Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1907-07-10
SER MONETTE.

make US king to judge us :
{ like all the nations."-This de. {
sire to be like those about US is
in proportion as Israel turned its !
eyes from the God whose pc
5 culiar people they were, just so
} far did they have a hankering
, to be like the nations about
them. II proved a snare to their
feet just as the world and the
:, things Of the world entice the
children Of God to-day. The (
Christian starts out with the
vision Of God and the longing
, to grow into Christ likeness, but
neglect to mediate on Gods J
word and forgotten prayer OBJ !
) scures the vision and vitiates the 4
, hunger for righteousness, and (
before it is scarcely realized 4
the eyes are turned upon the
\ world and there springs up de-
( sire to be like the worlds peo- ]
} Pile, to have the things they (
Z seem to enjoy, and to engage in 4
the activities which so enthral,. {
< Such condition of heart is dan )
: gerous, and we'll may one med- 4
tate upon the admonition of I
!, John when he says: Love not 4
the world nor the things of the
< world" In desiring a king as
I they did, Israel was placing that
D desire first and putting God in
! second place, condition of
} heart which is periIous and GER {
tain to bring its train Of trou- I
BILE and woe. )
4 But though it was to their
: hurt, God must give them their
desire, for they were too wilIfui {
7 to be turned from their purpose. 4
II is often so. God will remon-
( strate with his children up to
( the point where he sees that
} they will not listen to his warn I
: 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. I
, When we choose for ourselves
: we are more than apt to make a I
choice which will turn like a
< boomerang upon us and prove a \
I curse instead of a blessing. The !
\ thing we think we want most
:, is more than likely to be the I
} most undesirable for US. There {
7 is only one safe ground on which 4
ie
< is placed first and permitted to
( choose for us. The thing which !
, God desires to give us never car I,
: ries 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 BEING I
) evil know how to give good gifts 4
unto our children, how much I
: more will our Heavenly Father !
z give the Holy Spirit (the aIl-in- ;
4 elusive gift) to them that ask
him."
\ According to the intimation of ,
: the Scripture il was the corrup- 4
ton of the sons of Samuel, who I
( had been appointed judges over
Z Israel, and who perverted Judo
) ment by the taking of brides,
\ which was the immediate cause
OF the people desiring a king. I
: This fact emphasizes one impor-
= tant thing, and that is the per-
\ petuating power of sin. One
. wrong ripens into another; one
3 sin leads to another. The mis-
? deed Of one man encourages or
Y ineites transgression on the part (
4 OF another, and so on, so that
= the sad train Of Developments
4 from a sin committed may be
; appalling in its final consumma.
, ton. Man cannot sin alone, but !!
2 in his sin he exerts an influence I
Z over other life or lives which is {
< disastrous.
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