South Bend news-times., 1915-09-20
GODS STREAMS
ARE NFAILING
Life Planted Near Rivers of
Creator Always Sure of
Spiritual NouriShment.

The most effective way of stating
spiritual truth is in terms OF material
imagery. And among those images
used TO spiritual truths few
are happier than that spoken of as
rivers and streams" said Rev. George
William Allison. pastor of Hope Pres
byterian church Sunday evening in
his sermon on the subject The Glad
dening Streams of God"
"Old favorites of the Bible had Wis
ions OF streams of influence proceed
ing out of the temple and flowing
down through Jerusalem and on into
the Dead Sea, bringing cleansing and
life wherever il went. This is COM
parable to the river of the water of
life in Revelation, 22:1. Water has
not only cleansing power, but is alb
solutely essential to the sustenance of
life. And the man who is going to
have faith must of necessity then be
plants by the rivers Of water He
must be rooted in the current of Gods
holy influences. for only thus can he
sustain his leaf and fruit and pre-
vent his whitening away.
And wherever there are barren
wastes of sin and righteousness the
rivers of Gods influences must be di-
rected. Isaiah has this saying: God
will come and save; and in the wilder
ness shall the waters break forth, and
streams in the midst of the DESERT
Let no man feel that he is isolated
from Gods cleansing power. and his
power to make alive And as Her
cules performed the great labor of
cleansing the Augean stables by di-
recting the waters of two rivers
through them, so Ezekiel has the
vision of Jerusalem, Judea, and even
the Dead Sea cleansed and sweeten-
ed by means Of the gladdening rivers
OF God.
Sure Way To Lose Soul.
There is no more certain way of
losing ones soul than OF shutting one
self away from these streams Of God.
ArchaeOlOgists have unearthed rec
ords TO show how an ancient city
heavily fortified by enormous walls
laughingly defied all enemies by sim
ply cl0s,ug the gates. However one
enemy forced the city 10 capitulate by
digging a canal to divert the river
which supp led the city with water
The evil has no more effective way of
damning mems souls than by divert
| ing them from the streams Of grace
first by atty IN church attend
ance, scripture reading and prayer
Then finally open Indifference Watch
| therefore that there flows through
your life these gladdening streams OF
God.
"One of the most striking pictures
l have recently seen represents a
man on the western desert famishine
| for water struggling with a compan-
ion who tries to prevent his getting tC
a poisoned pool to slake his parcheC
| lips and throat. II has all the ele.
ments of tragedy. SO be certain that
the waters of which you drink are the
| living streams of God, and not the
poisoned pools of some fatal heresy
Gods streams are unfailing. Ec.
cleSiasteS says, All the rivers rur
into the sea, yet the sea is not full
unto the place whence the rivers come
thither they return again. to continu,
or repeat the same action. And wher
planting your life beside the rivers O
God, you are certain of spiritual nour
ishment forever 1t was Jesus VIII,
said, He that believeth on me. from
within him shall flow rivers of Twins
water The life of faith is the be
ginning OF blessings to others as well
IL is the river of Gods holy influence
flowing down in streams and brook
and rills that makes every street il
the city Of God glad with the laughte
and song and praise of redeemet
souls. Nav your life be nOurishet
thereby"