In this section, we reproduce some meditations upon the majesty of God, and the privilege of prayer as expressed by the late A. T. Jannaway who wrote upon this theme in both The Christadelphian and The Family Journal.

MEDITATIONS ON GOD

HIS GREATNESS
How great God is! Not only has He a purpose in the earth, but He is utilizing all things to fulfil it. In this scheme He uses the bad as well as the good. No man and no thing is beyond His vision, control and employment. The Scriptures contain many illustrations of this cheering truth. Here are three: (1) A posterity to Abraham was needed to be preserved in the earth. Good Joseph and his bad brethren were laid hold of by God, and their respective aims and doings mysteriously blended and guided to accomplish the work (Gen. 37:27-28; 65:7-8). (2) The death of Christ was required for the salvation of man. In this, too, God employs and miraculously intertwines the righteousness of His Son with the wickedness of his contemporaries in order to bring the event to pass (Acts 2:23; Phil. 2:8). (3) The glad tidings of salvation had to be sounded by Paul in the ears of Gentiles, small and great. To accomplish it, God again providentially manipulates the love and hatred of faithful and unfaithful (Acts 9:15; 13:50; 14:6-7). We again say - How great God is! With such a God, let us be trustful - content to follow His light and leading. Events may, at times, look altogether out of their bearing. But not so to God. His glorious purpose is being worked out in the midst of it all, and this purpose requires His care for us. It is not an aimless confusion with Him. He is in touch with all things. He is everywhere at work for the good of those who commit their way in well-doing unto Him (Rom. 8:28; 1 Pet. 4:19). What was said by God to Jacob is true of all who possess the mind of the patriarch, "I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest" - "I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of."

HIS LOVE
How strong is a father's love for his children! How real and deep is his concern for their happiness and well-being! How he contrives to dispel their little fears and misgivings! How willing and how eager he is to overlook their weaknesses and shortcomings! Just so is it with God and ourselves. "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him" (Psalm 103:13). Let not the greatness and invisibility of God dull our senses to the truth and preciousness of this beautiful Scripture. Neither let us squeeze all sweetness out of it by interpreting wrongly any evil which God has suffered to enter into the experience of His beloved ones. Although many and prolonged may be our afflictions - although at times we may be unable to unravel their immediate design - we must foster faith and hope. God, as a Father, chastens us, but He has not always the cane in hand. He punishes sometimes, but only when we are exceedingly perverse. But a good Father He always is, and His blessings are infinitely more than we deserve. He tells us that His eyes are never off us, and that He is ever ready to listen to any cry of distress (1 Pet. 3:12,13; Heb. 13:6). Further, for our assurance Christ tells us that our Father knoweth what things we need before ever we ask Him (Matt. 6:8). Let us repose in Him. Let us appreciate and appropriate the comfort contained in His many promises - not merely in those which relate to the future, but in those also which apply to the present. Let us not anticipate evil. Let us not weep before we are hurt. Let us study the Psalms more, and try to attune our minds to the trustful, grateful, uncomplaining (though often bewildered) spirit they breathe (Psalm 16:1; 17:7; 25:2; 31:1; 57:1; 71:1).

HIS PROVIDENCE
The most commonplace events of our lives are under the control of God. He may often be at work for our good when we little think it or deserve it. God sometimes opens our eyes to our sins, and saves us from the consequences of them, in the most natural way. The thought is precious, and full of comfort for us, who are so weak and so erring. An illustration of God's kind providence is to be found in the incident respecting David, Nabal and Abigail (1 Sam. 25). The case is familiar. David, on account of abominable treatment received at the hands of Nabal, a grossly selfish churl, is in a state of fury, and plans revenge. He is saved, however, from maturing his unlawful intention by the intervention of a common-sense, tactful, God-fearing woman, and is thus saved from bitter remorse and divine displeasure. But how natural was it all! Yet God was manipulating matters for the sake of upright but erring David. God permitted him to fall into sin, but delivered him from it. God "sent" Abigail - God "kept back" David from murder - God "smote" Nabal. God did it all. Yet no apparent miracle was wrought - God was not seen. The lesson to us is not far to seek. It is not that we may presume on the goodness of God to shield us from the natural effects of naughtiness, but that we may count upon His helping hand, if, in our case, a David-like disposition exists. We may be allowed to fall, but if we are of the David type (impulsive, but not wilfully rebellious) our failings will not be allowed to destroy us. How often have we, through possessing a David-like mind, been saved from powerful, deadly temptations, which, had they been yielded to, would have altered for the worse the whole trend of our lives!

HIS MERCY
Let us not allow our shortcomings to lessen our affection for God. Let them not lead us to dread rather than love Him. God has plainly said that He will overlook our deficiencies and abundantly forgive our sins, provided we confess and forsake them. Is not God "tender" and "rich" and great in mercy? Is He not "the Father of Mercies?" It is not God's will that we should run away from Him through fear. He would have us keep very near to Him, and approach Him always with boldness. Men who take an opposite attitude to this, too numerous and too great for God to overlook." This self-impeachment sounds very serious, but is our brother's feeling reliable? Is our brother in love with the Truth? Yes. Is he prepared to make sacrifices for it? Yes, many. Does he strive to overcome his failings by supplicating God's help in prayer, and reading His Word, and keeping out of temptation? Yes. Does he know that he is moving, though very, very, slowly, towards perfection? Yes. Then let our brother cheer up - let him raise the hands which hang down and strengthen the feeble knees. Let him have faith in God's mercy. There is ground for assurance and not misgiving. That a greater acquaintance with the Scriptures should lead our brother to realize more fully the wideness of the gap between Christ's perfection and his own strivings to attain it, is a good rather than a bad sign. "But," continues our brother, "is there not such a thing as presuming on the mercy of God?" There is, but our brother is not the type of man who would be guilty of this. Men who thus presume, hold the Truth in unrighteousness, seize every and any excuse for neglecting its requirements, and sin wilfully.

