Faith of Our Fathers

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 18, 10 May 1923, Page 41

Faith of Our Fathers

[A Weekly Instruction for Young and Old.]

(4) Another noble effect which this wholesome fear of God, when accompanied with, a good conscience, naturally produces in our souls, is a great and firm confidence in the protection of the Almighty, which is a source of infinite joy and consolation to us, in the midst of all the unavoidable dangers to which we are daily exposed. As nothing is more dreadful than to be at enmity with, so nothing is more desirable than to be in friendship with Him, “If God be for us, who is against us?” (Rom. , viii., 31). The holy David, whose heart, as we have seen above, was penetrated with the fear of God, and “who was delighted in the way of His testimonies above all riches, who was exercised in His commandments, and meditated upon His justifications” (Ps. cxviii), thus expresses the great confidence he had in His Divine protection. “Our God is our refuge and strength, a helper in troubles which have found us exceedingly; therefore, we will not fear when the earth shall be troubled and the mountains shall be removed into the heart of the sea” (Ps. xlvi., 1). “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life, of whom shall*! lie afraid? While the wicked draw near against me to eat my flesh,,my enemies that troubled mo, have themselves been weakened and have fallen. If armies in camp should stand together against me, my heart shall not fear; if a battle should rise up against me, in this will I be confident” (Ps. xxvi., I). Now, whence does this confidence in God arise? Who are those whom God protects? The same royal prophet tells us: “Who is the man,” says he, “that fearoth the Lord. He hath appointed him a law in the way that He hath chosen. His soul shall dwell in good things, and His seed shall inherit the land: the Lord is a firmament to them that fear Him” (Ps. xxiv., ,12). God Himself confirms the same thing. “To whom,” says lie, “shall 1 have respect, but to him that is poor, and little, and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at, my words?” And a little after lie adds, “Hear the word of the Lord, you that tremble at His word; your brethren that hate you,-and cast you out, for my name’s sake, . . . they shall be confounded” (Is. Ivi., 2,5): and the beloved disciple adds“ Dearly beloved, if our heart do not reprehend us, we have confidence towards God: and whatsoever we shall ask, we shall receive of Him: because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John iii., 21). What a ‘source of consolation must it be to a soul to he on such friendly terras with the Almighty God, against hose will not a hair of our head can fall to the ground! It was this consideration which supported the valiant Judas, when attacked by most powerful armies ; that threatened to destroy the holy- place; for when numbers of the people fled away for fear, “he calling together seven thousand that were with him, exhorted them not to fear the multitude of their enemies, who came wrongfully against them, but to fight manfully ... for,” said he, “they trust in their weapons, and in their boldness; but we trust in the Almighty Lord, who, at a beck, can utterly destroy both them that come against us, and the whole world!” (2 Mach, viii., 16); and in consequence of this-his confidence, he obtained, with his handful of men, a most complete victory over all their multitudes. Q. o. What do wo find of wonderful in the manner in which Almighty God exercises His power A. If the stupendous effects which His power has produced are so exceedingly amazing, the admirable manner in which He acts is infinitely more so, and infinitely exceeds the comprehension of any created understanding.” For (1) when He performs any work, however great and astonishing it may be, He requires no length of time to complete it He does it in an instant: He speaks the word, and immediately the work is done. Consider the vast fabric of this universe; what a grand production it is; what an infinite tfhriety of beings it contains; “He spoke the word, and they were made; He commanded, and they were created (Ps. cxlviii., o). “And God said, Be light made, and the light was made. And God said, Let there be a firmament made.amidst the waters; and it was so. And God said, Let the waters that are under the heavens be ; gathered together xinto one place, and let the dry land appear and it was so done. And God said, Let the earth

bring forth the green herb, and trees yielding fruit; and immediately the earth was covered with all these productions. AifcP God said, Let there be lights made to shine in the firmament of heaven, and to give light upon the earth; and in an instant the sun and moon, and all the stars appeared” (Gen., 1). What an amazing power is here displayed ? Who can, in the smallest degree, conceive its greatness! What is all the power of man if compared with this? A mere nothing. The smallest work produced by man can never be performed but in some length of time, and the greater it is the more time is required; but God in an instant in the twinkling of an eye, created the most stupendous objects. (2) When -man has any work to do, it costs him toil and labor, and he must exert the strength he has, and after a little labor he must rest to recruit it. But with God it is not so; everything is easy to. Him, the greatest as well as the smallest it costs Him no toil, it gives Him no fatigue, it requires no' exertions; it is enough that He wills it, be it what it will, and His all-powerful will is instantly fulfilled. “Behold,” says He, “I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; shall any thing be hard for Me?” (Jei. xxxii., 27). No, no; His word alone is sufficient to ue.ite, in an instant, ten thousand woilds. Oh tremendous power! how is the mind of man confounded at the thought! Alas! “the pillars of heaven tremble and dread at His beck” (Job xxvi., 11). David was amazed when he considered this mighty power, and mentions it with fear and trembling: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were established, and all the power of them by the spirit of Mis mouth. . . Let all the earth fear the Lord, and all the inhabitants of the world be in awe of Him; for He spoke, and they were made; He commanded, and they were created” (Ps. xxxii., 6, ft). (d) Ills Almighty power depends on no' other—it is essential to Himself—it is identified with His very naturelie stands in no need of anyone to assist Him—He alone is powerful. The world has often admired the power of kings and potentates, who have conquered nations and overturned empires, and been the terror and scourge of their fellow-creatures; but was it by their own personal power they did so? was their power inherent in themselves by no means: it was by the strength of other men, and of the numerous armies they commanded, that all their famous deeds were performed. But God has no need of such helps— He possesses, in Himself, the plenitude of power and by His Almighty word alone He does whatever He pleases “Who is like to Me?” says God Himself, “let him call and declare . . . Is there a God beside mo-a maker whom I have not known ? lam the Lord that make all things that alone stretch out the heavens-that esablisn the earth, and there is none with Me” (Is xliv 7 8, 24). v ” '» (4) Even in those works which a man performs by himself what can he do without the proper tools and instruments. W hat can the husbandman do without his plough or the smith without his hammer?— soldier without his arms, or the mason without his trowel? But the great God has no occasion for any such means— all-powerful will stands instead of all! “By His power the seas are suddenly gathered together, and His wisdom has struck the proudone His spirit has adorned the heavens, and His artful mud hath brought forth the winding serpent” (Job. xxxi., T ii f, the " ord ° f the Lord the heavens "ore established, and all the powers of 1 hem by the spirit of His mouth” (Is xxxii., 6). bow this word of God— spirit or breath of His mouth, is not like the words of man, which requires to be pronounced by the lips and tongue'; and imply some force used-some exertion made the word of God is nothing but the internal act of His will, than which nothing can be produced, even by man himself, with greater ease and velocity 11118 is the three fingers with which He poises the bull of the earth; this His palm with which He weighs the h civens; this the hollow of His hand in which He measures rlnp ia 7 8 Ts i X ■’ \ 2 - ; thlS 1118 Vl(jht hand b .y which He does such wondrous things; this, in a ; word, is His beck, at Mich the pillars of heaven tremble, and with which alone nothing! de y 6wlo e> " orlc,<and reduce it again to