St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-08-06

GOdliness is profitable In all things anc
gives heightened life here, but the few
months or years which could be added to
ones earthly career could hardly be
held to fulfil Gods promise OF life. But
eternal life rs reward of obedience to
Gods will seems more in keeping with
the character and purpose Of God. When
God then says to you and me: Observe
to do as the Lord your God commands
you that We may i've" He means to offer
us nothing less than continuous life with
Him.
m HIS is the first and highest blessing
L which He can confer, and wits thia
gift of life comes promise Of well-being
and completeness OF years. ''That It
may be well with you.' What does
this mean, II it is not that every cir
cunstance in life shall focus to the one
point Of accomplishing good for you?
Those who know not God and who are
Indifferent to His claims upon them
cannot realize what this means. The
people Of the world go through life ex-
periencing its sunshine and Its shower,
its joys and its sorrows, its trials and
its pleasures, and never learning any
higher philosophy than that Of enjoy
ment or endurance. Circumstances
bring such and such experiences, and
they look no higher for their message
or their purpose, but it is not so with
one who is walking in obedience and
fellowship with God, for every expert
ence and every circumstance work out
for his best good. THAT 1t may be well
with you" Perhaps not as we would
choose, or as our limited vision would
dictate as best, but that which is well
for us from Gods perfect point OF view.
A parent is often forced to choose for
the child contrary to the little ones
desire and longing. Why? Not to cause
the child sorrow. Not to deprive 1t OF
some real and wholesome good. No,
but because the matureJ judgment and
clearer vision of the parent see that
the good Of the child demands restric-
tAon and denial. THAT it may be we'll"
with the child. requires that 1t yield
loving obedience To- the. parent. and
walk in the pathway marked out by
his tender, wise judgment And so Is
it with our relations to our Heavenly
Father. His way is best. His way is
the pathway of blessing. For come
what may, 'all things work together
for good to them that love God" And
then there Is the thought Of complete
ness. "That ye may prolong your days
In the land which We shall possess. !"
God never turns out anything but .
finished product View nature from any
with microscope or tels-
scope, and everything is complete and
perfect. All, how wonderfully SO! And
God desires for US just such delightful
In His hands, obedient
to His will. following His leading.
mean prolonged days and complete
possession of the place intended to be
filed by us. We come short of the glory
Of God because we refuse to walk IN
the path OF blessing. We fail to reach
but If We observe to do as
the Lord commands us He realizes in
US that glorious completion Of life and
character which He had planned.
90 MUCH then FOR the blessing which
y comes in the way Of obedience to God.
It means life, 1t means well-being, It
means completeness. And around this
three-fold blessing cluster all else that
may come to one. But what of the way
Of realizing this blessing? How may
we realize this God-given life, this well-
being at His hancs, this completeness Of
life and character? God says: "Ob-
serve to do as Jehovah your God hath
you; ye shall not turn to the
tight hand or the left; We shall walk In
all the way which Jehovah your God
hath commanded" What is 1t to OBJ
serve to do all that God has commanded?
Can it mean less than complete observ-
ance of His perfect law? Surely not, for
God means what He says and always
says what He means. And II the way Of
blessing is to be found only by perfect
obedience to Cod s law, who is there who
ian fulfill Gods conditions? Moses
failed, David failed, the prophets whom
God sent all failed, there was none who
could perfectly keep Gods law. And
there has been no one since then who has
succeeded. What then is man to do?
Has God imposed conditions He knew |
nan could not meet! Yes, but He also
one who has perfectly kept His I
law and earned the way Of blessing,
Jesus, the only begotten Son of God. |
md while man is utterly unable to full
Ill Gods conditions Jesus has accom-
,lish it for him. and the first step in
obedience to God law is the recognition
# Jesus as the Son Of God, and the &C.
,eptance of Him as Saviour. Obedience
:annot possibly be realized by the OBJ
,ervance of . few Of the minor laws OF
Tod, while the supreme command: Be
ievs on the Lord Jesus Christ" goes un-
,eeded ana Is willfully disobeyed.
\ BEDIENCE-what is obedience?
j Aboubeker, the successor Of Ma
lomet, In order that he might continue
lis conquests, wrote to Amrou. one Of
is followers, ordering him to levy
lumber Of warriors among his tribes
nd conduct them to Damascus to swell
he torrent of Islamism. Amrou, who
overned in peace his shepherd tribes,
eceived this order with pain. but he did
lot hesitate to obey. Il am" he sent
ack word to the caliph, zone of the ar
ows Of Islamism; God has placed the
ow in thy hand; it is for thee to launch
be arrow to what destination thou may
st choose" Here was admirable obedi-
nee. Amrou might have yielded ODE