Musings of a Snickerdoodle

I n the kingdom of Christ, insubmission to the plain letter of Scripture, a wish to look into the secret purposes of God, and 'to be wise above what is written,' has, at all times in some measure, and at this time in particular, distracted the church, and tainted the simplicity of divine truth. So much of corrupted nature is there  in us, men will even here be thinking for themselves, and call their views deep, enlarged. These biblical freethinkers take the word of God for their rule, but then it is in a different sense - in any sense, they do not much care what, so it be but different from that in which any simple mind would understand it…..Such critics have made intellect seem the enemy of truth, which God could never mean it should be. He foresaw, indeed, that it would become so. He knew how powerful an instrument in Satan's hand would be the reasoning, questioning pride of man, when induced to array itself against the reception of the word.  When He determined to reveal

FAITH , like a simple, unsuspecting child, Serenely resting on its mother's arm Reposing every care upon her arm, Sleeps on his bosom, and expects no harm: Receives with joy the promises he makes, Nor questions of his purpose or his power; She does not doubting ask, "Can this be so?" The Lord has said it, and there needs no more. However deep be the mysterious word, However dark, she disbelieves it not; Where Reason would examine, Faith obeys, And "It is written," answers every doubt. Faith, with a keen and realizing glance, Revels in things yet distant and unseen, A nd tastes a joy as exquisite, as true, As if no veil of darkness hung between. It is no cold, reversionary bliss,-- No distant hope the trusting bosom proves; F aith has already wing'd the soul to heaven, In search of Him whom seeing not she loves. If clouds and darkness rest upon the soul, Darkness is welcome, since it is His will; In nature's saddest moments Faith can say, "Though he

"If any man in the world needs the special presence of God with them and His blessing in order to succeed, certainly ministers do.  For what is the design and end of their ministry? Is it not to open the eyes of sinners to turn them from darkness to light?  And from the power of sin and Satan to God and Christ? And who is sufficient for these things? In a work of this nature, what can ministers, of themselves, do? Verily, they may preach even to paleness and faintness, until the bellows are burnt, until their lungs and vitals are consumed, and their hearers will never be the better; not one sinner will be converted until God is graciously pleased, by the efficacious working of His Spirit, to add His blessing to their labors and make his word, in the mouth of the preacher, sharper than any two-edged sword in the heart of the hearer.  All will be vain, to no saving purpose, until God is pleased to give the increase. And in order to do this, God looks for their prayers, to come up to