The Alaska citizen., 1915-04-12

| has never been answered. to be a | Christian is the teaching of the | Bible. To be able to quote quanti- 1 ties of Scripture IS worse than use | less, unless there is spirit and life with it. The Bible Is more than texts, chapters, books; 1t is a revela- | tion. This revelation begins where human nature begins and ends when eternity ends. Every day brings something new. bright. cheery. happy. | It is constant series of pleasant surprises. Take a man out upon the highest peak al early dawn and tell him to look at the beauties. before him; for reply he gropes in the darkness and hears the echoes of night. Tell him to imagine the beauty of the landscape. and he laughs at the thought Can man imagine light
 But let the sun burst upon the view studding every dew-drop with a pearl; painting the distant mist with a rainbow: binding the birds of prey and sending the providers of the night stalking to their dens; awakening the birds to heavenly music, the flowers to release celes- tial incense from bright faces turn Ing toward the sun, then man finds that his imagination is not equal to the mysteries of God
 The Bible being a revelation is continual surprise and the Christian meditates in it day and night It brightens the mind and charms the fancy; all the innermost desires of the spirit are statistical the soul fills full with sweet content in this morning surprise and evening bene diCtion. If man would mediate upon it day and night what preaching would be then,
 A prepared pew makes a prepared pulpit. Men get what they want. Let man live in the filth of wrong thinking, vile speaking and gross deeds during the week, and no ser. mon will get near his heart. Ser mons are not made to be preached at" men but to" men. The nearer makes the difference. Talk purity to hbertine and he will look with blank amazement; but talk purity to q Christian and he will listen with enrapt attention.
 Men will hear what they want, You cannot disturb permanently the man rooted in the Word. The old leaves may fall in the wind, but the roots grounded will bring forth life.
 And he shall be like a tree plant ed by the rivers of water, that bring eth forth his fruit in his season, his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever be doeth shall prosper"
 A mans life rooted in God will grow. With God there is no famine The godly are like trees-trees planted by rivers of waters. A tree is permanent, beautiful fruitful only when it is planted by abundant waters. His way shall prosper but does the godly prosper? Yes, as God prospers. His laws are disre- gardcd, his name is bias phemed, his Book is scorned. his day is desecrat- ed. his love is spurned, his promises an object of sheer
 The drunkard thinks he prospers, but "at last it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder" Tie harlot thinks she prospers, like wise the murderer, the asphemer; but what shall it profit man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?' Man shall not live by bread alone" and God has a thousand ways to sustain life, for in him we live and move and have our being.
 He bringeth forth his fruit in his season. Few trees bear fruit e'li tLt Scdl louAO, anu ollly tllOSt that live in conditions conducive to fruit bearing ever bear at all We do not read of great revivals on the frontier A new camp is not known first because of religious fer vor, The devil is there on the ground floor. and is loud with ob- jection when the Lord desires place. Wicked men oppose the good they would not be expected to do otherwise. Sometimes they feign religion but not for long. Peter says of them:
 Tt has happened unto them ac- >ording to the true proverb, the dog turneth to his own vomit again, and the SOW that had washed to wallow- ing in the mre."
 Billy Sunday cuts it short and says: sick dog" and washed sow" But the man who delights in the law of the Lord, will prosper in his ways and be happy in the meditation of the Word day and night Such things eventually win The man who