The Tupelo journal., 1904-04-22
TURNED ASIDE
Sermon by the Highway and syway" Preacher.
Copyright, 1904. by ]. NJ. Edson.)
THE DISOBEDIENT PROPHET AS AN
AND WARNING TO CHRISTIANS OF TODAY.

cess and full obedience. Let us con-
slider ourselves and see if we have not
turned and are not most apt to turn
aside from complete obedience to the
will and commandments Of God.
II HIS mar of God had exact and
full instructions from God as to his
tourney, his testimony and his return.
Man never turns aside from the pathway
of obedience because God has failed to
make the way plain. The Galatian Chris
tians had not departed from the doc
trine delivered unto them by Paul, be-
cause it had not been made simple and
plain. And you and do not turn
aside from the right path because God
has not lovingly and faithfully and care
fully marked all the way over which
our feet should 60. Yet did run well, oh,
maa of God! Why did not you continue
SO to the end? Ye did run well, oh, We
Galatians! Why did not you so con-
tinue to the end? You and do run well
at times, we perform half a service for
the Master faithfully. Blu what hinders
us finishing as we began? Surely it is not
because God has failed to make Him
self understood. 1t is not because He
has not hung sign posts at every turn
in the road. He has made it so plain that
"wayfaring men, yea fools, shall not
err therein" The turning aside of the
Christian cannot be charged to any neg
lect. or Indifference on the part of God.
He has provided chart and compass and
guide book, and best of all He has given
us a Pilot who has been over all the
journey of life and served in every posi-
BILE condition and circumstance, so that
He is able to help and guide as need re-
quires. Such being the case, we cannot
claim that our vacillating course is
~chargeable to God. We cannot offer as
excuse for having turned aside from the
path of duty and obedience that God had
not given us careful instructions, and
plain commands, forHehas. and we know
it. God is not responsible for our fall
ures.
VV HAT has hindereh us. then? Paul
w asks the Galatian Christians that
question, and we may well repeat the
question to ourselves. What has him
dered us that we should turn aside when
running so we'll the race set before us?
Let us follow the man of God as he
started on his return to judah and see
if we can see mirrored in him our own
selves and obtain suggestions that Will
help us answer this question. Up to the
time of his return journey we fail to find
anything in the bearing or conduct of the
man of God that is not worthy of the
highest praise. He was prompt to
obey God, and came to Bethel just at
the time when JerCbOam was offering
incense. and could hear Gods judgment.
He was fearless in the delivering OF
the message, not being awed by the
kingly presence or that Of his priests
and guard. He did not turn to flee
when the king stretched forth his hand to
harm him, butstood his ground, and with
forgiving spirit he eEtreated God in be-
half of the stricken king. He stood hrm
against the kings fiattery and favor, re-
! tusing to be guest at the royal palace or
oartake Of the kings bounty. His task
accomplished, he turned his face home
ward. Surely thus far he had run well
but failure met him on the way. he
turned aside from obeying the truth.
Why this sad failure, after so splendid
a service? Not far from Bethel, I'M
der the great spreading shade OF an
oak. we find our prophet resting, tax
- - 1o.o - Tho Iopd of on anOSt2fG
oeople. almost under the shadow OF the
altar against which God had pronounced
Judgment. And, further, we find him
listening with willing ear to a voice
other than that of God, and in the easy
deception which was practiced upon him
[ think we may pretty accurately judge
as to what had been his trend OF
thought since leaving Bethel. He was
thinking of self, rather than OF God;
he was allowing his own desires to up
olant those of God. And a certain sense
of self graduation tor well-dolng was
binding him to duty yet to be done.
EIRST of all, then, we may d~iscoverth
secret of the failure OF the man OF
Cod in delay and the seeking Of ease
in a forbidden place. What hath HIN
dered you?" Delay and self-sought
ease! Perhaps more failures can ne
counted from this, source than from any
other. The man of God did not stop and
rest under the Tree by the roadside in
order hat he might commune with God.
Back into Judah was the place where
he must go to receive Gods We'll done
good and faithful servant" Back in
Judah was where God would talk with
him further. He could not receive these
on the roadside where Guty had not
been fully performed. And neither
more can the child of God to-day. l;
was safe for the prophet to go to the
very heart of the enemy's country, to
openly denounce the idolatrous worship
and the false altar and priests, because
God had sent him, but it was not safe
to tarry by the wayside, and seek his
ease, for God had not told him thus to
do. He had been told to go and get
back in time for the mex meal, and that
meant haste. Perchance he was hungry
when he left Bethel, and he stopped to
think of what a. feast he would have had
at the kings house. And how many
Christians there are like him. They lin
ger in the regions Of the forbidden
things. They know they must not par
take. but they tarry to think what a
goodly land the forbidden land is, after
all. and they banker after the viands
mat have beer denied them. And this