The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-06-23

lamation Ct what goes on perpetuahy IN
God. From them God wishes the world TO
learn that sin is put away only through
the redemptive suffering of holy love;
which He Himself is gladly bearing, and
which Christ. His representative and eX-
preston. endured before the eyes OF men,
It is this truth which gives to the words
OF the text their power He who SAID. Il
am come that We might have ilic Is HIN
sef the life which He seeks to impart. ne
and the Father arc ore. The words which
the historic Christ spoke to those Jews
then are being repeated now to us Ly the
indwei,inc. immanent Christ. like that
word irmarent 1t is a theological word,
bus il is a splendid word. pregnant with
meaning. His name shall be called imma-
nue.. God with u.s. the inside God, the i'm
manent God. 1t is He who says Come
unto Ne all ye that labor and are heavy
laden and I will give you rest" 1t Is He
who saws, Il am come that We might have
life and that ye might have it more sbun-
dantiv." 1t is He who speaks to us III our
sorrow and says. Come with your sir and
shame, come with your sadness and dlsap,,
pontment, come with your heavy trial and
discouragement and will give you peace
God with us! now to give us the victory;
God with US, now, to forgive our sins. God
with us! now. to give us heaven in our
ccrsecratcd labor for Him:
1 would that these words OF Jesus which
We are considering might live IN your
heart, as l try to have them live III my
heart. as words spoken now; tonight; oy
the everything, ever loving Father! How
common it is for us to think OF God our
Father as far removed 1t may be because
OF our training, but however we may &C.
count for it. the fact remains that many OF
US fail to realize that God is dealing with
us now lust as intimately Snd just as gra-
ciously az He dealt with the great prophets
of old. How many OF us carry about With
us the sense of God? Do we have the con-
viction of Gods abiding nearness wherever:
we are? If not, the greatest blessing. OF
hfe has been missed, There is nothing
more needed to-day than a truer, larger,
more NOR Scriptural idea of God. We need to
realize His abiding nearness. But we need
to forget the old idea of an unapproach-
able God. I recall the words of Henry
Drummond. that great teacher, who, dur
ing his short life. won so many men TO
I Christ. II remember very we'll" he says,
| "the awful conception Of God l got wnen.
| 7, was a boy. I was given book OF
Watts HYMNS, which was illustrated, and,
among other hymns there was one about
God. and it represented greac oiaGk,
scowling thunder cloud, and III the midst
OF that cloud there was 4 piercing eye.
That was placed before my young lmagna,
ton as God, and l got the idea that God
was a great detective, playing the spy
upon nv actions and, as the hymn says,
writing now the story of whaE little cnll-
dren do. That was a bad lesson. 1t has
taken wears to ob.iterate it. And tear
most OF us have had to SO through sim.
liar experience before we have been rld or
The terrible God of childhood, the far
away God of childhood, and come into the
spiritual conception Of the everywhere
present God of the Bibie.
Now it is this everywhere-present God,
o,;- Father, who seeks our life to save 1t:
He wants our life now. ior without God
life is living death. With God lite IS
growth. development - heaven now and
heaven hereafter. Without God it IS de-
terioration, atrophy. death. Here are two
facts which our own experience confirms
As true. We need to realize, therefore.
that there is never time VIXEN God the
Father is not near us to lead us lnto His
life. In the hour when YOU feel the stir OF
divinity within YOU, in the hour when con-
science speaks and says, be noDier man,
a purer man, a truer man, in tnat hour,lt
is God which worKeth in YOU Possibly
It was but yesterday that you spoke the
unkind word that wounded devoted
heaTI. or gained your point IN business ny
running Your fellow man. CT committed 4
sin that leaves blot on the scuteheon, but
af,erward, unless your heart is already
dead, YOU heard still small voice plead,
ing with you to repent your evil way and
live better. higher life. 1; was God
which worketh in you.'
7 Multiplied are the experiences in which
God is speaking to our souls, and many OF
rs have never heard the voice. Ears have
We but we hear not. We have eyes but we
fail to see. There are great crowds who
trample upon the beautiful violet, never
thinking that they have one of Gods
sweetest thoughts under their heel. There
are niyriaas OF stolid eyes which look up-s
ward TO the stars but see not Gods glory
in the robed beauty OF the sky. There are
muititudes who stand beneath the magnlf-
cent blue vault OF heaven, gazing upon
some gorgeous sunset, never dreaming that
God lighted the fire. And beyond number
arc they who fail to feel the presence OF
God in the ordinary experiences of life.
MY friends, God wants our lie. Do some
thing with your life. LIE. your, energy,
vour talent. your service be for God your
Father. Be not so concerned to save your
soul as to save your life. Give God your
life and He will sanctiiy your soul.