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December IS, 19S0 VOL. 18, NO. III '7k ~laUYt- GUARDIAN Only one Jesus is presented in the Word of God; and that Jesus did not come into the world by ordinary gen- erosion, but was conceived in the womb 1 of the virgin by the Holy Ghost. -J. Gresham Machen J. Gresham Machen Published Monthly Editor 1936· 1937 $2.00 per year Meditation in perils of waters, in perils of robbers in perils by mine own countrymen, i~ Grass Roots ) Strength Through perils by the heathen, in perils in the R. K. Churchill city, in perils in the wilderness, in t Weakness perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painful What people say and write: I, When 1 am weak, then am 1 strong. ness, in watchings often, in hunger and "I can remember yet how we chil II CORINTHIANS I2:Iob thirst, in fastings often, in cold and dren used to look forward to our / When I am strong then am I strong. nakedness. Beside. those things that church magazine which came every I So reasons the world. When we are are without, that which cometh upon week-why can't we have the same riding the crest of the wave of pros me daily, the care of all the churches" thing now?" (II Cor. II :24 ff.). 0 Lord, thou crush ( perity, when the winds of adversity "Are we nuts? Why all this sarcasm est me; there is hardly any strength pass over us, when we are financially in the Guardian, and why not answer ) left in me. secure and physically healthy - then a man's writings so that he himself will r men think themselves to be strong. But Lord, through my very weakness be persuaded of the better way; must Thou hast made me strong - strong J Sad delusion, says Paul. Never are we always yield to the temptation of in the power and grace of Christ. being merely smart?" you weaker than when you think you Thou hast humbled me before Thyself. are strong. "Let him that thinketh he "The more I look things over the ( Thou givest grace unto the humble. standeth take heed lest he fall," Paul more I see that the real answer to By Thy mighty hand of adversity Thou .; elsewhere warns. In himself man what the world needs today can be hast taught me so well the futility and simply cannot stand prosperity. It found only in what the Lord has given J folly of relying on self-achievements. makes him proud and self-sufficient. to that little body of people called the Who am I, I am so weak. I am as It creates a false sense of security and Calvinists." nothing. Thou has emptied me of my greatly hinders his reliance upon the self. Lord, I'm like a helpless babe. "I often think of what Dr. Machen grace and power of God in Christ I cast myself completely upon the grace said in our first General Assembly for salvation. Not only are many and power of Christ. Now Lord, when most of us did not know whether thereby hindered from coming to Thou fillest me with Thyself. Thy to be or not to be: 'we may be a little Christ for salvation, but thereby also grace and power-imparting Spirit flock and it is certain that we are a many Christians are hindered in be surges through my soul, I find myself very sinful flock-but it is our Father's coming strong in the Lord and in the strong. Now "I can do all things good pleasure to give us the Kingdom'." power of His might. When the through Christ which strengtheneth Christian feels strong in himself he be Two ministers came to the end of me." "When I am weak, then am I comes weak in the Lord. He relies on their walk, admitting that they had no strong." his own strength and fails to lay hold solution for the grave difficulties under upon the power and grace of Christ A minister received word that a wife discussion. "Did you notice," said one, which alone can make him truly strong. and mother in his congregation had, "how good it is to hear Mrs. -- "Though all men forsake thee, yet will during a period of insanity, taken her talk. She always has words of praise not I" said Peter in confident self life. He set out at once to comfort the for people's poor efforts, even the reliance. "Before the cock crows twice father left alone now with his brood of minister's. Everything takes on a thou shalt deny me thrice,"-and he children. Never had the minister faced brighter look when she speaks and did. Never are we so certain to sin as such a heart-rending situation. His she is no flatterer, either. I even get when we think that in our own heart bled for them; he longed that he enthusiastic about going forth to harder strength we will not. might be a blessing. But when I came exploits. Perhaps the church needs boosters as well as critics." Blessed adversities and afflictions! from that home, said the pastor, I felt "For when I am weak, then am I that I had received a far greater bles A Roman Catholic woman, after I strong." What was this "weakness" sing than I had given. He was the reading aloud many Scripture verses J which the Apostle experienced? Two strong one; I was the weak one. pointed out to her: "Why, I was al Through this very tragedy the father ways told that your church started with things Paul specifically refers to as rendering him "weak." One was his had come to know the under-girding Luther, and here I find that it goes ) "thorn in the flesh, the messenger of strength, the inner peace and power of back to the Bible and Jesus." Satan to buffet me" (v. 7). The other the living Lord. Grandmother had climbed up on a was the insults and persecutions which With relentless force and crushing bench just a little bit afraid: three little he was called upon to endure for suddenness the Lord in time lays the garter snakes had crawled out of the Christ's sake (v. 10). "Of the Jews hand of affliction upon all His children. fireplace after it was lighted, and five times received I forty stripes save Sometimes a "thorn in the flesh," other where were they? "Never mind," one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, times insult and injury for the sake of consoled little Johnnie Atwell, standing once was I stoned, thrice I suffered Christ. But weep not, child of God. on guard, "they won't hurt you, shipwreck, a night and a day have I When you are weak, then will you be Grandma. But I'm keeping my shoes been in the deep; in journeyings often, strong in Christ's grace and power. on till after I've said my prayers." The Presbyterian Guardian is published monthly by the Presbyterian Guardian Publishing Corporation, 728 Schaff Building, 1505 Race Street, Philadelphia 2, Pa., at the following rates, payable in adYance for either old or new subscribers in any part of the world, postage prepaid: $2.00 per year; $1.00 for fiye months; 20c per single copy. Entered as second class matter March 4, 1937. at the Post Office at Philadelphia, under the Act of March 3. 1879. 222 The Presbyterian Guardian THE PRESBYTERIAN GUARDIAN DECEMBER 15, 1950 God With Us HE name ascribed to Jesus in the Old Testament are not trusting One who was sinless man yet only T prophecy was Immanuel. The name means, God man. We are putting our trust in God Himself, God with us. the Son, God in all the power and perfections of His Matthew connects the fulfillment of this prophecy eternal being. And He is certainly able to save His with the birth of Jesus, and not only with the birth, people. but with the virgin birth of Jesus. God came to be In placing our trust in the virgin born Son of "with us" through the fact of the virgin birth. Jesus God, however, we are not merely trusting One who is Christ was not born by ordinary generation. The line able to save. We are trusting One who is also willing from the fathers was broken at this point. There was to save. God the Son was under no external compul here a new entrance of the mighty creative power of sion to become incarnate in human form. The com God. pulsion was real, but it was a compulsion that pro The fact of the virgin birth of Jesus is of utmost ceeded from God Himself. It was the compulsion of importance for Christian faith. We who believe in love, of kindness, of mercy. The Son of God was sent. Jesus have placed our trust and the eternal welfare of But the Son of God also came, willingly, lovingly, in our immortal souls in His keeping for time and for mercy, in order to save His people. eternity. In whom then do we trust? And finally, our trust is not merely in One who If our trust is in one who is altogether like us, was able and willing (and still is), but in one who how can he be our saviour. He himself is then in actually did (and still does) save His people. For need of salvation, for sin is universal in the human saving His people involved taking their place before race descending from Adam by ordinary generation.