The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1907-06-21
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SERMONE

Z MAKE US king to judge us
Z like all the nations. This de.
sire to be like those about US is
q a mark of the wording. Just
in proportion as Israel turned it's
eyes from the God whose Pc
culiar people they were, just so
+ 8 far did they have a hankerinq
{ d to be like the nations about
2 them. 1t proved snare to their
feet just as the world and the
things of the world entice the
: children of God to-day. The
B Christian starts out with the
= vision of God and the longing
2 to grow into Christ likeness, but
7 neglect to mediate on Gods
( word and forgotten prayer OBJ
\ scures the vision and vtates the
hunger for righteousness, and
z before it is scarcely realized
the eyes are turned upon the
4 world and there springs up a de-
sire to be like the worlds PEG.
& Pile, to have the things they
q seem to enjoy, and to engage in I
2 the activities which so enthral!.
Such condition of heart is dan
gerous, and we'll may one medi-
tate upon the admonition of ,
z John when he says: "Love not
the world nor the things of the
world" In desiring a king as
they did, Israel was placing that !
desire first and putting God in !
= second place. a condition of ]
2 heart which is periIous and GER !
z tain to bring it's train of trou-
Bile and woe.
a But though it was to their
< hurt, God must give them their
4 desire, for they were too wIIfuI {
Z to be turned from their purpose. 4
1t is often so. God will remon- s
strate with his children up to
the point where he sees that
4 they will not listen to his warn. I
x ing and then will give the soul
its desire that in the gratifica- :
ton of that desire may be found
the discipline which is needed. 4
o When we choose for ourselves Z
q we are more than apt to make a
a I
choice which will turn like a {
boomerang upon US and prove a !!
curse instead of blessing. The Z
4 thing we think we want most y
is more than likely to be the q
4, most undesirable for us. There 9
q is only one safe ground on which {
to stand, and that is where God {
is placed first and permitted to
choose fer US. The thing which 4
God desires to give us never car. q
q rles with it any element which 4
will prove disastrous to the soul. =
His blessings never contain a =
sting. We should "desire the <
best gifts" "For if we beinu 4
i evil know how to give good gifts .
unto our children, how much 2
more will our Heavenly Father ?
give the Holy Spirit (the alI-in. (
elusive gift) to them that ask Y
him." ...-... (
8 According to the intimation of 3
4 the Scripture it was the corrup- 4
ton of the sons of Samuel, who q
had been appointed judges over 2
israel, and who perverted judg. I
nent by the taking of brides, =
which was the Immediate cause q
OF the people desiring a king. q
ms fact emphasizes one impor- 2
tant thing, and that is the per.
petuating power of sin. One
q wrong ripens into another; one 4
2 sun leads to another. The mis-. 4
deed of one man encourages or 2
incites transgression on the part =
OF another, and so on, so that ".
the sad train of developments
from sin committed may be x
& appalling in its final consumn7a. &
tion' Man cannot sin alone, bat =
m his sin he exerts an influence u
over other life or lives which is 2
4 disastrous. SA,
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