The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1921-03-25

He Is strong only when he Is weak
He ascends to the Hottest height:
of moral grandeur only via the vale.
of humiliation, finding always that thu
way up leads down.
His widest freedom Is achieved only
In the depths of servitude to Christ.
He is 'sorrowful yet always rejoic
ing; poor yet making many rich; a:
having nothing and yet possessing al
things" (II Cor. 6:10).
So In our text we are confronted
with paradox Of contradictory emo
tons. both to be held In a balance Of
poise in our service of Jehovah; we
are to rejoice with trembling"
And do not these paradoxes root
back into the paradoxes Of God2 We
read God is love-" and we rejoice
we read also that God is light" and
before that burning we tremble.
IF thou. Lord. shouldest mark In
EQUITY, o Lord, who shall stand?'
Here is the light. and the trembling.
'But there is forgiveness with thee
that thou mayest be feared" Behold
here the love. and our consequent re-
joicing psalm 1903, ~.
"lf Thou ShouIdest Mark Iniquity."
This then, is the message
that God is light and in Him is no
darkness at ALL" He Is SAIL to dwell
In the light which no man can ap.
proach unto." the pure white light of
His awful holiness and truth, burning
so bright that no unclean, Ubiquitous
thing can abide 1t.
We hear little these days about the
wrath Of Cod" and yet the Bible is
lurid with the red signals of His warn.
ings. 1t is still on the pages of Holy
Writ that HE hath appointed day
in which lie will judge the world In
righteousness by that Man whom He
hath ordained
John. the apostle. saw that Man
and so bright was the light Of His
shining that he fell of Els feet as ona
dead. But Of that day and its fierce
burning we hear little nowadays. We
have presumed In our ignorance and
hardness of heart upon an imaginary
goodness In God. which winks at sin
and passes lightly the iniqulty of men.
We have lost our fathers reverence
for the Book. and have consequently
forgotten The fear of Jehovah"
Who will dare to say that the wave
of crime that Is now sweeping the
whole world Is not due to the loss Of
this trembling before Holy God?
Read that terse searching summary Of
apostolic logic in the third chapter Of
Romans. 10 TO IS, which Is a cluster
OF burning Goals from off the Old
Testament altar. II begins with |:
There Is none righteous; no. not one"
and ends by asserting the reason,
There is no fear of God before their
eyes,"
God is love" infinite fathomless
love. but God is light" too-awful.
burning searching light. de may be
nerciful, my friend. but he ..UST be
Just. at Is fearful thing 10 fall
into the hands OF the living Cod"
(Heb. 10:s1). ''for our God Is con-
sumlng fire. tHeb. 12:29).
aBut There is Forgiveness Wit. Thee"
Oxygen gas Is q terrible engine Of
destruction. car of dynamite ex.
plodes and city of million homes
il rocked to Its foundations. The ex-
ploslon was oxygen gas Fastening into
union with carbon; just concentrated
combustion. and yet that gas which Is
the principal agent of destruction In
the CONSUMING fire" is the most harm
less Of gases. Submerge the must deli
cate dye-tints in bath Of oxygen and
not the least effect can be discovered.
and the filmiest down of a thistle Is
safe in the waiting Of its zephyrs. All
animate creatures are dependent upon
this gentle. harmless. yet terribly de-
structive gas.
And so II s with God: He that ean
consume in the ferceness of His anger
Is "merciful and gracious, slow to an
ger. and plenteous In mercy" and His
goodness leadeth thee to repentance"
"Let the wicked forsake his ways
and the unrighteous man bis thoughts:
and let him return unto the Lord. and
He will have mercy upon him. and
unto our God for He win abundantly
pardon" isaiah SGD. This He
can do because "the Lord hath laid
on Him (Jesus our Saviorl the In
iqulty Of Us sll.-
On tho mount OF Crucinxion
Fountains opened deep and wide:
Through the flood-gases Of Gods mercy
Flowed a vast and glorious tide.
Love and grace like mighty rivera
Flowed tnressant from above:
An,i Gods perfect truth and justice
Kissed . ysaIlty vsrid in love"
Odd welsh Hymn