The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1913-05-23
have EA!IA N G0D|

- -
eeGMlMo HlMoRANcgo IN rMo
gNo ARg eRGouGMrlv ~
vgAlgo ~ HGlpo.
4 IL Who think deeply upon ~
subject OF Gods proviAsacss
"a must exclaim with o. Paul. %,
tho depth Of the riches. both q
the wisdom and knowledge Of God;
how unssarchabls are hts Judsmsnts,
and his ways past finding out" Gods
ways are indeed often inscrutabls 70
". Sometimes We misinterpret his
dealinGs: sometimes we allow our.
selves to doubt whether Gods hand 10
concerned In this or that occurrence.
and we cannot see how things which
he allows TO obtain are compatible
with his justice.
Let me say that We should be care
full not to interpret Gods providencs
In fragments. This evil which 10 ~
Seems Overwhelming. may b. only
temporary. may be only link IN .
chain Of . great and . permanent
good. 30 tho reverses and humilia-
tion OF . nation are often the prelude
to the greater development and the
higher manhood Of It's citizens In
adversity the material Of men and M
lions 10 made manifest Human char.
acter must 20 through IRE before Il
becomes steel. Forty years ago our
land passed through . great crisis.
Its consequences are not yet worked
out. but they are far greater than the
mere abolition Of slavery. God works
not out his purposes In day. or .
year. nor In 100 years. Four hundred
years Israel was In Egypt. and then
II pleased God to raise up the enamel
ator. A thousand years the world
waited for the Lords salvation. and
then came the fullness Of time. Let
" remember that In our lives. and
II would tighten many = burden and
put 4 silver lining TO many . cloud
that Gods providence 10 not to Be IN.
terpreted by this or that Occurrences.
but that these are only links In the
golden chain OF his goodness.
And Paul Prisoner.
Now We come TO the story Of our
text. Paul 10 In prison In Rome,
That in itself 10 strange. Paul the
ambassador Of Jesus Christ In prison!
Can the work he has been doing BE-
Gods work? Would God allow II to
be thus hindered? Can Paul be
true servant Of Jesus Christ? Think
Of the effect II would have upon the
young. struggling churches when they
heard that Paul the great missionary
was In prison. Would they not BE-
tempted to give up the unequal strug-
gle and disband? These questions
and others might have presented
themselves to many men In those
days. and to-day many would think
the same.
What DOES Paul say about II an.
With his missionary enthusiasm we
would expect to and him In despair
At being shut up In prison. But on
the contrary he writes 10 the Philip
plans. II would ye should understand.
brethren. that the things which hap.
pened unto me have fallen out rather
to the furtherance Of the gospel"
How was that possible! MY bonds
In Christ are manifest In all the pal
ace, and In all other places" His
circumstances are conducting TO the
spread OF the gospel In Rome His
very Imprisonment. which was intend.
ed to put an end to his activity. 10 In
itself . mission. Its connection, not
with political or social causes. but
with Christ, 10 well known through
out the imperial guard. and to tho
Romans In general. Moreover. the
Roman Christians have felt . spiritual
impetus. and his captivity has nerved
them to bear = builder witness In the
eyes OF their heather neighbors.
Lesson Worth Lsarnine.
II u . lesson worth learning which
st. Paul learned In that prison: that
hindrances are often helps: that cir.
cumstances most untoward may be
advancing the kingdom; that faith
placed In the goodness. purpose and
helpfulness Of God 10 never misplaced
Oh. that we could learn that lesson
to accept Gods providences ~ they
come with . quiet mind. firmly b.
Iieving that all things shall work out
for good to them that love him.
Note here also that moral and splr,
ituai things are always higher than
what 10 individual and personal Paul
was In prison. but the gospel was not
bound Paurs liberty was restrained
but the gospel had free course Re
member that your spiritual nature 10
above any physical circumstances.
that your mission TO the world 10
above any physical wellbeing. Paul
lost his life 10 the struggle. but the
gospel went on, 90 II has ever been.
Tho consecrated cobbier Of England,
william Carey, gave his life to India.
and hosts Of men and women have fol.
lowed In his steps Livingston died
In the African Jungle. and II meant
| the oOeutnR Of the Dark continent n