The Penn's Grove record., 1911-07-14

liz III The land lay in ruins. The
@ walled cities and strongholds
TN had been leveled with the
S ground, and there was no
protection for the returning exiles
from their enemies.
What then was the stronghold to
which the prophet urged them to fee?
Was 1t Jerusalem? No, only heaps OF
rubbish showed where the mighty
walls had been. Israel understood
what was meant. Had not God been
the stronghold Of their people since
the time of Abraham? Had not David
sung: God Is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble" Even
SO all Gods people have found Him
the supreme stronghold In time OF dan
ger and trouble.
In the Old Testament God is repre-
scented in every character Of protec-
ton and defense, from the beautiful
pastoral character Of the t~wenty-third
psalm, to the words of Moses song
that thunder out, 1.-THE Lord is a man
of War; the Lord is His name" In
times of danger Israel had often for
gotten the Lord and sought other help
ers and found them wanting. They
had looked toward Egypt and found 1t
a broken reed; they-had made allegi-
ance with the heather to their sorrow.
So now the command of the prophet
rings out, Flee to your Stronghold. ye
prisoners of hope"
Prisoners of Hope" That is a
beautiful phrase which has passed into
u language, and 1t has wonderful
depth of meaning. Hope is anticipa-
ton with possibility of realization.
Hope strikes pleasant chords for the
future. 1t is everyone's sunshine on
dark days; it is the rainbow after
storm, the silver lining to the passing
cloud, a star set in the armament of
our lives to brighten. tighten and cheer
us.
Beacon Light Is Hope.
A man who is held by the hope that
is In him, a hope that rules him, that
urges him on, that is the e~verpresent
goal for which he strives as a prisoner
oil hope. 1t is the beacon light that
leads him on. 1t governs the upward
tendency of his manhood. Abraham's
faith and hope made him a friend OF
God, and the father Of the faithful.
Because of the hope that was set be-
fore him he went out from his own
land, not knowing whittier he went.
HE looked for a city that hath foun-
dations whose builder and maker Is
God" His hope was in the God who
had promised that In him should all
nations of the earth Be blessed.
Moses, because Of the hope that was
set before him, refused to be called the
son of Pharaoh's daughter and took
his place with the oppressed people OF
God. He led them through the great
and terrible wilderness with the hope
of the promised land ever before him.
The prophets, because of the hope
that was set before them, the hope OF
a happier and godlier people-with-
stood tyrants, rebuked unrighteous-
ness in high places, suffered indigni-
ties, persecution and death, and left
the record that they were prisoners of
hope and that their only stronghold
was their God.
st. Paul goes SO far as to say. I'VE
are saved by hope" That hope was
set before him when he became a
follower of Christ and 1t held him
prisoner to the end of life. He suf-
fered hardship and persecution. In his
prison cell In Rome his body was held
by the chains that bound him, but his
soul was the prisoner of the hope
that was set before him. Il long to
depart and be with Jesus" he says.
The Star of his life was drawing him
onward and upward.
Jesus Supreme Hope.
Allow me with all reverence to come
to the supreme illustration. The writ
er of the Epistle to the Hebrews tells
us that Jesus, for the joy and the hope
that was set before Him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and is set
down at the right hand of the throne
of God" He also was a prisoner OF
hope. Was He a prisoner of the Ro-
man guard In the garden of Gethse-
name? No. "Thinkest thou that
cannot now pray to my Father. and
He shall presently give me more than
~ legions of angels% Was He a
prisoner of Plate when He stood In
the Judgment hall? Jesus said to him,
"Thou couldest have no power at all
against me, except 1t were given thee
from above" Jesus was led by the
great hope of a renewed and redeemed
humanity.
You who have lost loved ones by
death. what is your consolation? That
life continues though the body decays;
that you shall meet again where there
ia no more sorrow, nor crying, nor
main. for the former things have
naased away. Therefore," says st.
paul sorrow not as others which
have no hope" And again he says,
w have strong consolation who have
fed for refuge to lay hold of the hope
set before us; which hope we have as
an anchor of the soul, both sure and
steadfast." (Hebrews 6: 10. 19.)
Hope in Christ is to the little world
Of the inner man what spring is to the
external world of nature-an animal
ing principle in perpetual operation.
II makes the present tolerable If 1t be
hard, and 1t gilds the prospect before
lis with bright expectations of happi-
ness to come.