The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-08-16

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sS45AtasakxskfSZ2e>> personalities each
recognizes that
there is some obligation TO seek each
other yet the obligation on Gods
part TO seek man is somewhat diff,
/ cult 10 understand. Man obviously
ought to seek God. he ought TO be
asking the question, Where shall |
find him?" but God anticipates man
in this search and comes frequently
and asks, as in the text, Where art
thou?' This being the case there Is
presented for our consideration In the
text as whole: C) God seeking man;
CD Man keeping away from God. by
hiding or otherwise; go The soul.
experience that compels him to move
10 God
l. God is seeking man. This is not
the normal situation, for man ought
to be seeking God with the whole
heart, everything else being as moth.
Ing In comparison. God Is seeking
man. not with the intent apparently
that he sought Adam in the Garden
of Eden. which was for the purpose
OF reproof, or punishment. God not
only is seeking man, but wishes TO be
sought for by man, as the hymn writer
Faber so beautifully sings:
God loves 10 be longed for. he loves to
be sought
For he sought us himself with such
longing and love!
And he died for desire OF US. marvellous
thought!
/ And he yearns for us now TO be with
his above"
There is not a man away from God
but for whom God longs, and will go
any distance 10 find.
There were ninety and nine that safely
! In the shelter of the fold.
| But one was out on the hills away,
! Far of from the gates OF gold
] Away on the mountains wild and bare,
! Away from the tender Shepherds care.
Lord. thou hast here thy ninety and
! Are they not enough for thee7
| But the Shepherd made answer: This OF
mine
! Has wandered away from me.
| And although the road be rough and
! steep
| l go to the desert 20 find my sheep "
2. But just as prominent as the
/ search Of God for man is mans con.
stant refusal TO be found AS Adam
/ fed from the Lord, as Jonah tried TO
! get away from the obligation 70
! preach at Nineveh as the prodigal
| fed TO a far country and wasted his
| substance In riotous living. so man
/ does today. Touched by the Spirit Of
! God, the church, through its many
/ agencies, is putting forth effort 70
/ reach man. It's doors have always
/ been open, and rarely is the church
/ found that does not welcome all
I classes 20 its services In recent
/ years Gods people are going out after
men mall places where they may be
/ found The gospel Is preached In
/ places not dedicated 20 divine wor-
ssip-in tents, on street corners. and
/ elsewhere, and II is difficult for a man
within christendom 20 get beyond the
/ invitation Of the gospel and yet he
will not yield 10 II.
/ 3. But there is a reason for this as
| suggested in the text; II is the con.
/ sciousness Of shame, II was naked and
! / hid myself" Il must be conceded
| that there are multitudes who do not
/ seem 20 have God IN any OF their
| thoughts, they live apparently as the
| beasts OF the field. they seem 10 have
no consciousness whatever that they
| are more than creatures OF a day,
mere ephemera But the man or
| woman who may be beguiled % read
| these words Is not such a person In
some way he senses God He has an
/ intuition, as We might say. which prob.
ably teaches him his personal respon.
sibility
/ is that a misfortune? Far from g.
I II S. the dawn Of hope II Is the soul.
/ pain that tells Of possible return GO
. spiritual health secured through per.
/ feet communion with Cod Grateful
should the man be who thus becomes
uneasy. yea. faces God and talks with
/ him. In this day the grace of God Is
seeking man. not 20 reproye him only.
not to punish him. but 10 bless him,
be Is not willing that any should per.
. lsh
II may be said that the man who
I De- discovered by God. discovers. or
I finds. himself; be comes % himself
as the prodigal did. and IS then not
. .ar from starting back 20 the Fathers
I house. "A the CRY recently has been
uith many Back 20 Christ We
| might Say that the CRY should nog
rather be BACK 10 God"