The Penn's Grove record., 1915-01-22
ALWAYS NEAR
Christians Comfort Is in the
Thought of His Sustaining
Presence.

Thou art near, o God."-Psalm 119:
i51. There are certain texts in the
Scriptures which are akin to these
words, as for example Ps. 121:5, The
Lord is thy keeper; the Lord is thy
shade upon thy right hand" If the
Lord is our keeper, why need we
go astray, for he neither slumbers
nor sleeps. Ps. 34:18 is another
text, "The Lord is nigh unto
them that are of a broken heart; and
saveth such as be of a contrite
spirit" | am sure I am speaking for
you all when l say we have never
had a heartache, If we have accept
ed u discipline as he intended we
should, that he has not been gra-
ciously near to us. Philippians the
fourth chapter and the fifth verse,
the last clause, is another illustration.
Let your moderation be known unto
all men. The Lord is at hand" Paul
has been speaking of peace and the
joy Of Christian friendship, when sud-
denly he speaks out like David of
old, "The Lord Is at hand" and i'm
mediately he begins with this sem
tence, BE careful for nothing" OF
course, we need be careful for nothing
If the Lord is at hand, for he will
bear every burden; he will be with
US constantly and help US to over
come every trial.
Ended Dying Mans Fear.
The twenty-third Psalm is another
beautiful illustration. 1t has been
my privilege recently to sit by the
deathbed of a young man who has
since passed out into eternity, and
when l told him the end had come
for him, he said, 1T is a long journey
to make alone, is it not?" My only
answer vas this twenty-third Psalm,
yea, though I walk through the val
ley of the shadow of death, | will
fear no evil; for thou art with me-"
and he brushed the tears out of his
eyes and said, Then l am not afraid"
nor need we be at any time, for he is
always with us.
There are many ways in which he
Is neal to us.
First: He is near as a sin-forgiv-
ing God. There is therefore now no
condemnation to them which are in
Christ Jesus, who walk not after the
nesh, but after the Spirit" Romans
81. The thought of the judgment
is something awful, but let it be re-
membered that the word "condemna-
ton" is the same in the Greek as
Judgment" and for those who are in
Christ Jesus, whatever their sins,
judgment is forever past.
Second: He is near as a promise
keeping God. For all the promises
of God in him are yea, and in him
amen, unto the glory of God by u.s."
II Corinthians 1870. There is not in
all the exigencies of our lives a trial
that cannot be Offset by a promise
Of help found in the Bible, and these
all center in him.
Gods Own Promise.
Third: He is near as a prayer
answering God. John 1928, "a, "And
in that day We shall ask me
nothing. Verify, verify, l say UNTO
you, Whatsoever We shall ask the
Father in my name he will give it
you. Hitherto have We asked nothing
in my name: ask, and We shall re-
ceive, that your Joy may be full"
This is Gods own word, and if our
prayers have not been answered the
difficulty is with ourselves, and new
er with him.
Fourth: He is near as a gracious
Father. John 1879, 10, Jesus saith
unto him, Have l been so long time
with you, and yet hast thou not
known me, Philip? He that hath
seen me hath seen the Father; and
how sayest thou then, Show US the
Father? Believest thou not that
am in the Father, and the Father
in me? The wofNs that l speak unto
you l speak not of myself; but the
Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth
the works" BY these words Jesus
wanted Philip to know that when
he had seen him touch the Eyes of
the blind and raise the dead and
comfort the sorrowing he had had a
vision of the Father in his infinite
love.-Rev. ]. w. Chapman, d. D.