Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-01-23
THE TIMES-DISPATCH
SUNDAY SERMON

rms Psalm came to me with great force
"hcn was taking enforced rest by order OF
my physician. One day my eyes rested on the
NTH verse :"Jehovah trieth the rEhtcous but
soul hathcth" r.
Ihere were three difficulties that came
20 me when my eyes rested upon the verse
ana with these three difficulties | found myself
Stunning ior number OF days. Finally. l be-
iiefe God gave the solution 10 each Of
them, and received great BLESSING
|. FIRST. there was tho difficulty to believe II.
Second. the difficulty TO apprchepd the pnr-
pose of God in IT,
Third. the dimculty of nroy,,, ~, ,,ha
by which He does it,
want US now to take up these three diN-
eui''es' ana shall endeav0r to lead you along
iine that worked out for my own heart
|. The difficulty to believe the statement.
Largely this difficulty grows out OF Il mis-
conception OF the word righteous There
are great many people that .cunfound the
W" VIII the experience that is sometimes
'a'Ae" ioout as sinless pcrfectiou" and he :
cause they do. they get blessing whatever
OUT OF any promise made In the Scriptures to
the righteous. For example: I'm Psalm 81: 49,
we read: Rejoice in the Lord We righteous.
ana give thanks at the remembrance OF His
Holiness"
Now. then, our text declares that God ,r,c,h
the righteous" What is the purpose OF such
'ii'is! LET me hasten to say that God does
not Try tho righteous that He may better I'M
aers'and him. for lie knows all about him.
NOT single secret Isl hid. All his life like a
great panorama, is before Cod
goa noes not try us that lie may under
STAND u.s. nor does He try righteous man
tht he may punish him. Pity - man who
looks ui";: God in that light. As a father 10
child. only infinitely NOR, blessed is cod
IAN you conceive of a father trying his child
Just fer tho sake of furnishing him?
40 not Know anything that is more i'm
portant today than the discovery of ones self
tl,,,t An.
much TO do with my thinking Ii is entitled
ne psychology of the Christian Soul" Il,
ewes .ne testimony OF great scientist. who
said The greatest discovery ever mad. was
when discovered myself. The first thing that
came TO me that woke me up was this some
thing in me seemed to say L am! l am,
am! Then later another word was added: Il
am being. They came the final word 4 am
being. to be- 1t was the discovery OF my
real self as plan OF God"
And 90 God tries His people that they may
discover Observation-Disclosures their weak
nesscs and discover their strenEth-for il IL
as important to know ones strength as to
KNOW his weakness. We dwell too much upoa
our Weaknesses and not enough upon our
strength We should know our strength 10
use IL and know our weakness to guard il,
want to hasten to my last thought-,hc
method OF His trial-FIow does God try Ills
people! am ut once confronted with 50 much
material that cannot do justice to H. and VET
want TO do my best to be understood
Goa tries HIS people otttimes by the short
cominss and sufferings Of other people
think this is one of the most common trials
that Christian people have to Erapple with
am auise sure IL is true of many of the best
people l have come in contact with Many
let go their own faith because Of the faith
lessncss OF others But what We need is TO
come to the place where we viii stop looking
at the shortcomings OF other people and listen
to the call Of God for us.
Tod tries people. too. By marking their
limits speak on, OF my own experience
God has tried me more by marking my limits
than in any other way. Why has IL been .or
why nave the Fences been put UP around me?
40 not kno" God only has the secret I
must leave il with Him and wait
50 God tries us; lie breaks up our pians
Sometimes He takes from us our best friends
sometimes lie permits the best friend that
we have TO turn upon us. We cannot un-
derstand 1t. II Is all mysterious Blu, God Is
still with us.
beautiful handkerchief by n friend OF hers
ny accident she overturned the ink pot upon
u ana s"iied a good part OF II. She welt
until her heart literally ached. as she thought
OF he gift ruined by her own carc,cssncss
About that time Ruskin came in ANA s,u,
mel distress as she held up the mutilntcd
handkerchief. lie smiiingly took il from her
FAINTER. that he was. rs well poet. he went
TO his study and to work upon tina, hlo,
and painted n landscape upon It, He then re-
turned the handkerchief to her oh" she
said That Is not my handkerchief" yes, IL
Is yours. Nine" Yes / simply took the
Ugly Diot ana transformed it into picture"
HOW often God would do that for us IL we
would only let Him. lie has taken our blo,tcd
NE. when we have been soreiy disappointed
and thought we would have TO go marrea ana
mutiiated through life, and handed il back
with that mutiiated spot TRANSFORMED into y
picture That is the beauty of being ,,hris
tim That is what the blessing or Christ is
IL we would only realize IT,