The log cabin Democrat., 1916-02-11

l8&# N s$S$&$$a|,S&I ourselves III tnS l!sax " .4sssssszsz zz2esazl love of God. This
 Is the sunshine whose light and warmth we need in dark days. A realization of the love of God will keep us rom both dis couragement and apostasy.
 But the Spirit of God is even more explicit and gives three directions which, if followed. will enable us to keep ourselves in the love of God.
 First, we are to build up ourselves on our most holy faith. John Wesley used to warn his preachers that they would not grow in grace unless they grew in knowledge. We may add that many stray from the faith because so poorly instructed in ifs contents. They seem willing to tI-et their own powers in the conflict with Satan, whereas our Lord himself was content Tt is written"
 An excellent illustration of obedi- once to the direction of the text is found in the life of Charlotte Eliza beth, who lived in the days of the Iry- ingite movement. She heard of mar vicious headings and gifts including the gift of tongues, and was very de- srous of taking proper attitude in the matter. She felt that a few scat tered texts were not enough, but that &he should read the Bible in con hected way for light. So, one night, after earnest prayer for guidance, she sat on the side of her bed, and begin ming at Matthew, read straight on till she had gone through the seventh chapter of Revelation, completing the New Testament next morning. She saw that miracles may even be of Sa- tanic origin and that they will charac- teriZe some things to be avoided in the last days. The prominence given to women in the Irvingite movement she saw to be unscriptural, and her Judgment on the matter was confirmed shortly afterwards when she found that heresy as to the nature of Christ was being taught We tremble to think of the easy prey found by Satan among Christians because of lack of such building mp of themselves on Their most holy faith.
 Next, we are instructed to pray in the Holy Ghost. We are familiar with the fact that the Holy Ghost prays in us, but the thought of the text is not 50 common. It represents the Holy Ghost, so to speak. as the atmosphere in which the Christian lives and breathes out his petitions.
 Finally we are to be looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ" We shall need mercy when he comes, and looking for his coming is a means of safety. While such an attitude of expectancy was common in the early church, it has unhappily become rath- CT rare in modern times. Yet 1t ap- pears on the very surface of the New Testament as the normal attitude of Christians. A missionary who had spent fourteen years in China stated that all the native Christians in her district were looking for the coming of the Lord She went on to explain that this was not the result so much or specific instructions on this point, but because they had no book on doc Vrine save the New Testament, and they found this truth for themselves Ss commonplace of apostolic teach ing.
 Jude speaks of false teachers who ran greedily after the error of Baalam for reward. Looking for the Lord is a cure for the greed which has led some into the ways of apos- tasy. John Wilkinson, the founder of the Mildmay Mission for the Jews, was once approached at railway sta tion by two women who had heard him speak. They placed in his hands large sum of money and one of them explained that God had intrusted to them of this worlds goods and they were anxious to prove good stewards lest the Lord at his coming should lind his wealth in their hands unused So, in many directions, looking for the coming of the Lord is a safeguard against falling from the faith.
 Verse of this epistle speaks of our being preserved in Jesus Christ" or, as the Revised Version renders it, Kept for Jesus Christ"
 We do not wonder that Jude closes with a confident doxology, Nov unto fhim that is able to keep you from falling Cor, stumbling), and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God, our Savior, Do .tory sand nates-y. dominion and power bctb now aI1 ever Amen