The Grenada sentinel., 1904-01-09

JS} VokAOA, AAolCdu OA
Xl8G( EsE4 comfort and plenty!
.azHS M Sorrow, instead of
80 fx Joy! WEAKNESS
=.7@E- of the journey.
instead of rest
| and peace of home! DOubtings and
fears, instead of confidence and hope!
This was the penalty which fell upon
Israel because of unbelief and rebel
lion. To-day they might have gone
over into the Promised Land; to-mor-
| row they must turn back into the
wilderness. To-day the door of op-
portunity stands open before them;
Tomorrow it Is shut and barred
against them. To-day that which
they left Egypt to obtain is within
| their grasp; tomorrow that hope has
Unbelief and rebellion could rob the
| children of Israel of the blessing of
God, and uabelief and rebellion can
rob the children Of God to-day And
not only do they rob of blessing, but
| they delay the realization of the
plans and purposes of God. Unbelief
and the rebellion resulting therefrora
| pay the penalty of the wilderness jour-
! ney. 1t is weary discipline, the way
Seems long and hard, but by and by,
when the discipline is complete. the
Lord leads out to the border of the
PROMISED Land again. In Israel we
md portrayed the experience of very
many of Gods children. They are
faithfully led by God to the border of
q land of great opportunities and pos
S1h1fiffQ0 II g ho mi
OF God that they should go up and
possess the land. God says: go
forward" But the walled cities look so
1mpregnable and the giants so mighty
and terrible that the heart grows faint
Unbel1ef takes possession aud urges
flight back to the Egypt Of former
bondage. Self is chosen captain in
stead of God, and while rebellion is
keeping the stubborn feet from going
on into the Promised Land, the op-
portunity is lost, and the command of
God is then heard: "TO-mOrrow turn
you, and get you into the wilderness" :"
Then it is folly to attempt to rush on
into the Promised Land. Disaster lies
ahead; safety can only be found with
God in the wilderness behind. Let us
seek to learn with patience the lessons
God would there teach us.
THE purpose OF this discipline was
| three fold: Punishment, purtfica-
tion and preparation. And these are the
reasons why God to-day drives His chill
dren back into the wilderness. Their
sin OF unbelief and rebellion must
be punished. The dross of unholy
desires and purposes must be burned
out of their lives even as the gold
is purified in the fire, and they
must be prepared anew for entrance
into the land of promise. Punish
ment for wrong doing is necessary
and wholesome. It is wise and loving
parent who Furnishes his child for the
evil deed. Many a child is ruined for
time and eternity because the foolish,
misguided parent believes that indul-
gence and the excusing and overlooking
Of sin is love. So was it with the sons
of the Prophet Eli, really godly man
but weak and fndulgent father See
the awful fruitage of his lack of dis
cipline through punishment. Behold
David in anguish of spirit mourning over
his son Absalom. How could such
eou4y "dA AdVS SUCH u way "dIO SOL
Why was it that Amnon and Adonijah,
two others of his sons, wrought so dis
gracefully? Go back to the childhood
and youth of these men. Indulgence in
stead Of discipline. David a truly great
and strong man when ruling a nation,
but an indulgent and weak father. It
was not love, real love, which withheld
punishment. HE that spareth his rod
hateth his son; but he that loveth him
chasteneth him betimes." And delay
not the punishment, but ."chasten thy
son while there is hope, and let not thy
soul spare for his crying" Wrong do
Ing must be punished. Love finds ex-
preston in punishment of evil. And so
God Furnishes because He loves. The
children of Israel must be punished for
their unbeliefs and rebellion. Gods
children to-day must be punished for
sin. But mo chasteuing for the present
seemeth to be joyous. but grfevous;
nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the
peaceable fruit of righteousness unto
them which are exercised thereby"
Punishment is part of the wilderness
discipline. ss.-.5<s- .~-.-.
DuRIFICATION was another purpose
OF the wilderness discipline. Israel
must needs be purified from the element
Of unbelief before they could enter the
land of promise. During those forty
years Of wandering one by. one those.
who In unbelief and rebellion had
thwarted the purpose Of God perished in
the wilderness. Not one unbeliering
heart could possess the land. It is 60
with the child Of God to-day. The viii
derness experience comes that the heart
and life may be freed from those things
which thwart Gods purposes and plans.
One by ono the fruits Of unbelief and
self-will must be plucked on and perish
IN the wilderness until the soul is free