River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-12-10

KNOW the rove OF
christ. which passeth knowledge, that
We might be filed with all the fulness
Of Cod" (Eph 3:17-19.) He said in part:
The word Love is as warming and
cheering CORRESPONDENCE as the words
Hatred and Selfishness are cold and
discouraging To some who all their
ives have been immersed in a world
of selfish frigidty, the real quality OF
the word Love is disallOwed. disputed,
claimed not to exist Nevertheless, in
every human being there is a craving
for love, pure and sincere, even though
expected never to be found
For the majority inevitable reverses
and failures take the place of antici-
pated successes. However strong, cOu-
rageous. or even brutally fierce has
been the warrior in the battle for
bread. fame and glory. he Graves Ill
timateIy in his partial or complete dis
aster. the love which he has neither
shown to others nor ever really eX
pected that others would show to him.
Whether he succumbs to financial dis
aster, to immortality, to narcotic slim
ulants or to disease-1t matters not
Which-the balm of Gilead for the
wounded soul is Love.
Sometimes this love comes from the
partner of life-the wife or the hus-
band; sometimes from parents or chill
dren, sisters or brothers. Thank God
for these sometimes, and for the evi
dence they afford us of some measure
of the image of God in humanity. But
alas. in vast majority of cases the
failure. the disaster suffered. not only
skaters hope. but coOls friendship and
destroys the semblances Of love, which
were merely emotional or perfunctOry
or admiration. At such a time the
Message of the Love Of God and Christ
is a balm indeed. if it comes to the
wounded and discouraged one.
1t is our thought that particularly
at this time such Encouragement is be-
ing borne in upon large numbers Of
the human family. With the opening
OF the year many properly made
resolutions to themselves, or to their
friends or to the Lord. that they would
live more noble lives that they would
be loyal to their Creator, to their COM
panions to themselves and to all of
their interests and obligations. But as
the year slipped away. it has brought
trials. testings, and to many defeat and
encouragement.
"Come, Weary and Heavy Laden"
Now is the oppOrtune moment to
these discouraged ones to hear the
voice of Him that speaketh from
Heaven. telling them Of His love, His
sympathy and His. willingness to aid
all who will accept His assistance.
Hearkening obediently to His voice.
such may change the hour of defeat to
the hour of victory by the Lords as
sisting grace; just as, many time in
earthly warfare. victory has been
wrested from defeat by the arrival of
reinforcements at the oppOrtune mo
ment The moment of discourage
ment. of loss of confidence in earthly
progress. and of hopeless despair, is
the opportune moment for the discour-
Sesaor. to cry unto Him and forthwith
to receive the reinforcements from
Him who has declared, MY strength
is made perfect in your weakness;
and again. Come unto Me, all We that
labor and are heavy-laden, and ! will
give you rest. Take My yoke upon
you, and learn of Me; for / am meek
and lowly of heart; and We shall find
rest unto your souls"
But it requires faith to believe in a
Savior whom we have never seen.
with whom we have not been &C
quainted, and especially One who has
Eeen so frequently misrepresented to
US as having prepared FROM before the
foundation of the world for our eter-
nal torment How can We assure our
selves of His Love? How may we
know that He is not the cruel One
that has been pictured to US? How
may we know that He is a loving.
generous, kind. faithful Friend-a God
who delighteth not in our trouble, who
rejoiceth not in iniquity. who rejoiceth
not in eternally tormenting His crea-
lures, nor even in destroying them
eternally in the Second Death; but.
conversely, in doing us good, in exhib-
iting towards all who will receive it
His loving kindness and tender mercy,
enabling them more and more. in the
language of our text. TO appreciate the
height, the length. the breadth and the
depth of His Love-a God who even
tually will have all men saved recov-
eredl and brought to knowledge OF