River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-10-08

49,. zE8zsazz8z o:1o-lS.
There is an au-
Gent legend that the gods filled
box with blessings and gave it to
Pandora, the first woman, for safe
keeping. She opened it incautiously
and everything in it escaped except
hope. But Pandora with hope in her
hox was richer than she could have
been if every other blessing had re-
manned without hope. Wealth with
out hope is sorrow. Pleasure without
hope is pain. Health without hope is
disease. Life without hope is death.
Light without hope is darkness. Pros
perity without hope is adversely. Take
hope out of the world and you have
blotted out the sun that rules the day
and the stars that rule the night,
Hopelessness turns midday into mid
night. Pandora can be happy with
only hope in her box, but when hope
escapes nothing that is left can save
her from misery.
The Christian has a threefold JOY
coming from the past, present and flu.
ture. Paul said Il am now ready.
have finished my course. have kept
the faith. Henceforth." The "now"
of the present is like bridge but
tressed on one side by the experience
of the past and on the other by the
hope of the future. He is strong
enough for martyrdom in the present
because the memory of the past
means victory and the hope of the
future means glory. The end of time
with him is the dawn of eternity.
This "henceforth" rings every bell
in heaven and has in it the music of
the celestial choir. 1t makes it worth
while to endure and wait. For the
joy that was set before him Jesus
shame" The Via Dolorosa was light
ed all the way by hope.
The Basis of Hope.
"By two immutable things in which
it was impossible for God to lie, My
hope is based upon the veracity of
God. God has promised, and, if he
should break a promise he would
cease to be God. There is one excep-
ton to the scripture with God all
things are possible" 1t is impossible
for him to lie. And this makes it i'm
possible for me to be disappointed if
base my hope upon his word. God
is conscientious. He does all he says
he will do David Livingstone said:
! my God is a gentleman. He keeps
his word" Basing my hope upon the
veracity of God is equal to saying that
it is based upon God himself.
The Certainty of Hope.
It is sure. There is no doubt about
it. Doubt is the dagger that kills
hope at one thrust. 81 hope 30" some
times means ST guess So" but it is a
misuse of a noble word. Quaint 10.
seph Irons insists that knowledge is
more than hope and that every. Chris.
ton should know rather than hope
that he is saved. Hope, hope, hop
ing" he says, 'is equivalent to hope,
hope, hopping" and it means lame,
limping Christianity. But Paul says:
eve are saved by hope" Hope is an
anchor of the soul that is sure. Hope
! includes knowledge. I know that I
am saved and therefore hope for the
salvation yet to be revealed" My
experience of faith in Christ and the
new life which has come into my soul
is a matter of knowledge. All this
comes through my knowing God in
| Christ Jesus.
Hope is knowledge illumined and
| glorified. Hope is assurance radiant
Hope is certainty with its face to-
ward the sunrise.
The Steadfastness of Hope.
"Both sure and steadfast." 1t is the
anchor that holds the ship against
wind and current. A dying Christian
sailor said: "The anchor holds" He
saw himself on his vessel in the
storm, drifting before wind and wave
| toward the breakers. The anchor is
cast out and for several minutes there
| is painful suspense. Has the anchor
found good grounding or Is it dragging
with the ship? Suddenly the cable
is taut, the ship veers around and be-
comes steady. The anchor out of sight
| has gripped the rock and a strong
cable holds the entire weight of the
ship, cargo and crew. The winds
howl and the current swirls along at
q rapid pace, the waves beat upon the
sides and dash over the decks but the
ship is safe because the anchor holds.
Thus hope is "the anchor of the soul
both sure and steadfast." 1t holds the
soul against the winds and currents
that would drive it upon the breakers.
It's grounding is in the veracity OF
God, and its cable is the promise and
oath twisted into one mighty rope that
I, can hold steady any ship that ever
sailed on life's ocean. The bowling
storm may tear into shreds our phil
| osophical sails, but the anchor of hope
holds the soul. Said a great man, 81
cannot say that have so lived that
am not afraid to die, but / can say
that l have so trusted Christ that
am not afraid to die" Better not
afraid to live. Fear of men which we
call shame is a current which drifts
many a soul to ruin. Hope maketh
not ashamed" While Christian and
Hopeful were crossing the river,
Christian was full of fears, but Hope
full said: 'Be Of good cheer, my
brother. l feel the bottom and it is
I h<f% oil