Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-09-20

Speaking on the general subject
| of The Secret OF Failure" Rev.
Mr.. Sunday this afternoon enumer-
ated the reasons why so much un-
happiness reigns in the world. 1t
is envy, unselfishness, intemper-
ance, faultfinding, etc. The trou-
bic is you butt in on other peoples
! business" and many more are the
reasons, some of which he explains
as follows:
| In jeremiah, the 5th chapter,
/ 25th verse, Your iniQuities have
! turned away these things, and your
sins have withholden good things
| from you"
/ In that verse of the scriptures,
| Jeremiah is giving the explanation
for the existence of a sad state and
condition of things in his day. He
/ came as the prophet of God, the
| Just, to whom certain things had
| been promised. When God entered
| into a covenant with them He
promised them ample provision for
their needs. He said, Il will pour
down the early and the latter rains
upon your lands"
He promised them peace, Peace
1 leave with you, my peace 1 give
unto, you; not as the world giveth,
give 1 unto you. Let not your
heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid"
He promised them joy and glad
ress, Because thou servedst not the
Lord thy God with joyfulness, and
with gladness of heart. for the
abundance of all things"
He promised them prosperity,
This book of the law shall not
depart out of thy mouth; but thou
shalt mediate therein day and
night, that thou mayest observe to
do according to all that is written
therein: for then thou shalt have
good success"
He promised them victory. How
/ should one chase a thousand, and
two put ten thousand to flight, ex-
cept their Rock had sold them, and
the Lord had shut them up?"
He promised them honor, And
it shall come to pass, if thou shalt
hearken diligently unto the voice
of the Lord thy God, to observe and
to do all His commandments which
/ command thee this day that the
Lord thy God will set thee on high
above all nations of the earth"
And the Lord shall make thee
the head, and not the tail; and
thou shalt be above only, and thou
shalt not be beneath; if that thou
hearken unto the commandments
of the Lord thy God. which l COM
mand thee this day, to observe and
to do them"
Such were a few of the number
less promises that God, through
the prophets of old, had given to
the people and the people desired
these promises.
So desirable were they, that no
sane man or woman could fail to
long for their fulfiIlment, and yet
by the people these things were
not possessed. Instead of God
pouring down the early and latter
rain for three years and six
months, it did not rain drop and
the dew never fell.
Instead of peace, there was trou-
BILE; instead of joy, there was sor-
row and affliction; instead of pros
perity, there was adversely; in
stead of victory, there was defeat,
and instead of honor, there was
dishonOr.
Gods Promises.
If you want to know why it
doesn't rain-it is your fault. IT
you want to know why there is no
joy. it is your fault. If you want
to know why there is no peace, II
is your fault. If you want to know
why there is no prosperity, it is
your fault If you want to know
why there's no victory, it is your
fault If you want to know why
you are in captivity, it is your
fault.
If you want to know why you
are iniquitous, it is your fault. If
you want to know why God keeps
the good things from you, it is
your fault It's not unfaithfulness
on Gods part. But in the sins of
the people was found the explana-
ton for the failure.
Now as ministers of the gospel
of Jesus Christ we are sent to
proclaim Gods message 10 the peo-
pie, and as messengers OF God we
are asked to come and speak Gods
message. Now, find certain things
promised for US to proclaim.
For example, God has promised
forgiveness. God has promised
peace. God has promised fullness
of joy. He has promised emanci-
patton from sin. He has promised
victory. He has promised provis-
ion for every need. Not all you
want! You may want great many
things you don't need. God says,
81 will supply all your needs &C
cording to my riches in glory
You may want ice cream, but you
can get along without it. See? 81
will supply all your need accord
ing to MY riches in glory"
Such are a few of the number
less promises which make the life
Of the believer full of glory and
full of peace. To us, as believers,
they are promised: as believers,
they should be desired with a
yearning which daily and hourly
increases with intensity. We ought
to long for the fulfillment Of these
things: and let me ask you, are
they possessed?
There are thousands of people
today who have had the higher and /
richer experiences of a Christian
life who are absolute strangers to
the church. They do not know the !
A B C's out of which to write /
Gods peace; they do not know per
feet forgiveness; they have no per-
sonal assurance of salvation; they /
have no perfect peace. Their lives !
are a constant prev to anxiety;