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THE KING’S BUSINESS
co rre c ted b y th e celestial po le. R e a son an d conscience, a n d ev en th e v e rd ic t o f th e Church, all b e lo n g to th e h um an an d fallible, a n d w e .m u st ste e r b y th e constellations. T h e supremacy of the Word of God is th e la st g re a t tru th w hich is th e p a llad ium o f C hu rch a n d b e liev er. W h en th a t falls, all else falls w ith it. No d isa ste r is to o g re a t to follow th e d e stru c tio n o f th a t safe g u a rd o f P ro testan tism . A n d w e shou ld lo o k w ell b e fo re w e adm it an y teach ing which a ctually su r ren d e rs this inm o st citad e l o f our faith, o r ev en b y ap p lic a tio n w e a k ens o r lessens th e ab so lu te su p rem acy o f th e W o rd o f G od . W e th e re fo re earn estly ask all w ho w ish to know th e tru th a n d find th e h id d e n tre a su re s of th e W o rd , n o t to b e k e p t from a th o ro u g h ex p lo ra tio n o f its h id d e n b e au tie s b y an y a p p a re n t a n d superficial d isco rd ancies an d d isag reem en ts. T h ese are b u t th e iron gates th a t seem fo rb id d ing b u t th a t y ield to th e touch of a re v e re n t a n d o b e d ie n t sp irit an d adm it us to th e ’’H ou se Beautiful. If E lim ’s palm s th e ir sh a d e afford, O r if th o u sm ite m y sheltering gou rd , » A like, th ro u g h g o o d an d ill, In p e rfe c t p e a c e I’ll w a it an d p ro v e T h a t th o u o rd a in e st all in lo v e , My G o d , a n d tru st T h e e still. A n d if, a t last, m y passage b e U pon a calm an d starlit sea, I’ll b less th y favo ring w ill; But if to som e lo n e sp a r I cling, A d rift u p o n th e sto rm I’ll sing, My G od , I tru st T h e e still.
used, is to m isconceive th a t do c trin a l tru th w hich lies a t th e v e ry basis of ou r salvation . T h e re a re o v e r five th o u sa n d in stances in th e O ld a n d New T e stam en ts w h e re th e m o st im p o rta n t distinction s h a n g o n th e choice o f a p a rticu la r w o rd , an d no o ther, how ev e r like it, w ill suffice. It is un safe to m ak e th e B ible a n d th e C hu rch a n d th e hum an, reason jo in t, o r co -o rd in ate, sources o f d i v ine au tho rity . B o th th e C hu rch an d re a son a re au th o rita tiv e on ly as th ey a re co n fo rm ed to, an d a re co n firm ed by, th e W o rd o f G od . T h e vo ice of o u r ra tio n a l pow ers, an d ev en th e comm on con sen t o f C h rist endom , like th e fallib le sta n d a rd s o f w eigh ts a n d m easures, n e e d c o r rection b y th e infallible, as th e w atch is reg u la ted b y th e ch ronom e te r, a n d even th e c h ro n om e te r b y G o d ’s clock, th e stars. T h e m a rin e r d a re s n o t follow ev en h is com pass as an ab so lu te guide, lest h e lose his course, if n o t his vessel. T h e n e ed le m ay h av e intensity o f d ire c tiv e force an d susceptibility, b u t it h a s its v a ri atio n s; th e m agnetic p o le m u st b e I’ll tru st in T hee, w ho se b ound le ss grace R e sto red m y soul, a n d tu rn e d m y face T o Z io n ’s blissful h ill; A n d th e re to guide m y step s aright, T h ro u g h b rig h te st day, a n d d a rk e st night, My G od , I’ll tru st T h e e still. If d a ily b re a d th y rav en s bring, A n d I from C h e rith ’s coo ling spring My flow ing cup m ay fill; O r if m y b ro o k run sc an t a n d dry, A n d th o u w ith h o ld m y d a y ’s supply, My G od , I’ll tru st T h e e still.
I’ll Trust in Thee ( By J. H. SAMMIS
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