The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1922-06-01

tell OF His activi-
ties on their behalf.
1. Jehovah bless thee" You can
not explain that word, "bless." 1t
Dreathes itself into the soul like
rare perfume, but you cannot tell
what it is. 1t touches The weary life
like tender mothers hand ana lifts
1T up into rest 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,
! graciousncss, the up!ifted countcnance,
the gift of peace That is His bless
Ing. Who that has bchcld the cross
has seen the Wcll-Bclovcd hanging
there, can question what that great
heart holds for hip>? "lIe that spared
not his own Son, hut delivered Him
up for us all, how shall lie not with
Him freely give us all things?" OH
let us magnify that word. bless"
=. 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
or Him rs far away in heaven. yelled
away in His own eternity, unknown
ana unknowable. There is no distance.
"lc who sometime were far off are
made nigh by the blood of Christ" In
that place of ncarncss, His face shines.
What JOY to know that the face from
which heaven and earth shall flee away
ana that is against them that do evil,
is shining upon those in whose midst
tIc dwells
3. "Jehovah lift up his countcnance
upon thee" Frequently have the Lords
people been heard to say that He has
hidden His face from them. 1t can.
not he! 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 not 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 frame Of mind
or state Of soul, but the attitude Of
God. "By grace are ye saved" and
over and over again. because we are
so slow to believe it and because He
desires we should do so, comes the
salutation: "Grace he 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.
l. Jehovah keep thee. This is our
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 own
possession. He will keep that life
in all its daily affairs as though YOU
were His only child and His solitary
care. "Jchovah keep thee" That i'm
plies what Scripture elsewhere en-
phasizcs and what every hour of your
experience has proved: that YOU can
not keep yourself. II am not being
put to shame" says the apostle. "for
F., he is able to keep that which
| have committed unto him." Not nv
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 deed
puts YOU to shame. He can keen Won
and He will if YOU but give Him
chance. Turn that life over to Him
and see what He can make out of If.
see how He can keep it in holv
triumph and JOY.
2 The ,ast elcment--last sweet,
lingering strain Of the anthem-is
peace. Jehovah give thee peace" In
all the wide universe, in all the
tongues that men have spoken, there
is no greater word. First salutntion
Of the Risen Christ, "Peace he unto
you;" last thing in His valcdictory:
Peace l leave with you" "He IS
our peace" o soul, anxious, coro.
Yorn, tossed and driven. fold this
blessing OF God to thy poor heart. His
own peace is for your present posses.
sion. llc desires you to have it.
Have YOU seen the full Significance
Of this blessing? The divine name no.
ours three times. and three is tho
number OF the God-head, sum of oll
divine fullncss The connection of rho
three Persons With the three parts of
the blessing can be easily traced An
That God is is thus engaged for rs.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit occunicd
with us and for us, and all thot we
may be blessed. Oh who would 1.-Two
IN unbloSt life? Who wo,,11 ho -.