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THE KING’S BUSINESS
The Bible
Is I t True? Is it tru e , O C h rist in h eaven, T h a t th e h ig h est su ffer m o st? T h a t th e stro n g e st w a n d er fu rth e st A n d m o re hopelessly a re lo st? T h a t th e m a rk o f ra n k in n a tu re I s cap acity fo r p ain ? A n d th e an g u ish o f th e sin g er M ak es th e sw eetn ess o f th e s tra in ? Is it tru e, O C h rist in heaven, T h a t th e fu lln ess y et to com e Is so g lo rio u s an d so p e rfe c t T h a t to k n ow w o u ld strik e u s d um b ? T h a t if ev er fo r a m om en t W e co u ld p ierce bey o n d th e sky W ith th ese p o o r dim eyes o f m o rtals W e sh o u ld ju s t see G od a n d d ie? R e fe rrin g to h ig h e r criticism , D r. P . S. H e n so n sa y s: “T h e devil does n o t w alk ab ro ad as he u sed to, w ith h o rn s a n d ho o fs a n d a fo rk ed tail, a n d a b re a th th a t sm ells o f b rim sto n e, b u t he com es in th e g u ise of a g en tlem an , w ith eyeglasses on h is nose, encyclopedias u n d e r his a rm s a n d th e lea rn ed lin g o o f p h ilo so p h y on his lips. H e does n o t sq u arely a n d im p u d en tly affirm th a t th ere is no G od, b u t sh ak es h is sap ien t h ead an d sh ru g s his sh o u ld ers, an d says he d o esn ’t k now , a n d he ra th e r su s p e c ts-th a t nob o d y k n ow s.” T en n y so n once to ld D r. S am u el C ox th a t h e h eld Jo b to be th e g re a te st po em in th e e n tire ra n g e o f lite ra tu re . M ilto n sa id : “T h e re a re n o so n g s com p arab le to th e songs o f Z ion, n o o ra tio n s eq u al to th o se o f th e p ro p h ets, a n d no politics lik e th a t th e S c rip tu re s teach .” • P ra y e r is th e C h ristia n ’s sp ear. I t rev eals sin a s it is, in all its aw fu ln ess, a n d re veals G od as H e is in all H is g re atn ess an d love. H e w ho p ray s n o t is n o t safe from sin. H e w ho p ray s m u ch can be g u a rd e d w ith H is eye. —Helen Hunt Jackson.
S tu d y it carefu lly , T h in k o f it p ray erfu lly , D eep in th y h e a rt let its p u re p recep ts d w e ll; S lig h t n o t its h isto ry , P o n d e r its m y stery , N o n e can e’er p rize it to o fondly o r well. A ccep t th e g lad tid in g s, T h e w a rn in g s an d chidings, F o u n d in th e vo lum e o f h eav en ly love, W ith fa ith th a t’s u n failin g , A n d love all p revailing, T r u s t in its p rom ise o f life everm ore. W ith freq u e n t devotion, A n d th a n k fu l em otion, H e a r th e b lest w elcom e, resp o n d to its c a ll; L ife’s p u re st oblation, T h e h e a rt’s a d o ratio n , G ive to th e S av io u r w h o died fo r us all. M ay th e m essag e o f love, F ro m o u r F a th e r above, U n to .all n a tio n s an d k in d red s be given. ’T ill th e ra n so m sh all raise Jo y o u s a n th em s o f p raise— H a lle lu ja h ! on e a rth an d in heaven.
—Anon.
I A M I am H e. I am th e D oor. I am th e tru e V in e :' I am th e B read o f L ife.
' I am th e A lp h a a n d Om ega. I am th e G ood S h ep h erd . I am th e L ig h t o f th e W o rld .
I am th e R e su rrec tio n a n d th e L ife. I am th e W ay , th e T ru th , a n d th e L ife. I am H e th a t liv eth a n d w a s d e a d ; a n d be h o ld I am aliv e fo r e v e rm o re ; a n d h av e th e keys o f h ell an d o f d eath . N eg lig en ce is en o u g h to co n d em n a m an. In o rd e r to go d ow n to th e n e th e rm o st dep th s, y o u do n o t n eed to do a n y th in g ; y ou h av e sim p ly n o t to do som eth in g , an d d ow n y o u w ill g o by g rav itatio n .— Alexan der Maclaren, D.D.
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