The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-12-07

needed to avoid 1t.
Where can this
power be found and safety secured?
Not by fleeing away but by drawing
near. Not by opposing him but by
yielding to him. To the sinner and
the backslider the Lord appears as
an enemy. To yield or surrender to
any enemy seems like folly, the rush.
ing into danger. But yielding to the
Lord means safety. And so this call
to surrender to the Lord Is also call
for the exercise of faith In the Lord as
the protector from his own sure COM
ing judgment. To human reason
escape would seem to be impossible.
How can we escape the righteous judg-
ment Of God after having incurred 1t
by our own conduct? 1t is not possible
with man, but with God all things are
possible. Failure Is not in him. but
in imperfect yielding to him.
A Possible Thing.
The text says: LET him take hold
Of my strength" There Is no obstacle
TO be overcome except the inherent I'M
belief Of the human heart. Each one
is afflicted with this. 1t is the hinder
ing thing that opposes all safety, GER
tainty or enjoyment. 1t is the one COM
mon sin of which all are guilty and
by which all the more or less bound.
1t is the sin which SO easily besets us.
But 1t is possible to overcome 1t.
When we come to the place where real
desire exists TO escape the Judgment Of
God, there are no real hindrances; we
may If we will, take hold of his
strength and in 1t find safety.
A Personal Thing.
LET him take hold" live for my
self and not another. sin for myself
I am judged for myself. And If find
safety, If escape the judgment I will
find for myself and escape for myself
None else can get 1t for me. 1t Is
a personal matter. In the center Of
my own will lies the answer as to
whether / shall go down to eternal de-
feat under the judgment Of God, or
whether 1 shall rise superior to all the
future holds Of wrath. l go down by
opposing myself to God; rise by
yielding to him. find eternal death
by fighting him; eternal life by sur
rendering to him. 1t is my own choice
which / shall have.
A Peculiar Thing.
''Let him take hold Of my strength"
I cannot take hold of his strength until
] let go Of that which now hold. All
the things I have relied upon to see
me safely through the judgment must
relinquish. / must have no hope in
my good deeds, by religious expert
ences, my moral code, my high aspira-
tiOns-yea, must nave no hope in my
self. Like Job of old / must come to
the Lord saying, 81 abhor myself"
Like Isaiah, 81 am undOne." Like
Paul, "There dwelleth no good thing
In me-" Myself and my goodness are
my weapons against him. I must lay
them down and in full and uncOndi-
tional surrender Of myself to him I
will find safety in, the surrender. 1t
is therefore, as was said above, call
for faith in him. He can free me from
tect me from certain disaster only as
I trust him. Until do so will find
that he cannot do any work on my be-
half because of my unbelief. 1t Is I'M
belief which erects the barrier. In the
case Of the army facing certain ami
hilation, only one thing remains to be
done, and that Is surrender If death
be not preferred. AS long as the weap-
Ons are used and battle offered, the de-
struction is certain. The sinner fcces
certain perdition-he fights against the
judgment and wrath Of God. There is
no escape, and can be none save by
the way Of surrender. When the sur
render is made, he finds that the sup
posed enemy Is really a fl. md and
what was thought to be the worst
thing is seen to be the best. Instead
Of God desiring to injure, he finds all
of Gods desire Is to protect from In
jury. How strange that the one In
jured should be the one who can and
will guard the sinner from the effects
Of the injury.
A Powerful Thing.
With mans strength It would be i'm
possible, but the text says, LET him
take hold Of my strength" and with
God all things are possible. There is
nothing too hard for his performance
for he has omnipotence. Nothing too
deep for his understanding, for he is
omniscient. Nothing too far for him
to reach, for he Is omnipresent. Power
belongeth unto God and he is ready,
nay eager, to exercise on behalf of all
who will cease fighting him and yield
themselves to him. How shall we
escape II we neglect so great saliva