St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-09-03

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wolves the attitude of the heart towards
God. The Scribes and Pharisees, the
leaders Of the Jews, came to Jesus, talk
ing about God their Father, and pre-
tending to be jealous for God and the
doing Of His will. But they were not
willing to accept the Christ, the Son
Whom God had sent into the world to
save the world from sin and unrighteous-
ness; and, because they were not willing,
Jesus declared they were Of their ia
Their the Devil, and that they did his
will and not Gods will. Man cannot do
the will of God while his attitude towards
God is not right. any more than that
child who is in rebellion against the
parent can do its fathers will. A re-
belliOus heart cannot do the will OF
parent or God. Note the parable which
Christ spoke of the two sons. One with
rebellion in his heart said, when told
to go and work in the vineyard: Il will
not CO." And while rebellion ruled he
went not. But afterwards he repented
and went. The desire to do the fathers
will took possession of his heart and he
went and did it. And the second son
who outwardly assented, but went not,
lacked as much as G:G the rebelliOus son
the desire to do the fathers will He
recognized the right of the father to
command him to go into the vineyard.
but he was so busy doing his own will,
and seeking his own desires, that there
was no room to desire the will Of the
father, and so went rot.
ERE we have illustration Of two
i l classes of people in the world to-
day. Both refuse to do the will of God.
One class recognize the claim of God
upon them, but being SO occupied with
their own affairs, and the doing of their
own will, they fail to Go the will OF God.
The other class in rebellion Of heart re-
fuse to recognize that God has any claim
upon them. And would that it were
true that all in such rebellion would re-
pent and do the will of God. But, alas,
many, many will not! But there are
those who are coming. The will is be-
ing given up for Gods will; the desire of
man is being given up for the desire Of
God. The family circle of Jesus is grow
ing. In ever widening stretch of arm
He points out His mother and brethren.
including not those who only say Lord
Lord, and go on doing their own will, but
including those who do the will Of God.
The acceptance of Christ is the begin
ming of the doing the will OF God. The
successive steps are taken as we do the
will Of God as it is revealed to us. One
step at time, is Gods order Gods
Word assures us that IT any man will
eth to co His will he shall know of the
teaching" If you live up to the light
you have, when you need more light for
the next step, God will see that you have
it. Many Christians are cropping about
in the dark, are discouraged and their
faith is dim because they have failed to
do the will of God as far as it had been
revealed to them. They wanted to see
all the way, and because they could not
they refused to take the first step which
would have brought more light
n DING the will of God may bring SUI
~ fering, but it means blessing in the
end. But what comfort to know that
the affection is in line with the will Of
God. Peter says land who is there who
knew what suffering meant better than
he-surely none, save it were Paul.:
wherefore let them also that suffer
according to the will of God commit
their souls in well doing to faithful
Creator" The Cody shall suffer perse-
cution. but what glory is to some day
shine out of that suffering! We say
"Thy will be done" as though it were
the hardest and saddest thing in all the
world, when it is the most glorious, for
that will will find its joy and realiza-
ton ultimately in the best and most en-
during. Doing Gods will lisa copartner-
ship affair. Christ by His indwelling
Spirit is present and ready to help us do
what we cannot do ourselves. And not
only does Christ's strength become our
strength, but His desires become our
desires ''The Spirit maketh interces-
sion for us with groanings which cannot
be uttered; and He which searcheth the
hearts knoweth what is the mind Of the
Spirit, because He maketh intercession
for the saints according to the will o:
God" Surely, this is blessed encourage
ment for those VITO desire to know and
do the will of Cod Christ the One Who
gives US His Righteousness, Christ the
One Who dwells within to help US do
the will of God. The highest end end
aim of man should be, as Peter puts it, to
no longer live the rest of his time in the
flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will
Of God. Let us will to do the will of
God!