St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-08-06

It's just compensation. we Judge GOO
unfaithful, unappreciative, unloving
and unfair, and turn from Him in impa-
thence and unbelief and resolve that we
will quit trying. Such, san is a COM
mon experience. dare say you who
read these words can recall such in your
life. But 1t is all wickedly untrue. God
longs to bless, and His blessing is not
given capriciously and with Partially,
for God is no respecter OF persons; He
has no favorites, III the human sense of
the term; He does not give to one what
He is unable or unwilling to give to an
other under like circumstances and con-
ditions, and the Divinewill and purpose
and the conditions which call forth the
blessing do not fluctuate like the quota
lions Of the stock market No, there Is
blessing for you and me at the hands Of
the Lord as surely as there was blessing
for the Old Testament patriarcbs or the
New Testament saints. Let US consider
the way Of blessing.
THERE are conditions governing
i blessing at the hands Of the Lord.
I do not recall single promise of God
which is not linked with some condi-
ton. Man must do his part in order to
receive and enjoy the blessing which
God would give him. Earthly parents
give too often to their children with
carelessly indulgent hand and spoil IN
the giving. They give without thought,
reason or purpose. They give just to
crafty the parental pride in giving.
and to satisfy the willful desire on tho
part Of the child to receive. More often
than not no conditions whatever are
imposed. The child receives whether It
merits it or not. Even when conditions
are imposed as like as not it receives
whether the conditions are fulfilled or
not. But 1t Is not SO with the dear
Lord, who Is too wise, and too loving,
and too faithful, to commit any such
error. The promise of His blessing is
conditioned upon the attitude of the
heart of man. upon the yieldingness OF
his will, upon the faithfulness of the
life. In Gods dealings with the chill
dren OF Israel we find suggestive
thoughts Of Gods method with man to-
day. When they were obedient unto
His law. and followed His leading. they
received the blessing at His hands.
When they were disobedient and turned
aside into forbidden paths, the fruit
age OF their sins was trouble and hard
ship. and oppression at the hands of
the heather nations about them. Our
text gives us Gods special admonition:
"Ye shall observe to do therefore as
Jehovah your God hath commanded
you; ye shall not turn aside to the
right hand or to the left; We shall walk
In all the way which Jehovah your God
hath commanded you, that ye may live.
and that 1t may be well with you, and
that ye may prolong your days in the
land which We shall possess"
u ERE we have admonition and prom
II Use. The way Of blessing was marked
by life and well-being and fullness of
years. and to walk that way required
obedience to Gods law, steadfastness of
purpose and persistent effort. The high
est thing which God could offer was life.
md well-being while life lasted, and
of years, and blessing ut
Gods hands always includes these three.
What greater blessing can God offer than
life? With that one element OF life lack
ng Of what good is all else? Life!
Lfe!. Life! What wonderful thing
s this life which throbs in our veins!
This physical life, which makes OF our
iesh something higher and better than
mere earth upon which our feet tread. |
And to obey God means life-physical
life and spiritual life. Sin means death. |
t IS death, but observing God q law, and |
walking therein means life here and life |
n the world to come. First of all then |
n matter Of blessing is life to be, and |
when God promised life feel that we
ire warranted in believing that he not
,nly meant life here. but also life be-
ond the grave. Icannot conceive Of God |
of only the physical life, and
eaving out of His reckoning the eternal
lie. Gods purpose for man from the
rery beginning of creation was that man
hould continue with Him in life and fell
owship throughout the endless years Of
ternity, and when man forfeited his
light 10 eternal existence, and came un-
er the dominion Of death through sin,
3od at once began to work out in infinite
wisdom, and patience and love His plan
i salvation whereby man might be re-
tored to his lost heritage. And surely
sod's promise Of life could not mean
ess than that for which he was created.
md again, II it was only the physical
lie to which He had reference, how
ould it be held that It was given as a
eward for obedience and faithfulness,
'hen it was present possession and |