The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-08-11

they are his peculiar treasure. The
man of this world may rejoice in the
gift Of gold and silver but our Lord
rejoices in the gift from the Father of
those he is pleased to call his breth-
rem.
In the second place they are his own
by purchase. He has paid to the ut
tellnoSt farthing and now can say to
them Eye are not your own, We are
bought with a price" That price was
nothing less than his own precious
blood poured out on the cross of Cal
vary. He gave his life for his sheep.
He laid down his life as ransom for
them. He was the merchantmen
seeking goodly pearls who, when he
had found one pearl of great price,
went and sold all that he had and
bought it," The title to ownership of
every Christian is his. They are his
own peculiar property.
In the third place they are his by
their surrender. AS believers go on
in their Christian life learning more
and more Of him, more and more do
they surrender themselves to him
Some there are that try to withhold a
part of themselves from him, but they
are never happy, contented Christians.
The fullness of blessing and of power
never comes until in fullness of sur
render the Christian yields himself IN
| to the Lord, recognizing that he is
indeed the property of him who loved
him and gave himself for him.
His Own Care.
Peter eXhorts the Christians to be
I"casting all your care upon him for he
careth for you" This last sentence
might be worded, 1T is his business
to care for you," and he will care for
eaeh enc Of Hi t, Own ...a As they are bI ss
4 hs will guard them from All harm,
I Protect them from all evil and set a
i ledge round about them against all
hat Iaight injure them. Sometimes
hard things come into the Christians
experience, but these may be the only
way he can guard them from danger.
| In the second place they are his own
| peculiar care to guide. How often
would they, like sheep, go astray but
lfbr his care in guiding them. Some
| times, tbs true, he leads them in paths
that look from the outside most unin-
wiling, but once in those paths the
Christian discovers they lead beside
the still waters into pastures green
and fresh.
In the third place they are his own
peculiar care to provide for. His pro,
vision is new every morning and fresh
at eventide. 1t is never old nor stale.
His own miss much that he provides
by being out of his place. He told
the ravens where to place Elijahs food
and 1he told Elijah where to go.
His Own Loved.
Having loved his own, he loves them
to the end. Christians sometimes are
tempted to think his love varies with
their own changing affections. But
he loves them always with the same
unwearied love. Loves them in spite
of failure, as the history of Peter so
fully shows. Peter thought he would
be ready to lay down his life rather
than forsake him. But how quickly
he was put to shame by the question
OF stranger maid. How pitiful the
failure as the oaths slipped from his
lips But did the Lords love weaken3
Nay, rather 1t burned, if possible. a bit
brighter in his great heart and famed
out from his eyes, bringing Peter back
to the place of bitter tears through
which he saw the path of return. In
the second place, he loves his own in
spite of all backwardness. Think of
him walking and talking with Pbilin
for three years, instructing by example
and by word all those days while he
was about his Fathers business. onlv
at the end to find that Philip had not
learned the first lesson, but must needs
say, LORD show us the Father" not
knowing He that hath seen me hath
seen the Father" How trying such
backwardness is, but to the Great
Teacher it did not lessen in any do
gree his love.