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VOL. IV RICHMON1
PROVE
It is a principle of human law that no one
shall he punished without trial. When any
an* is supposed to be guilty of some offence he
laust he proven guilty before penalty can be
indicted. A little while ago the county court
was in session. Quite a number of persons
were suspected or known to be guilty, but
i here was no disposition to inflict punishment
until a trial had been given them, ami guilt
had been proven. Now we ought to exercise
at least this much consideration in dealing with
hid. Here lie brings complaint against the
I eople for their unkind and unjust treatment
of lliiu, and He had abundant reason for this
imiplaint. They had been guilty of very
grievous sins for which He rebuked them. They
had spoken very unkindly of Ilim, and for
which He brings against them the charge,
"Your words have been stout against me."
They had flagrantly and persistently disregarded
His counsel, hence the cause of this
accusation, "From the days of your fathers ye
have turned aside from mine ordinances, and
have not kept them." And now, as a result
"f this great unkindness and this inexecusable
ingratitude, lie, their Sovereign and Lord,
challenges them to put Him to the test.
"Prove me now," says He. "Try me, and
see if I will not bestow upon you an exceeding
great bounty, a bounty such that you will
<it have the capacity- to receive."
in a sense lie seems to approach these ungrateful
faultfinders with the air of humble
ntreaty. We seem to hear Ilim say, "You
have been very impure in life and conduct, you
have oppressed those who should have been the
l>eeial objects of your consideration, you have
i rued aside from my ordinances, disregarding
hem, you have reserved it as your right to
M>eak most unkindly of me, your rightful
sovereign, but, for all this, 1 now come to you
i love, and humbly entreat you try me and see
if I will not have mercy on you, and confer
') VOll tllrt mAat 1-1 '
...... vik luuot lavisn niKssiii^s, Temporal ami
spiritual. This is just like Him. Speaking
irough the Prophet Isaiah, in the first chapter
that remarkable prophecy, God summons
tie heavens and the earth to hear Him make
"iiplaint of the ingratitude of His people, and
'"'re proclaims their wickedness in startling
''His, hut how quickly lie yields to the claims
mercy, and humbling Himself to a level with
His wicked and apostate people, and let us reason
together, saith the Lord: though your sins
ns scarlet, thoy shall be as white as snow:
though they be red like crimson, they shall he
;'s wool." Our Lord is so moved upon by the
s"preme faithlessness of the people, who had
'" ard his gracious words, and had been eye
witnesses of His miracles of wonder, that He
M'orounees the most frightful woes upon their,
declaring that if Sodom had been given sucb
hdvantages as they, that that wicked city, that
D, NEW ORLEANS, ATLANTA, AUGl
GOD ^
hurned in lire from Heaven, would have re1
1 l I 11.-a i ? ' -
i" in in iiiki iit-<-n spniru ; iiwu. imtuusc ui ineir
failure to improve their gracious opportunities,
their .judgment would he more severe than that
of these very wicked, hut less favored cities of
the plains, yet with merciful entreaty lie
brings them that most loving invitation. "Come
unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest."
Hut again, viewing these from a slightly
different standpoint, God seems here to speak
with the air of command. He seems to say.
and that with the authority of a king, "You
have dealt harshly with those who should have
been the objects of your compassion. You have
An Evening Prayer
If I have wounded any soul to-day,
If I have caused one foot to go astray,
If 1 have walked in my own willful way?
Good Ix>rd. forgive!
If 1 have uttered idle words or vain,
If 1 have turned aside from want or pain,
Les? i myself should suffer through the strain?
Good I^ord. forgive!
If I have craved for joys that are not mine,
If I have let my wayward heart repine.
Dwelling on things on earth, not things divine?
Good Ix>rd. forgive!
If I have been perverse, or hard, or cold,
if I have longed for shelter in thy fold
When thou hast given me some port to hold?
Good Ixtrd. forgive!
Forgive the sins I have confessed to thee.
Forgive the secret sins I do not see.
That which 1 knew not. Father, teach thou me?
Help me to live!
?C. Maud Battersby.
I I
: uthlessly trampled under foot my laws, which
were .just and right, and have yielded your bodies
us willing instruments of corruption, and
now, ye wicked ones and rebellious, [ command
you to investigate my claims. You may gather
your armies to battle if you will, you may take
counsel against me and mine anointed Son,
but I am not a weakling, that I should be intimidated.
I scorn as insignificant all your
blatant threats, and bold in derision your
claims to power. Just as a potter's vessel is
crushed by the stroke of nn iron rod so will 1
crush you if you only continue to be unmiml?\.i
?i?11: :?^ ......
mi wi ui rciifiiuius (t^auisi me as your rigntiui
sovereign."
But we think that Ihis is not so much an entreaty,
nor so much a command as it is a challenge.
In this message, "Prove me now," Clod
is not pictured to us so much upon Ilis knees,
in entreaty, nor do we seem to see Ilim so clear
WESTERNPPESBYTER/Afih
al Presbyter/an e
t/ern Presbyter/an
J ST 14, 1912. NO. 33.
3:10. "Prove Me Now")
REV. J. T. WADE
lv siltinir onon the throne of His nower eom
mantling obedience to his Almighty authority,
1ml jis one who has merited the right to consideration.
and comes before these evil doers
with the simple challenge, "Prove me now."
And lo all such, who are living today, lie comes
with this challenge. "You have said that I
was a hard master. You have accused me of
making promises and not fulfilling them. You
have declared me to be unjust, harsh and unkind.
1 challenge you to put me to the test;
give me a fair trial, and see if you can make
good your claim."
This challenge we desire to bring to you, my
brethren. Prove Clod. Put Him to the test.
Kcnieniher that lie is not a man such as we are.
There is much reason for doubting some men,
n.it ;? n..an *i..? ?i.:? > i * r+
?ii 11 i.-> ijuitc auuiucr lillllg IU UOUUl CiOU. OOeS
Ho seem somewhere to have failed in Ilis promise
i Think you that His arms are too short to
reach down to you and help you. I)o you think
that He is too far away to hear your cry? Put
Iliiu to the test. Try Him. Prove Him now
and see.
1. PROVE 111 Til AS TO BESTOW MENT OF BOUNTY.
1. Temporal. There are a great many people
who act as though they felt that their
temporal concerns depended entirely on their
own exertions. And this being the case they
are often ill at ease, and are living in constant
dread of the future. They are dead sure
that the starving time will come after a while
Well might they have this feeling if the abun
dance or scarcity depended altogether on them.
To all such God is saying, "Prove me now."
Through Ilis inspired poet He says, "Open thy
month whip and r it*!u bii " mi-- t?._i?
? , .?nvk a. ??in itn it. i iic jrsannisx,
out of an abundance of experience, and a full
trial of God, declared, "The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want." Paul, with much
more than ordinary experience, and having
made proof of God's prom uses in many ways,
makes this very encouraging declaration, "My
God shall supply all your need according to
I lis riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
One of the most striking examples to be
found in modern history in proof of this, may
be seen in the life and work of George Muller,
the man who made God his only patron, and
never wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom, and
got much more untold wealth, and honor beyond
that of any other king. We believe that
God is very anxious that we should prove Him.
You may know something of the peculiar thrill
of joy that fills the heart of an honest man, who
has been confided in by his fellows and has
been honored by them with some position of
trust. What brings greater cheer to the father's
heart than to see that his son has a feeling
of reverence for Him, and is willing to abide by
his counsel. And do you not believe that some