Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1918-05-17

verse they be many that fight against
me" and this is echoed by every Chris |
tan's heart. The world with it's in
finite variety of subtle temptations,
adding huge stores of fuel to the pride
Of life, appealing in such crafty ways
of the Christians natural self; the
flesh with it's never-ending tug and
pull drawing one in multitudinOuS
ways to it's desires and the devil with
his unnumbered wiles and devices
leading into the avenues which appear
SO good and even religious, which yet
are the paths toward death. Numer-
Gus indeed are the hosts Of enemies.
Malignant too these enemies are offer
ing no quarter, showing no mercy but
rs this psalm says they would daily
swallow me up" They are as persist
ent as they are numerous and mang-
nant. There Is no respite from their
attacks; they are fighting daily" con-
tinually. Surely there is need of safety
for the Christian in the midst of these
foes.
The Time of Safety.
Our text says when I cry unto thee,
then shall mine enemies turn back"
In his desire to teach us the Lord
seems to permit us to go on fighting
with our own strength, struggling with
our weakness, striving to win in the
unequal strife until we come one of old
to the end of self and Self'S power and
cry 80 wretched man that I am" But
I>;1 he to- Ivy hat ,C
may lift us up in victory and makes
us superior to all the attacks however
bitter and hard pressed they may be-
1t has been we'll said that "the end
of self is Gods beginning" for when
I am weak then am I strong" Strong
no longer in the power of my own res
olutions and the force Of my will, bu
strengthened with the might of the
God who is omnipotent. When thu
Christian comes to the end Of self
with his back to the wall and 11th {
realization Of his i1rsufficiency, thel
he cries to the almighty one and find
swift deliverance from all his foes.
The Certainty of Safety.
The psalmist has had sufficient e2
:, perience to be assured that this is II
:, mere pious and beautiful thought bu
- out of the furnace of personal histOr
u comes the glad confdant ringing or
i "this I know" The Christian nee
! not merely hope for safety with tn
uncertainty of human hope, but wit
: the Divine assurance founded on til
= immutability of the eternal power {
IL God. IF God be for US who can
u against u.s. is the Apostles word
Romans S:31. Beyond peradventur
D without the shadow Of doubt the Chri
tan may know that when he cri
unto the Lord, then will his enemi
r turn back. Not merely because he
~ a good man, not because he is a sp
cial favorite with high heaven, n
IL because he has some special influen
10 with God but because God has sal
II II will never leave thee, will new
H. fail thee" Relying therefore on t.
10 omnipotent power and the unbrea
10 able promise of the Almighty God
can say Il know"
The Cause of Safety.
The cause or reason Of the believe
safety does not depend on the belle
'0 er's own strength nor ability, but
the simple fact that God is for hi
God was for him when Christ died
him upon the cross. The less is
Ia ways included in the greater and g
Us, that spared not his own son, but
ho 1ivered him up for us all, how sh
OF he not with him freely give us
pt' things?" Rom. 1872.
ILL., God was for the believer wi
Christ died. he was for the belle
when salvation was bestowed, he '
900 for hiEl when he was brought into
wv family OF God and being now one
y the fathers children in Christ,
will be for him in the time Of dan
> to provide safety from all his eEem
Oh, that the children of God mi
'un- learn to believe "when cry unto
p 9Sn then will mine enemies turn ba
Ach- this know; for God is for me-"
sges
Sold
Adv. Bond Of Svmpathv