The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1911-10-26

-Psa 1868.
PLACE IN HIsTORY-Just when this
Psalm was written Is unknown, but in its
spirit It belongs to the return from the
exile the times OF our last two lessons.
Psalms 121. 122. 1876 1870 are among the
Pilgrim Psalms.
Psalms of Deliverance" came as a
vivifying power into the hearts of the
returned exiles, who in the midst or
their Joy were overwhelmed with difi.
cult,es, and hardships and discourage
ments. The reality was far differ
ent from the ideal pictures in their
minds. They had seen Victory glori-
GUS In the distance, but we're not
plunged into the turmoil and smoke
of battle. They were tempted to say
TO the prophets that Pliable in the
Slough of Despond, angrily said to
Christian who had urged him to go
on the pilgrimage to the Celestial
City: us this the happiness you have
told me all this while OFF" But songs
of deliverance keep the celestial hope
ever in view. They point out the
way to the things hoped for, and show
the evidence of things not SEEM
THOU has been favorable unto thy
land" shown by bringing back the
captivity of Jacob. This was a most
marvellous event and not even to be
hoped for In the natural course OF
things.
When the Lord turned again the
captivity of Zion" caused the stream
of captives that flowed to Babylon to
turn back and flow to Zion; like the
streams In the SOUTH" in suddenness
and overflowing fullness.
The loving kindness OF God proves
that he has forgiven their past trans
gressions. "Thou hast forgiven the
iniquity Of thy people," Cancelled 1t,
as an account of debt is Cancelled,
or taken away as a heavy, crushing
burden. Covered all their sin. Blot
ted out Of sight, covered II with
mantle, so that they were in Gods
sight as those who had never sinned
We need forgiveness as wide as the
sin. And we find in the Bible as many
terms expressing forgiveness as we
found for expressing sin-Forgive, Re-
init, Send away, Cover up, Blot out,
Destroy, Wash away, Cleanse.
The returned exiles gained a new
knowledge Of Gods Word, new
world experience, they lost the inde.
pendent nation, but gained the inde-
pendent church, from which blossom.
ed the Messiah, the Saviour of the
world. The old, eternal law OF sin
and death was irrevocable, never
ceased; but the changed character
permits new law to override the
consequences. In the words of DR..
John Thomas of Liverpool: Every
man who knows anything knows that
one law can be neutralized by anoth.
er. There Is a law OF gravitation
which keeps this Bible here upon the
desk. That law cannot be altered, Il
cannot be stopped; It will draw, and
draw, and draw, whatever you may
say or do, but 1t can be neutralized
by the law of my will. / can lift the
book and make the law Of gravltation
to appear as though It were not. That
is exactly what we say about the par.
don of sin and the arrest Of Its conse-
quences."
they longed for more. SO many evils
remained, the nation was yet so Inn
perfect, so far from what it might be-
Illustration from DR.. Chapman's ad-
dress to the Harvard students. RE
member, friends, that 1t Is Gods
standard your life and mine must
come up against. A friend of mine
went to see an old washerwoman, and
as he entered the house the sheets
hanging on the line In front Of the
house impressed him as especially
white, spotlessly white. He went into
the house, and was there for some
time. 1t had commenced to snow In
the meantime. When he came out
he noticed that the snowfakes had
been falling on the clothes, and that
the sheets did not seem white at all
but yellow rather. He spoke to the
old washerwoman. why, what's the
matter? They looked so very white
when l came In, and now they don't
look white at ALL The old woman
said: What can stand against God
Almightys white"
There is charming little booklet
called Expectation Corner" an alle-
CORY on prayer almost as good as "Pil
grim's Progress" A poor man In
Redeemed Land mourned over his pow
erty. and was taken at last to see
the Lords treasure houses. There he
found a room called the Missed Bless
ings Ofice, full of blessings marked
for him which his weak faith would
not expect, so that his door war
closed when they were brought. He
saw another storehouse. called the De
layed Blessings Ofice, full Of good
things for which the receivers were
not prepared. or which were not fully
ripened for their best use. They were
growing and would be sent In fullnesi
of time
Truth shall spring out of the earth
from men on earth, as plants grow
from the ground. They seek God 'iI
sincerity and In TRUTH" and such pray
ara racaiva tha ansWar nf ri0htanua