The Tupelo journal., 1904-10-07

ditions wh;t h must prevail before the
Christian cen realize this blessed union,
this coopers ton of the Lord, unto
whom has been given "all power in
Heaven snd in earth" The Lord can
not work with some Of His followers be-
cause they have not met His conditions.
and mary Christians fail to realize the
blessed PRESENCE and power OF Jesus
because they persist in doing in their
own strength and their own way His
work.
EFT us consider more fully what is
L. involved in these Ave rules. First
of all is emphasized the necessity OF a
clean heart and life. The Lord never
yet used a vessel which was foul with
willful and persistent and hidden sin
The Christian may keep the outside
clean and polished. He may deceive
men as he engages in the Lords work,
but he cannot deceive God, and II
within the heart and hidden in the life
there are sin and indulgence which ne
is not willing TO give up, then the LORD
cannot work with such a one. And
what is more sad and awful than for
the Christian to be doing work In the
Lords name while the Lord is absent
from him? He is building apart from
God. He is putting up the wood. hay
and stubble which will be destroyed
by the searching fire Of Gods testing
judgment. The Psalmist asks: "Who
shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in His holy
place." And God replies: II that
hath clean hands and a pure heart.
1t is such that the Lord works with to
accomplish His purposes among men.
Dear brother, is the Lord working with
you? If not, what is it that is robbing
you of this blessed c~opartnership ex-
pe~rience? Search within the heart and
the life. Drag out the hidden and cher
ished thing. Give it up. If thy eye,
or thy hand or thy foot offend thee
pluck it out and cut it off, for it is bet
ter for you to go through life suffering
the lack of that which you SO much
love and desire than that you should
fall short of the glory of God and His
plans for you. Cry with the Psalmist:
Create within me a clean heart, o
God, and renew a right spirit within
me-" He will do it, ard then you will
begin to know what it means to have
the Lord working with you.
DUT not only must there be the clean
ID heart 10 enjoy the cooperation of
the Lord. We must e { }I:S glory and
not our own. Herein lies IA constant
danger. The heart is so Subtle that
even the most humble and ccnsecrated
Christians are apt to be deceived IS to
the motives which dominate he life.
1t is only as the Christian realizes the
danger of unconsciously seeking ones
own glory, instead of the glory of God.
that he is able t detect the weakness
and guard against it. Self should be
obliterated and forgotten as far as pos
sible in the Masters service. This was
the first of fourrules which governed the
life of that brave soldier and devoted
Christian. Gen. Gordon, better known
as Chinese" Gordon. And the other
three were a help to the realization Of
this holy ambition to forget self and
glorify God. They were: Absence of
all pretence; Indifference to the worlds
opinions, and absorption in the will of
God. All, how richly would me power
and presence of God be manifested in
and through us if we maiutained this
attitude towards God and the world.
We must seek Gods glory II we would
enjoy His cooperation. First, then. is
the clean heart and life, that IS, condi-
ton. Second, the desire for Gods glory
and not our own. that is. attitude: and
the third point has to do with equip
ment. What shall We use if we are
to have the Lords cooperation? Need
we ask when God has promised SO re-
peatedly to richly honor and bless His
Word, at shall not return unto Me
void?"