The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1904-03-12

IN
VEYX MINI restore d; til a
MYIH//rNWLIz where estrange-
WZIT/XlJ/~| ment and separa-
IZt, ton exist, there
might be fellowship blessed
union. With man shut out of the
paradise which God had planted
and given to man, how could
God be content or satisfied until the
way back to paradise was opened?
With Israel in Egypt in bondage, God
could not be quiescent and forgetful.
He says: II have surely seen the az
Fiction of my people which are in
Egypt, and have heard their cry by
reason of their taskmasters; for
know their sorrows; Cand | am come
down TO deliver thenfout OF the hand
of the Egyptians, and to bring them up
out Of that land unto a good land and
a large, unto land flowing with milk
and honey" And neither can God be
indifferent to or neglectful OF man
while he is in the Egypt of the worlds
bondage. The fathers house had an
empty room, and vacant chair at the
table; and his heart had its unsatis-
fed longing, while the prodigal was
away in the far country. He watched
and he waited until at last the wander
ing, hayward boy came back The
sorrowing father could know no peace
or rest until the wanderer had re-
turned, until the lost had been found,
until he who had been as good as dead
had sought the safety and protection
of the fathers house, and had come
to life again. And so is 1t in infinite
ly greater degree with the Heavenly
Father. He yearns for the return Of
His sinful, hayward children. If we
may so reverently speak of God, He is
unhappy. and unsatisfled while the
world continues to wander far from
Him. Jesus cry Of anguish 20
Jerusalem, Jerusalem! How
often would have gathered thy chill
dren together, even as hen gathereth
her chickens under her wings, and We
would not" Is but the cry of God to a
lost world, Is but the cry of the loving,
merciful Creator TO the poor, deluded,
hayward creature. Gods supreme pur-
pose for man is that he should become
reconciled to God.
n UR text gives to us Gods message to
Nils people. 1t was to be "precept
upon precept, precept upon precept;
line upon line, line upon lie: here a
little, there little," forclbly remind
ing us that Gods message ig ever 9
simple message q pertinent message, 8
persistent message, and an unchanginl
message And the latter clause of on;
text is suggestive of the effect of God,
message. First of all, hen, let us
consider the simplicity Of Gods mes
sage. 1t Is "precept upon precept, pre-
capt upon precept; line upon lire, lin,
uron line here little, there a little.
When God is dealing with the souls
of men He does not indulge in plati
tudes, and high-sounding phrases; Fl,
does not use the terms and phraseolog,
of the wise and learned. Nay, rather
in the quickest and most direct wa,
possible He seeks to administer to tn
real needs of the soul. And for thi
reason Ills message Is one of sim
piicity. Simple because OF its universe
mission. Gods message Is to all tn
world. To the most enlightened and t.
the most benighted; to the cultures
and refined and to the most vile an
degraded; to the man of gray hair
and tottering steps and to the it'll
child with all of life before It, In Il
simplicity. Gods message is most strik
fngly differentiated from the messag
OF every other religion in the world
Vi 1t is It's one most markell characters
tic which stamps 1t as the message @
God and proves its authenticity.
ISAIAH in another part of his book dc
i clares that Gods message is so simpl
ahat "the wayfaring men, yea fools, shal
not err therein" Even fools, thos
mentally deficient, may be able to receiv
and understand Gods simple messag,
And how often this has proven true. 70
may go to whatever nation you choose
to whatever quarter Of the globe 20
wish, and you will find beautiful an
striking examples fthe truth that God
message is so simple that IT. can reach I
the lowest depths, as well as 10 tnose J.
the most exalted places of learning an
authority. IL was even so when Jesu
was on earth. for the learned and cul
tured Nicodemus. member Of the San
hedrin, was numbered among His disci
pies, even though secretly. as was ais
the poor, despised thief upon the cross
Jesus sets little child In our midst an
tells us that except we become as tina
little child we cannot understand God
message and enter into the Kingdom Q
Heaven. Jesus In one OF His prayer
says: II thank Thee. oh Father. Lord c
Heaven and earth, that Thou didst hid
these things from the wise and under
standing, and didst reveal them upt
babes" And Paul. In the first chapte
OF his first letter TO the Corinthians. says
mot many wise after the nssh. not man