The Alaska citizen., 1916-02-07

. know them. 9 . By their fruits ye shall know . . them. Matt. 7:20. . D . c . . . 0 Q q . c Q Q ALL OF GRACE: IT IS GOD THAT
 JUSTlFlETH.
 Who shall lay anything to the charge of Gods elect? It is God that justifleth.' Romans. S:33.
 To be made just is wonderful thing. It is a difficult thing to un- derstand, but that fact does not make it any the less true. There are a great many things man does not understand. but that is no ex- cuse why We should not believe their truthfulness. Who can un- derstand his errors?" As thou knowest not what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that Is not the works of God. who maketh all" Man is mountain of no mean proportions when it comes to igno- rance.
 Yet it is God that justifieth. Ey- cry devil" in the printing office knows the meaning of the word forms there is sure to be some of the type that is not standing on its feet, and if left thus, they will not print a clear letter, so he takes rule and, placing it between the lines lie pulls backward and for ward until the type do stand upright and make a clear print of them selves. Now that is Gods purpose in justifying every man. He wants him to stand "on his feet and be a man. The devil has had you standing crooked so long that you can't understand how 1t is possible for you ever to stand straight again. but God wants you to stand straight just the same and will help you to stand and will justify you
 Now the devil never justified |" single soul nor never will he, fo1 he can't It is his business 10 make men crooked and as soon as he would attempt to make them straight he would nave to go out of business, and you can depend he will not do that while business is so good. He slips around to you and tells you that there is no sin, and you know how much truth there is in that. He tells you that war is necessary, and YOU know how little truth there is in that. He tells you that people are never sick, but you go to the dOctOrs and ask them who come Tor treatment He tells you that all is love, but you stop for minute to reflect that drink alone in the world causes three-fourths of all of something that does not ordinarily 20 by the name of love. What has the devil ever done to make the race better? You who are following him as leader are only being daily deceived.
 Where is the man who is able to justify himself? You will not be advised to continue in such pro cess for it will only result in self deception. And who can justify his neighbor? You will find some who will speak well of you for two bits" and some who will backbite you for less than that. Such Judg- ment is not worth much.
 But the text says, Tt is God who justifieth," and this is much more to the point.
 No one but God would ever have thought of ju3tifying the guilty. They have lived in open rebellion Of Him. they have gone from bad to worse; they have turned back to sin after they had smarted for it, they have broken the law, and trampled the gospel under foot; they have refused the proclamation of mercy, ana persisted in ungodli- ness How can they be forgiven and justified? Their fellow men shake the head and say hopeless cases" All look with the eye of pity but with no remedy. But God says, Tt is God that justifieth.'
 None but God would have thought of purifying you. You are wonder to yourself. Lost in the maze Of sin, you have lost all idea of the things you should do and the hope of doing better. Look at Paul or Tarsus, who breathed out threaten ing against the people of God, but when Cod struck him to the ground on his way to Damascus, he saw things differently. He must often have marveled that God would justi- fy him, and through grace give him a place in the work of regenerating the world At one time he was a stickler for keeping the Ten Com mandments, not realizing he was breaking them constantly None but God would have thought of jus tifying such man as Saul the persecutor; but the Lord is gra- cious.
 But, if someone had thought of justifying the ungodly, none but God