DEVOTIONAL COLUMN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 162, 10 June 1939, Page 15

DEVOTIONAL COLUMN

BELIEVING AND RECEIVING. “To tread t.lu* path that .Jesus trod; To he as credulous with God, And credit what He saitli Because lie saitli it, nor the less That how it can he, we coni ess \Yc know not: This is faith.” The claim of Jesus Christ to set us free is a claim to give deliverance from every bondage however strong, that there is nothing too hard for (lie Lord. He is the Liberator. And from whatever power sin may have over us, or from any habit, or custom, contrary to 11 is mind, however long we may have indulged in it, however much it may seem to he part and parcel ol ourselves. He can set us free. I have pur. this to the test. -—Prebendary H. \Y. % Hindc. SIN AND GRACE. The only being in the universe of God who lias a right to judge the sinner is exalted to he a Saviour- now. Amid the wonders and terrors ol_ that throne. He is a. Saviour, and He is sitting there in grace. The (Saviour shall yet become the Judge; but judgment waits on grace. Sin lias resigned, and death can boast its victories: shall grace not have its triumphs, too? As surely as the sin of man brought death, the grace of God shall bring eternal life to every sinner who believes. One sin brought death, hut grace masters all sin. If sin abounded, grace abounds far more. Grace is conqueror. Grace reigns. —Sir Robert Anderson. K.C.B. Jesus knows every temptation ; as He knows lie loves. —S. I). Gordon.

FIRM ASSURANCE

I began my Christian life with a quiet trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. But, l confess, my assurance of salvation rested to some extent upon mv feelings. When I 101 l all right. I was certain I was saved : and when J lelt all wrong. I was certain almost that 1 was not. Until by and hy this Scripture got hold of my hcart.—l. .John o. Li. You trust in Christ lor salvation, hut you trust in the writings for the knowledge of it. I had been trusting in my variable feelings for the assurance of salvation, and hence I did not have the certainty that I might. But when T began to trust in the writings. faith remained ever the same.— Dr A. C. Dixon. THE “SALVATION” ARMY. Tn tlie life of General William Booth it. is told that the name of the Salvation Army arose while the head was dictating instructions and came to the words, “We are a volunteer THE UNIVERSAL SAVIOUR. . Because lie is the T'niversal Saviour. Jesus can enter with full sympathy into the needs of each human soul. He has His A\ ord lor the child inasmuch ns He was horn a babe in Bethlehem—His Gospel lor boyhood because he lived as a hoy in Nazareth —ll is message for every grade ol society for He held converse with the rich and the poor. He came to seek and to save the lost, and on His Cross He declared pardon to a, robber. We are thankful to Luke tor showing us how Jesus touches our lile at every point. So inlinite and yet so intimate is His grace that His love to all is no less truly His love to each heart of human kind. Rev. J. K. Fleming.

PURE THOUGHTS. Some value the presence ol their Savour so highly that they cannot hear tc he at any remove from Him. Even their work they will bring up and do it ill the light of His countenance; and will he seen constantly raising their eyes to Him. as if fearful of losing one beam of His Light. Dr. Payson. Three facts help us. (I) Thoughts determine character. “As a man tliinketh in his heart-, so is he.” Holy thoughts, then, produce holy characters. (J' Thoughts are all read hy the Lord. "Thou knowest my thought afar oil.” This is corroborated in Matt. V I. (">) Thoughts may he captured by Christ. Every thought may he under Mis control, Hand over the thoughtlife then to His gracious keeping. —Canon S. M. Warner. army.” His sen. Rramwell. demurred. lie said: “Volunteer! Hero. I’m not a volunteer. Uni a regular or nothing.” The future General stopped, considered. took a pen, crossed out the word "volunteer,” and wrote over it, “Salvation.”

"The effect,” said his son and successor. ‘of that one word upon Railton (who was the scribe) and mo was really quite extarnrdinary. We both sprang from our chairs. T remember that T exclaimed, ‘Thank God for that.’ And Rnilton was equally enthusiastic.”—Anon.