The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1908-12-05

q sorrow and discourassment away,
and alone with God.
! Yea, with God. for he remained to
him, and he knew that nothing could
take away that assurance In his
heart that God knew and understood
The way seemed dark and uncertain.
The promise for israel seemed dim
and unreal, and yet there was that
one CLEAN of light. He still had God.
He would cling to him.
Sometimes the heart comes to that
place and that experience. Some
times. because Of ANNOUNCEMENTS
and trials and difficulties. everything
seems to slip from under ones feet, but
the fact that God Is still in heaven. and
like the drowning man In the water
clinging in desperation to one slender
rope which will drag him to safety, so
the soul reaches up and clings to the
thought of God-clings and waits;
clings and waits; knowing that at last
God will hear and answer.
Ezekiel the prophet, the man Of
visions. the man Of great messages
and faithful ministry, discouraged and
disheartened? Imp0ssible! Say not
so, unless you are willing to make
him more than human, for to every
soul that IL called Of God, and who
would serve him. there come Just
such hours Of heart anguish when
everything seems swept from under
| the feet except the one thought of
God-just God.
Yes, Ezekiel was discouraged. All
the light had gone out of his soul, but
that one Mght-God. Nothing could
take that away. Low in the dust he
lay.
Israel In captivity had lost utterly
the vision OF return to the beloved
Jerusalem. It seemed so impossible.
Reports had come from the Ear on be-
loved land. Nothing but desolation
there. Nothing but blackened ruin.
Wild beasts found shelter in the rug
ged ruins and the birds Of the
air made their nests In the crannies
of the shattered walls. Such was
the condition in Jerusalem. and In the
land Of Babylon. whittier the Jews aad
been dragged as captives, they had
found habitation--plenty to eat, q
place to trade and grow rich, and
pleasant companions among those
who worshiped the gods Of wood and
stone. And they had become con-
tent with their lot, and with the
stories of the desolation at Jeru-
salem there had come q dimming of
the vision of a return. What cared
they to return to that land when they
were 80 favored in the place of their
captivity?
Ezekiel had noted all this, and the
question had begun to arise in his
heart whether the promised return
could ever be. Little by little the
heart had sunk In despair until in
the anguish OF doubt and discourage.
ment he ned to his quiet retreat by
the river Chebar, and there upon the
ground gave way to his grief.
Then came the voice within:
Struggle on!" and. he had Ques-
toned whether 1t were God that had
spoken. And while thus fighting the
battle Of doubt within he felt touch
upon him which he knew could
only be the hand of God, for II
brought a calm and quiet to his spirit
and seemed to strengthen him for
journey. He had come In weary In
the body unto death, but now as he
felt the thrill of the new life and
strength within him he Strengthened
up and whispered, over and over
again:
God! God! It Is God! It is God
who has spoken. will struggle on"
And suiting the action to the word
he arose and went rapidly along the
pathway which followed the course
of the river. But some strange power
seemed to be working within him, for
suddenly he struck on into wild and
unfrequented part of the country. So
absorbed was he, however, with the
spirit which held him, the CON
scious and blessed presence OF
God, that he knew not how far he jour
neyed, nor observed the roughness OF
the way by which he went
But OF sudden he stopped. and.
lifting his eyes, he beheld CHASTITY
sight. Before him lay heaps upon
heaps of human grinning, hoi
low-eyed skulls, bony hands thrust
upward from the heaps as though in
mute, hopeless appeal; leg bones.
thigh bones, rounded ribs and curvins
spines-all bleaching and glistening
white in the hot sun.
And while he was looking in fear
and trepidation. he heard q voice
speaking, saying:
Son OF man, can these bones liver.
Startled by the question, Ezekiel al.
most laughed in his nervous excite.
ment.
ut was God who spake," he quick.
ly thought, and instantly responding
to the thought, he exclaimed:
20, Lord God, thou knowest."
The vision IL passed. Under the 70
vivifying power of God Ezekiel has
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