109
T h e
K i n g ’ s - B u s i n e s s
March 1931
Was it a parable o f her life? Would the tide ever return and fill her empty soul again to the brim? >Dare she believe that this ever could be? There was that verse the minister had quoted. What was it he had said? “And they feared as they-entered into the cloud." Yes, it was true a Voice had spoken out of the cloud, bidding those awed men look to the.,Son be loved, and “hear him.” She had not heard that Voice in her cloud. She could not recognize the presence of the Son o f God, nor turn to Him a listening ear. She could not take her eyes from the fearsome blackness, that sur rounded her. Would she ever be able to patch the, words of comfort and cheer and find that the Saviour wdsl after all, close beside her? The tide had many and strange and devious ,channels to come through, but each wave was freighted with joy and blessing. It was a chastened Marian, lovelier,nthan ever, who heard the voice of her God, and was- gtaaorr . S en d T H E K IN G 'S BUSINESS to y o u r friends, especially y o u n g p eo p le . T h e y w ill b e p ro fite d b y th e re a d in g o f this sto ry th a t so b e au tifu lly exalts th e L o rd Jesu s Christ. S ub sc rip tio n P rices Single su b sc rip tion (U . S . ) ............................... $ 1.50 Tw o y e a rs’ sub sc rip tion in a d v a n c e (U . S. ) 2 .5 0 T en a n n u a l sub scrip tion s (U . S . ) ..........i...... TO.'OO C a n a d ia n a n d fo reign sub scrip tion s récfuïre 25 c en ts a d d itio n a l fo r po stag e . T ria l sub scrip tio n (3 m o n th s ) ........... ........................25 that any man can do is to take his place vyith the old patriarch and say, “How can a man be justified before God?” How can he gain a favorable verdict from his righteous Judge? The prison door is shut, and we are inside. Where is the key that will open this door? Thanks be to God, it is close at hand! It is found in the remaining words of our Scripture text, “There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them that sire in Christ Jesus.” In Him, a fourfold provision is made which an swers back completely and satisfactorily to the four fac tors that produce condemnation. There is condemnation upon us because of guilt, but in Christ Jesus guilt is removed. There is condemnation because of the lack of a positive righteousness, but in Christ Jesus righteousness is imputed. There is condem nation because of an evil nature within, but in Christ Jesus a new nature is imparted. There is condemnation because of spiritual powerlessness and defeat, but in Christ Jesus spiritual power is provided, and we become “more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Blessed key which opens wide the prison-house of guilt and admits us into the realm of redemptive grace where there is “no condemnation” ! Such a provision is sufficient to set the joy-bells ringing in the soul and to compel one to say: “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”
“When I would do good, evil is present with me.” This brings condemnation. And in the fourth place, we easi ly recognize within ourselves the sense of spiritual power lessness to overcome the adverse conditions, within and without, which sometimes lead to doubt and to despair. Stated more concisely, and in order to bring the truth into greater relief, we may say that there is condemna tion because of guilt incurred through wrong things ac tually done. There is condemnation because of the lack of righteousness through good things left undone. There is condemnation due to the evil nature within; and there is condemnation through spiritual powerlessness and de feat. These four factors are common to humanity. They are revealed in Scripture, and recognized in human life everywhere. They must be dealt with before the righteous “Judge of all the earth” can look upon the hu man soul and say: “No condemnation.” A F ourfold P rovision But who can deal with these matters? Who is suf ficient for these things? Is there among men anywhere one who is wise enough, good enough, powerful enough to handle the situation? Is there any scholar, statesman, philosopher, poet, physician,- psychologist, ritualist, priest, dr king who can deal adequately with these four matters that produce condemnation? Alas, not one! The best T h e a u th o r is a lre a d y w ell know n th ro u g h h e r books, Under Whose Wings a n d Eyes in the Dark. These sto ries a re th e k in d th a t p a re n ts a re g lad to p la c e in th e h a n d s o f th e ir c h ild ren— a n d to re ad them selves! E v e ry th ing th a t Z e n o b ia B ird w rites is full o f in te re st from beg inn ing to end . T h e re is alw ay s a h in t o f m y stery , a b it of a d ven tu re, a n d a sym p a th e tic tre a tm e n t of th e h e a rt p rob lem s o f m o d e rn you th . A sp le n d id new sto ry b y Z e n o b ia Bird, The Return of the Tide, is to a p p e a r serially in TH E K ING ’S BUSINESS. T h e first in sta llm en t will b e fo u n d in th e A p ril num b e r. T h e fo llow ing synopsis, giving on ly a h in t of th e co n ten ts of th e ch ap ters, w ill b e enough to a rou se k een an ticipation . Marian Linton, perched on the rocks that lonely after- ,i' - noon, saw in the isolated little pool at her feet what seemed to her a picture of her own life. The tide had gone far 1 out, and left her as forsaken as that steadily evaporating if*| little puddle. J Father and mother, home, fortune, and friends, all were ■ gone in one swift stroke. And worst of all, Marians faith had gone out on the tide, too. She thought she had faith in God, but it had disappeared in the receding flood that had carried away all else she held most dear. She once ' had faith in Nelson Barrington, but she was quite sure that (' faith in him and all his kind followed last in the awful ebbi As through the long afternoon she mused bitterly on r. the tradegy o f her life, she suddenly became aware^ that the tide had turned and was moving back toward that limpid bit o f crystal, flooding it cmew with the ocean’s fullnessi
The Return of the Tide A Fascinating New Serial Story By Zenobia Bird
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