The Tupelo journal., 1907-06-21
sERMoNETTE.

make US a king TO Judge US /
x like all the nations."-This de- I
sire to be like those about US is
p a mark Of the worldIing. Just
= in proportion as Israel turned its !
x eyes from the God whose Pc !
x culiar people they were, just so (
: far did they have a hankering
q to be like the nations about 4
\ them. 1t proved a snare to their !
Z feet just as the world and the !
;, things of the world entice the
. children of God to-day. The 1
& Christian starts out with the
vision of God and the longing 5
2 to grow into Christ likeness, but J
\ neglect to mediate on Gods
= word and forgotten prayer OBJ I
3 scures the vision and vitiates the 1
\ hunger for Righteousness, and
z before it is scarcely realized
Z the eyes are turned upon the !
4 world and there springs up a de- ,
< sire to be like the worlds peo- {
4 Pile, to have the things they
= seem to enjoy, and to engage in
! the activities which so enthral!. ,
< Such condition of heart is dan .
< gerous, and we'll may one medi-
4 tate upon the admonition of !
q John when he says: "Love not
2 the world nor the things of the 5
world" In desiring a king as :
\ they did, Israel was placing that )
4 desire first and putting God in J
q second place, a condition of Z
. heart which is perilous and GER /
z tain to bring its train of trou- \
= BILE and woe.
4 But though 1t was to their
< hurt, God must give them their
: desire, for they were too willful
4 to be turned from their purpose.
. 1t is often so. God will remon- ;
strate with his children up to ,
\ the point where he sees that I
4 they will not listen to his warn .
q ing and then will give the soul 4
= its desire that in the gratifica- :
ton of that desire may be found ,
x the discipline which is needed. I
. When we chooss for ourselves .
. we are more thu apt to make a 4
! choice which viii turn like a )
2 boomerang upon ~ and prove a ,
Y curse instead of q blessing. The I
thing we think we want most ,
= Is more than likely to be- the /
4 most undesirable for us. There ,
4 is only one safe ground on which
= to stand, and that is where God )
z is placed first and permitted to :
y choose for US. The thing which :
God desires to give US never car
8 ries with. it any element which
= will prove disastrous to the soul.
2 His blessings never contain a
sting. We should "desire the
best gifts" "For If we being
q evil know how to give good gifts
4 unto our children, how much
= more will our Heavenly Father :
= give the Holy Spirit (the aII-in. ,
elusive sift) to them that ask
him."
According to the intimation of
3 the Scripture it was The corrup-
= tion of the sons of Samuel, who
z had been appointed judges over
= Israeli. and who pervertei judg-
< ment by the taking of brides,
8 which was the immediate cause
= of the people desiring a king. +,
2 This fact emphasizes one impor-
= tant thing, and that is the per-
( petuating power of sin. One
& wrong ripens into another; m
sin leads to another. The. mis- =,
q deed of n man encourages or
incites transgression On the part
of another, and so on, so that
= the sad train of developments 5
from a sin committed may be ,
3 appalling In its final consumma-
! ton. Man cannot sin alone, but /
q in hts sin he exerts an influence 4
over other life or lives which is
4 disastrous.