Grainger County news. (Rutledge, Tenn.) 1917-current, 1919-12-25

many voices In the world and hone OF
them without significance, as Phul says
In his first letter to the Corinthians,
there Is one voice greater than all 9TH
ers, and yet one to which few listen
the voice OF God.
1t takes more firmness to keep ones
balance in these days than ever be-
fore. The voices around us are so
many, so insistent and so varied, that
one hardly knows where he stands and
what to believe. The voice of events
is such that few men are making pre-
d~ictions any more. The world was full
of prophets of the Immediately i'm
pending golden age five years ago, but
their occupation is gone. 1t seems I'M
believable that In a little more than
six months the victorious central pow
ers have been broken to pieces by the
entente allies, but 1t Is so. Sir George
Adam Smith said to President Wilson
quite recently: "For four years I have
been schooling myself in the incredi.
BILE, till 1t has become terribly familiar
to me-"
We can believe almost anything
these days, and the reason Is that man
has lost trust in his wi forecastings.
If man has lost this trust. Is there aay
being In the universe that has not done
so? We firmly believe there Is, and
that n is God. who sits ION the cir.
Gle of the heavens" and calmly looks
upon the connections of this planet
and the interests of thousands much
greater. Is it not wise, therefore, to
listen to his voice?
God speaks in creation and provi-
dence. "The heavens declare the glory
Of God and the armament showeth his
handlwork." Eclipses occur to the
second and not a jar Is felt In the rev.
Olutions of the innumerable worlds
about US. In the study Of our every
day life God speaks to us in law that
never for a moment gives up its domi-
nation. His prosperity calls for our
gratitude, his infection of adversely for
our %penitence, and his f%aithfulness for
the years gone by declares that be.
cause he is Interchangeable that faith.
fulness will continue.
But God speaks to us through his
Son as In no other way, for the Son is
"the express image Of the Father
Many quickly accept the proposition
that God thus speaks, but the voice OF
Christ Is marred. because their Christ
is a mere caricature. They have &C
cepted what man has said about
Christ as a true picture of Christ
Some conceptions of Christ are drawn
from the paintings that are exhibited
some get their ideas of Christ from de
scriptions found in popular literature
especially fiction; some get their ideas
even from such agnostics as Renan ant
Strauss; and some get theirs from
what they see in those who profess Il
love him, this picture often being
false.
Where do we get the right picture
We have no hesitation in saying in thu
Holy Scriptures. There we have fore
CLEANS of him in the Old Testament
that are trustworthy there we see i
in what he says and in what he doe'
in that wonderful life which ended OF
the cross; there is made plain thu
great plan Of redemption that he cam
to give to men, with the whole future
aglow with his coming glory.
There is no subject that 'most con
Germs men on which God has no
spoken. This statement is madt
thoughtfully. 1t is not meant tina
every detail of mans life and expert
ence is met by a specific word, but tina.
as to the principles that should guido
man, touching even the minutiae of life
there is nothing missing. The Bibl'
tells man where he is going, what h
is in himself, his standing before God
that he is sinful that there is no hop
except in simple faith on Jesus Christ
that heaven is a reality-and hell al
well; that his only guide in this lif'
is the Word of God, which Is put int
his hands in the form that he can reat
and study.
Has a single word that God ha:
said about individuals, cities and No
lions in the past failed? Is Their
anything in the great picture
given in Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah
Daniel, the Gospels and other Scrip
lures that is untrue? As his Word il
the past has never failed, it is reason
nhIz 20 kn1io-a AIoN bs- yUo.l - =,
the future will not fail. Find out whar
God says in his Word and act on ii
Car God wa. have the last word.