The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1904-12-17


W, Such Is the picture
which Paul draws
in our text. The flesh warning against
the Spirit and the Spirit against the
flesh. The one at eternal enmity with
the other. 1t Is the inner conflict, the
place where the most desperate warfare
man may know is bitterly and relent-
lessly carried on. The heart is the bat
tleground. The flesh, the physical life,
with all its natural desires and tenden-
cies, is on one side with Self enthroned
as ruler and captain. The Soul, with its
capacity for God, is on the other with
the Spirit enlisted as its captain. Be
tween these two, the Self and the Soul,
there are irreconcilable differences, for
the one is contrary to the other If Self
rules supreme the Soul suffers. II the
Soul is to gain the supremacy, 1t must do
so at the sacrifice of Self and the flesh.
There cannot be any compromise.
no alliance, no truce between the two.
1t must be conflict from start to finish,
II the Soul Is to develop and grow in the
grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus
Christ. In the seventh chapter Of
Romans we see Paul waging the bitter
warfare, and crying out as the powerful
enemy. Self. deals hard blows and wins
victory over the Soul: ooh, wretched
man, that am! Who shall deliver me
out of the body of this death?" But the
victory comes as he learns to fight in
Christ's strength, and to abide in His
presence, for He exclaims. in answer to
the question he has just propounded:
81 thank God through Jesus Christ our
Lord" So then we have for our consid-
Grafton, first, Self enthroned, and the
Soul enslaved; second, the Souls awak-
ening; third, the Souls enemy revealed;
fourth, the conflict; and fifth, victory
and its reward.
CELF Enthroned.-The natural man
- wants king TO rule over his life
who will please and crafty the desires,
the aspirations, the tendencies of the
flesh. \, Man naturally covets freedom
of action in all that pertains to this life.
He wants no restrictions thrown about
his life which will restrict his inter-
course with the world, or indulgence in
the pleasures, luxuries and ambitions
of life. This desire of Self to rule mani
tested itself in the very beginning when
Adam and Eve reached forth the hand
and took of the fruit of the forbidden
tree, and Self ever since that fateful day
has aspired to kingship over the life and
has struggled to maintain its sovereign
ty. The natural man has but one king,
and that is Self, and the Soul is kept in
bondage. He is given liberties only
which will not endanger Self or re-
strict him in the realization and enjoy
ment of that which he desires. Self is
a materialist He refuses to believe any,
thing except that which he can see, and
feel and handle. He centers his joys
and hopes and desires in this life, and
bids the Soul join in the eating, the
drinking and the meWymaking, for to-
morrow we die" Self is willing to con
cede everything else but the throne to
the Soul. II it may but reign supreme
Self is willing and anxious to crafty the
longings and aspirations Of the Soul.
Self Is a clever diplomat and he nego-
tiates terms and dictates policies which
seem to meet the higher demands of the
Soul. but which do not in any way i'm
peril Sells dominion over the life. Self
wants to rule and Self does rule In some
form or another, unless the Soul has
been aroused to sense of its rights, and
its possibilities in Christ Jesus.
THE Souls Awakening. Every man
has within himself, in the inner self
which is called the Soul, a capacity for
God. The multitude of religions which
claim their followers throughout the
world. from the remote regions where
sayagery reigns to the lands where CIV
ilization has wrought her highest arts
attest the fact that man is seeking after
something to crafty and satisfy this
yearning of the Soul. But capacity for
God is not possession of God. Becau,s
I feel towards God, does not prove that
I have God as an inner and satisfying
portion. The Soul Ia kept In the dark
even IL 10 iOhSih6 III oOhSshAHe
which 1t has not. The Spirit OF God is
striving with man, trying to lead him to
the light. The promise of Jesus was
that when He the Spirit Of truth IL
come; He shall guide you into all the
truth. He will convict the world In
respect of sin, and OF righteousness, and
OF Judgment The Spirit is the voice ol
God in the Soul seeking to turn man tc
God and make him throw OF the yoke
of Self. Ny friend, you have heard Gods
message; down deep In your heart YOU
know that God wants you to surrender
Self and let the Soul expand under the
possession of God. But you will not!
The convicting work of Gods Spirit hal
been felt. You know what you ought tc
do, but Self argues with you. He draws
before you . picture of all you will hav,
70 give Up. He uses all the somber and