to the necessities of
the case, is DONE blessed be God! for
us in that shed blood of Him who in
death bore the sins of, and in life i'm
world" " -
1T IS this elimination on the cross
to which the soul must look for
cleansing from sin, and salvation from
its consequences. We may sing of His
birth, we may rejoice because Of His
the designs Of wicked men, but we
must glory in the cross. for it is our
hope. Peui exclaims: God forbid that
l should glory, save in the cross OF
our Lord Jesus Christ" AMI this, too
must be the theme of our rejoicing.
That which appears as foolishness to
the world is the evidence to the heart
of tho believer of the power of God
! AnG as related to the believer, of what
does this power consist? 1t is more
than saving power manifested in
the redeemed soul. Ii, after ccnver-
SIGN, man with tendency to sin could
be taken at once into Heaven he
would, perhaps, need nothing more
than the salvation OF his soul, but sur
rounded. as he is here, with tempta-
tons and trials ana difficulties, he
needs keeping power in addition to
the saving power which gave him his
first song as he united with the angels
in the glad song of another sinner who
had repented. God does not leave man
to struggle on alone His power is
manifested in behalf of His followers
at all times. The intimate relation
ship of father to child is sustained be-
tween God and His children. The
one who knows not the power Of God
unto salvation" finds it hard to un-
derstand the keeping and sustaining
power of God. But with salvation
comes growing sense of the other
And these are they who are being
saved day by day, and who have a
sense of the power of God.
D UT the preaching Of the Gross Is
- to them that are perishing foolish
ness It is such not because it is an
unreasonable Gospel, for it is worthy
of all acceptation," but because mar
finds it more convenient for his pres.
ent desire: and ambitions to put away
the claims of the cross upon him. A
reasonable Gospel must be given rea.
sonable hearing. God is ready always
to meet every soul and by His convict
ing and convincing Spirit reveal the
truths Of this Gospel. The cross
means a changed heart ard life, and
this is what man in nis sinfulness anG
selfishness shrinks from. But man
though he characterize the preaching
|sof the cross of Christ as foofishness
cannot escape the claims of that cross
upon him. The death of Jesus Christ
has theoretically wiped away the sir
of the world. If the world to-day
every living being-would turn to the
Christ for cleansing the fountain Of
blood opened on Calvary's brow would
Fbe sufficient to wipe away all sin. An6
because the sacrifice Of Jesus takes
in the whole world it gives Him q
claim upon it which cannot be denied
or set aside. n This claim is reasonable
first Of all, because man is made moi
for time, but eternity, and only through
the power Of the cross can man at
tain the privileges an0 blessings OF
the eternal existence with God. In the
second place, there is nothing which
the world can give which will satisfy
the soulof man. Imagine big, s.Hng
healthy nan from Gay to cay trying tc
satisfy his stomach, which was cry.
ing for solid foods, with weak gruels
| He might fill mis- belly 10 the point Of
bursting with such food, but he wor1G
| not feel satisfied. So it is with mar
who is trying to satisfy himself witt
the things of this life. He may stue
| to painful excess, but he will never b
satisfied There has yet to be fount
in this world the soul which has foun6
it possible to know perfect satisfaction
| by the possession or enjoyment q
| what this world can give. But Ccf
can satisfy, and His Gospel can fill
the unsatisfied heart and life. The VI.
sion of the cross can give a new in.