Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-09-08

or you did not make good use OF the last
gift, how expect another?n or 'sI'll give
this time but it's the very last timen Oh
no! the oftener we come to Him the more
tender and hearty is the welcome The
fact that we have received much is the
notwithstanding all our past abuse of His
goodness, He never withholds His hands,
but gives more and more for the reason
that where sin abounded grace did much
more abound. y Another element in Christ's
giving is its adaptation to every man. s
case. Oh! it is wonderful A feigned gift
is no gift at all. What most gifts need is
fitness, and you will always find there are
such traces of consideration in Christs
gifts. 1t is the very kind the only kind
at that moment your state needs. You
could not do with less and you could not
enjoy more. 1t comes from heaven made
for you and scarcely need say how much
the value of the gift is enhanced by these
minute marks Of thoughtful attention and
timeliness when the sorrow comes what
then. ''When through the deep waters /
call thee. to go, the rivers of sorrow shall
not overflow; for | will be with thee thy
troubles to bless, and sanctify to thee thy
deepest distress. When through firery trials
thy pathway shall lie, Ny grace all sufficient
shall buy thy supply" "Thy soul, though
all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never
no never forsake /" Bless God for such a
giver, who gives Alright the ight gift at the
right time
But now comes to US the endearing
thought in this contrast between the giving
of the world and the giver of every good
and perfect gift How seldom does the
world give what has cost it anything. But
though the gift from Jesus Christ is free to
us, it cost him dearly. Never forget, never
lose sight of that When ray of beautiful
sunshine crosses your path, Wien you feel
the comforting sense Of God ) forgiveness,
when you have been helped over some greaf
difficulty, when happy thought crosses
your mind, remember, tTis nat purchased
for me once with His own blood. . What
a sweetness does this give to grace and
everything in life will be estimated at it's
true worth See! What is the pleasantness
Of all our costly things ornaments, possess
sion and pride compared with that feeling
which every believer possesses. fThe price
of my peace is the death of the Son of God y
Perhaps the best thing remains yet to be
told What the creature gives depends
upon the creature, goes to the creature and
passes away with the creature. 1t is affected
by all external changes and at any moment
may be changed or destroyed by the slight
est difference in scene or circumstance.
What the ''world" gives the "world" takes
away. What an entire revolution would
fit of illness or loss of money make in the
condition of the happiest man Of the
world" here to-day what resource has he
then; what resting place then? But the
gifts of God are without repentance. "What
He gives He gives forever and none shall
pluck it out of Gods hands, because none
can pluck you out of your Fathers hand.
You may go very Independently through
all the vicissitudes of life in this shifting
world, for your peace and JOY are founded
upon no sand but upon the impregnahle
Rock of Ages. You do not borrow your
happiness from what is around you. You
carry it about with you, within your own
breast. Your fountain of great joy is in
you and that fountain is being supplied
from heaven, and the emptier run the
earthly streams, the fuller are the heavenly
You have nothing to do but to turn from
the @neather" to the upper springs. =
Here is the comfort of taking all from Jesus
Christ and tracing all to Jesus Christ's
Astounding grace. Had we done the work
had it been mans work it must needs fail
but He which hath begun a good work in
you will perform it until the day of Lord
Jesus Christ. " It was laid in grace for
this very end, that it might come out at
last in His own glory, and His own very
self is pledged to it, that the Beginner must
be the Finisher The Alpha must be the
Omega in everything in time, in eternity,
and friends, remember, this life is hurrying
us on to that margin where we shall look
over into the next-not as now, to some in
distinct and distant lanscape, but as to a
land very near, and that margin where the
two worlds meet is the only place for true
judgment Try then to throw yourselves
often on to that hour, that you may weigh
the present and future and estimate things
at their right value. Too often we judge
matters, and especial our own life either
by the world or else by some fanciful here
after that has little or no connection with
the heaven of God, and then when this life
is behind you like dim and probably
tran hlad drnam and fhera is strntnhiro nIlt