The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1922-09-09

49, E~ LLAo R~SR
fell of His activi-
ties on their behalf.
l. Jehovah bless thee" You can
not explain that word, "bless." 1t
breathes itself into the soul k a
ARE perfume, but you cannot tell
what it is. 1t touches The weary life
like a tender mothers hand and lifts
1t up into res and strength. You
know by sweet experience what 1t Is,
but you cannot define it. 1t is the
heart OF God disclosed. 1t embraces
all other elements found in this bene-
diction; the keeping, the shining face,
graciousness, the uplifted countenance,
the gift of peace. That Is His bless
ing. Who that has beheld the cross
has seen the Well-Beloved hanging
there, can question what that great
heart holds for him? "He that spared
not his own Son, but delivered Him
up for us all, how shall He not with
Him freely give us all thingsT" Oh,
let us magnify that word. "bless."
2. Jehovah make his face shine
upon thee" If His blessing reveals
His heart, this discovers His nearness.
Not afar off, but nigh. Do not think
of Him as far away in heaven, yelled
away in His own eternity, unknown
and unknowable. There is no distance.
"Ye who sometime were far off are
made nigh by the blood of Christ" In
that place of nearness, His face shines.
What joy to know that the face from
which heaven and earth shall flee away
and that Is against them that do evil,
is shining upon those in whose midst
He dwells.
3. Jehovah lift up his c~ountenance
upon thee" Frequently have the Lords
people been heard to say that He has
hidden Hts face from them. 1t IAN
not be! For He who looks upon His
beloved Son with %unchanging delight
sees you and me ever in Him and
cannot turn away from us. If there
be hiding, it is you who are doing
it, not He. The clouds that obscure
the sun do no come from the sun.
4. The Lord be gracious unto thee.
This attitude explains all else. His
grace is His kindness to the unde-
serving. Grace is not a frame of mind
OF a state of soul, but the attitude of
God. "By grace are ye saved and
over and e again, because we are
so slow to believe 1t and because He
desires we should do so, comes the
salutation: "Grace be unto you"
But not only in His attitude but
in His activities on our behalf do we
see how all His heart is occupied for
us.
/. Jehovah keep thee. This Is ouI
assurance and our security that He
who is gracious keeps us for His own
Kept by the power of God" "Je
hovah is thy keeper" says the Psalm
list, and they are safe indeed whom
He keeps. But not alone as His owr
possession. He will keep that life
in all its daily affairs as though you
were His only child and His solitary
care. Jehovah keep thee" That i'm
plies what Scripture elsewhere EN-
phasizes and what every hour Of YOU
experience has proved: that you can
not keep yourself. II am not being
put to shame" says the apostle. "fol
he Is able to keep that which
| have committed unto him." Not mr.
soul only, but my daily life. o soul
if He is not keeping thee, thou art be
ing put to shame. Every manifestation
of the flesh puts you to shame. Every
impatient word, every unworthy deet
puts you to shame. He can keep yo1
and He will if you but give Him
chance. Turn that life over to Hin
and see what He can make out of 1t
see how He can keep it in hol.
triumph and joy.
2. The last element-last sweet
lingering strain of the anthem
peace. Jehovah give thee peace" Ii
all the wide universe, in all tn
tongues that men have spoken, Their,
Is no greater word. First salutatiol
of the Risen Christ, peace be unit
you" last thing in His valedictory
Peace l leave with you" HE I
our peace" o soul, anxious, care
worn, tossed and driven, fold thi
blessing of God to thy poor heart. Hi
own peace is for your present posses
sion. He desires you to have it.
Have you seer the full signiticanc
Of this blessing? The divine name oC
ours three times, and three is tn
number OF the God-head, sum of a
divine fullness. The connection of tn
three Persons with the three parts o
the blessing can be easily traced. Al
that God Is is thus engaged for us
Father, Son and Holy Spirit occupie
with rs and for us, and all that W
may be blessed. Oh, who would liv
an unblest life? Who would he S
miserable? Give me this blessing q
God and l am rich indeed. My heave
las begun with its holiness and 1t