The Raymer enterprise., 1915-04-22

from home. Weary in body. wretched
In spirit. he lies down to sleep-a
stone for his pillow; the vaulted heav-
ems for his canopy In the darkness
OF the night, the consciousness OF sin
steals over him and a guilty con-
science gives uneasy rest. He felt
that the sin which separated him from
his fathers home, must separate him
from his fathers God.
It is at such times. when one is
truly awakened to sense OF sin In
himself, that God can and will mani
fest his grace. Jacob had no sense
Of worthiness; on the contrary, his
conscience condemned him as a guilty
sinner before God. II was then that
God broke open the heavens and out
Of the depths Of love disclosed the
ladder Of grace which reached the
man in need; at its summit God. sur
rounded by the glory and brightness
OF heaven; at its base. poor wayward
Jacob. shrouded In darkness; and as
cending and descending. the angels Of
God. Is not this true picture Of Gods
grace as manifested through Christ
who is the ladder reaching from God
to needy man.
Loved Ones at the Bottom.
Years ago, an explosion in a coal
mine hurried many souls into eternity.
A great crowd gathered. appalled, by
the terrible calamity. It could not be
ascertained who had been killed. or
wounded, or who were still exposed
alive to the fire which was advancing
In every direction. Where was the
man willing to imperil his life by de-
scending into the pit? A person Of In
fuence succeeded In gaining the at
tention Of the throng. and asked II any
were ready to face death by entering
the mine. Instantly q number stepped
forward. But said a Christian. who
witnessed the thrilling scene. Il no
ticed that none volunteered. except
those who had loved ones at the bot
TOM"
Just so It was with him. who left
the throne Of glory and the courts OF
heaven to come to our relief. What It
cost him to make the descent from
such height to such a depth, we
shall not fully know throughout eter-
nifty, but we know now that he would
never have descended, II he had not
had loved ones at the bottom.
The Word Of Grace.
God did not leave Jacob. perplexed
by the vision. but spoke to him the
word Of grace: II am the Lord God Of
Abraham, thy father !; the land
whereon thou liest, to thee will ] give
II. And behold I am with thee in all
places whittier thou goest. and will
bring thee again into this land. sor ]
will not leave thee until have done
that | have spoken to thee Of" But
in the energy Of fleeing. fallen man.
an II" obscured the grace at Bethel.
1t led Jacob to bargain with God and
brought sad failure. God asked moth.
ing Of Jacob. simply faith; but Jacob
said to God. II you will do SO and So
then shall the Lord be my God and
Of all that thou shalt give me, will
surely give a tenth unto thee"
So Jacob left Bethel, having accept
ed Gods grace condifionally. Relying
partly upon God and partly upon self,
he soon lost sight Of the grace at
Bethel. but amidst all his scheming
and planning the God Of Bethel never
forgot Jacob. Grace that saved, kept
him and at last brought him back to
Bethel where grace was accepted full
Iy. Faith took the place Of sight and
grace won the day.
Salvation by Grace Alone.
Today. when grace which saves un-
conditionally. is accepted conditional
ly, II brings failure. God has not left
Us In doubt as to what Christ's suf.
ferlng on the cross means. He hath
spoken the word. And by him all
that believe are justified from all
things from which ye could not be
Justified by the law Of Moses And
God, who exercises perfect grace.
meets Us just where he met Jacob, out
apon the hills Of sin in the very spot
where we find ourselves, like Jacob,
guilty, helpless and alone.
Have you accepted fully Gods gift
If grace! Or, like bargain.making
Jacob. are you now trusting in God,
low in self? now walking by sight, now
In faith? II so, the God Of all grace
meets you and asks you to receive
sithout condition his blessed gift.