Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-07
I'm local Churches.

whittier shall flee from Thy presence?
S. If | ascend up into heaven, Thou art
there: If l make my bed in hell, behold,
Thou art there.
o. If l take the wings of the morning
and owen in the uttermost parts of the
sea:
10 Even there shall Thy hand lead me,
and Thy right hand shall hold me.
H. If l say, Surely the darkness shall
cover me; even the night shall be light
about me.
H. Yea the darkness fideth not from
Thee but the night shineth as the day: the
darkness and the light are both alike to
Thee
The Lesson.
Many a man who has committed a crime
and is under suspicion has confessed tt at
the constant presence of detective over
shadowing his every movement has nearly
driven him frantic. Wherever he goes he
finds man behind him watching his every
movement. To one who has sinned and
has not repented the constant presence of
a living God would be a terror. He would
feel ''beset behind and before" He could
not flee from God. Many a sinner has
tried il, and found that matter how
deep he descended into crime, no matter
how much he drowned himself in sinful
pleasures, even there God was, and con-
science made Him known to the sinner,
until at last the soul was forced to turn
and face his God and bow in the depths
of his conscious sin.
But the friend of God looks at this omni-
presence in quite another way 1t Is a
great and joyful matter that the living
God, who is all powerful and all wise and
all loving. is everywhere with one. We do
not like to part from dearly loved one;
We are delighted when We may be together;
if love God and are at peace with
Him the fact that We cannot flee from His
presence will be joyful one.
Matbie ID. Babcock says: I'VE have no
outside, distant, occasional Savior. as the
disciples had long ago, but His spirit, HIS
other self to abide with US. in us. today,
tomorrow, forever. Live with the
light of Gods love shining into your COM
mon day. Take old gifts and joys con-
tinuad as though they were fresh gifts. SO
we can sing new song unto the Lord
every day..
Alexander Maclaren says in speaking of
this psalm: The psalmist does not feel that
he is Imprisoned or that the hand laid on
him is heavy. Rather, he rejoices in the
defense of an encompassine God. who shuts
off evil from him, as well shuts him in
from self-willed and self determined action;
and he is glad to be held by hand SO gen.
tie as well as strong. Thou God seest me-
may either be a dread or blessed thought.
1t may paralyZe stimulate 1t should be
the ally OF conscience and, while it stirs to
all noble deeds, should also emancipate
from all slavish fear. 1t is the
sense of sin which leads men to hide from
God, like Adam among the trees Of the gar
den. The psalmst does not desire to flee,
but he supposes the case, which would be
only too common If men realized Gods
knowledge of all their ways He imagines
himself reaching the eXtremities of the uni
verse in vain flight, and stunned by finding
God there The utmost possible height is
coupled with the utmost possible death.
Heaven and Sheol equally fail to give ref
uge from that moveless Face, which con-
fronts the fugitive in both, and fills them
as 1t fills all the intervening dim distances.
The dawn flushes the east and swiftly
passes on roseate wings to the faTthest
bounds of the Mediterranean, which to the
psalmist represented the extreme west, a
land of mystery. In both places and In all
the broad lands between, the fugitive would
find himself in the grasp of the same hand
Darkness IS the friend Of fugitives from
men, but II IS transparent to God"
In Africa October l3, 1853, David Liv-
insstone wrote in his journal: THE vari-
Gus forms of animated life present to him
whose heart is at peace with God through
the blood of His Son an indescribable
charm. He sees in the calm beauties of ma
ture such abundant provision for the well
fare of humanity and animate existence.
There appears on the quiet repose of earth's
scenery the benignant smile Of a Fathers
love. The sciences exhibit such wonderful
Intelligence and design in all their various
ramlhcatlons, some time ought to be de-
voted to them before engaging in mission
airy work. Inc heart may often be cf1eered
by observing the operation of an ever-pres-
ent intelligence, and may feel that we
are leaning on His bosom while living in a
world cloth. d in beauty and robed with the
glorious Projections of its maker and pre-
server. We must feel that there is a gov
ernor among the nations who will bring all
His plans with respect to our human fam
lily to a glorious consummat ton. He who
stays his mind on his ever-present, ever
energetic God will not fret himself because
OF eVildoers. lie that believeth shall not
make haste And again in writing to his
own little children from Sekeetus Town,
Linyanti. he says: When think Of you /
remember, though l am far off, Jesus, our
good and gracious Jesus is ever near both
you and me, and then l pray to Him to
bless you and make you good He is ever
near You. Remember this If you feel angry or
naughty. Jesus is near you, and sees YOU
and He is so good and kind. When He was
among men, those who heard Him speak
said, Never man spake like this man and
we now say, Never did man love like Him.
You see little Zouga Is carried on mamma's
bosom. You are taken care of by Jesus wit h
as much care as mamma takes of Zouea.
He is always watching you and keepine Won
in safety. 1t is very bad to sin. to do
naughty things or speak angry or naughty
words before HIM"
1t would make a great difference in our
llVes II we could but remember and realize
the constant presence of God Fears would
be dispelled and sin would not have tba
same power over US.
Applied Truth.
The wife of the writer of the weII-known
hymn, rs 1t Well With My Soul?" had
a most wonderful experience Of the pres
ence of God. They had been wealthy, living
IN beautiful home with plenty of servants.
and she had devoted herself to Christian
work with much joy, and the blessing of
success. Then all at once her husband lost
his money and she obliged to give up
everything and go into the kitchen and
scrub and bake from morning to night
being much of the time alone all day. Her
spirit rebelled against this It seemed so
hard that she should be stopped In her
good works and compelled to labor all alone
at tasks SO uncongenial One morning in
the kitchen she fell upon her knees and
prayed to God to take the rebellious spirit
from her, and before she arose she came to
the point where she was willing to saw.
IF ii be Thy will that l should stay in this
kitchen alone and cook and work all day
then l submit and will try to glorify Thee
in my work" Then there came to her a
wonderful realization of the presence of
Christ in that kitchen with her and she
testified that never after as she worked was
there absent from her the consciousness