HIS CONDESCENSION
"Come, let us reason together," said God to unfaithful Israel. What an example for us! How much trouble we should avoid, and how much good we should do, if we always followed this example - by first courting a little heart-to-heart discussion, instead of rushing into battle with those who differ from us. A difference of opinion, even when the point of difference is grave, is not necessarily irremovable, or a sign of criminality. Some are feeble in discerning right and wrong, and some need much coaxing and argument to induce them to abandon prejudices and adopt a proper stand. It might be argued that this ought not to be, but we must remember that the brethren and sisters are not divine, either in nature, character, or intellect. Some may approach a higher standard than others, but all need to avoid high-mindedness, for to-morrow the best may fall. To convert the erring is a duty, but to start by denouncing and calling them bad names is not the way to gain their sympathy or respect. "The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient in meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves." Let us study to adopt means that are likely to secure the end which is in view. Again, when brethren show indications of repentance, they should be treated with kindness and tact, and not taunted with having changed. There are, of course, some, as in the case of the nation of Israel, who are inflexibly perverse, but before we stop our gentle and becoming pleading and reasoning - let us be quite certain that we have imitated God in His patience, forbearance, and great desire for the reclamation of the prodigals and wrong-doers.

HIS FOREKNOWLEDGE
With God nothing happens by chance. His ways are deliberate, sure, and effectual. He can foresee and prearrange events a thousand years ahead as easily as twenty-four hours. Amazing thought! Blessed truth! Human affairs steal not a march upon God - the situation of today, in all its bearings was known to Him centuries ago (Isa. 46:9,10). The power of God in this matter baffles the finite intellect of man. Man tries hard to fathom the wisdom and ability of God - especially in their bearing on the question of Free Will. How common is it for men to assert that the doctrine of the foreknowledge of God is untenable. And upon this assumption to argue the untrustworthiness of the Bible. Foreknowledge and Free -Will, say they, are incompatible - a reception of the one involves a rejection of the other. Let us not be led astray by such finite reasoning. God is inscrutable, and so are many of His ways. He "doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number." The Word of God has been attested by astounding, terrifying, dumbfounding signs and wonders, in the presence of which men have been compelled to admit its truth. The verity of Bible teaching is demonstrable upon other ground than that of our being able to comprehend the "whys and wherefores" of the Deity's operations. If a man refuse to receive the Bible till he can see how God could foretell the fidelity of Paul or Christ, without depriving them of Free Will, he will certainly have to die an unbeliever. Such an one should read Job 38 and 39, and he will realize that this is not the only work of God which he cannot fathom.

HIS FAITHFULNESS
When God has decreed a thing it is as good as done. His memory, ability, and faithfulness never falter nor fail. Because of this certainty the Spirit speaks of "things which be not as though they were" (Rom. 4:17). The Scriptures teem with illustrations of this interesting and upbuilding fact. The saints are said to be "free from condemnation" (Rom. 8:1) - to possess everlasting, or eternal life (John 3:36; 1 John 5:13) -whilst actually death-stricken and dying. The mighty are said to have been put down from their seats, and those of low degree exalted (Luke 1:52), whilst the former still flourish, and the latter are rejected and despised. This mode of speech is strengthening and encouraging. It helps to lift us away from the present, and to make the future very real. Our tendency is to absorb ourselves in the passing moment - to think and act as if what is will always be. God would counteract this disposition, and the method He adopts in speaking to us helps to this end. "He is faithful that promised." As surely as sorrow followed the Edenic bliss, so surely will millennial bliss follow sorrow. God foretold the one no less than the other. The only uncertain factor is as to whether we individually shall realize the bliss. This is a point left for us to settle. It may be No, but it can be Yes. It will assuredly be the latter, "if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm until the end." To do this is the essence of Christian excellence. To neglect this is to invite trouble. "Holding fast" means self-sacrifice now, but unspeakable blessing when the day of trying service is at an end.

HIS UNSEARCHABLENESS
"Men of science seek, in all reverence, to discover the Almighty, the Everlasting." These were the words.of Professor Ray Lankester, in his presidential address, at one of the annual meetings of the British Association. The sentence has a pleasing sound, but what does it mean? What is it in relation to God that scientists wish to discover? Is it God's abode? No, they are not quite so simple as that. Is it a knowledge of His greatness? Surely not, for this is a fact obvious to the man in the street. Microscopes and telescopes and much study may make the fact more palpable, but these things are not requisite to reveal it. Is it better acquaintance with the workings of God in nature that these savants are seeking? If so, the Professor should have said so plainly. But how limited must be our knowledge of God, if we are confined to what nature can disclose! What is there in nature that can tell us of the Creator's glorious purpose with the earth and man? Of the mind which we must exhibit if we are to please Him? Of the power and efficacy of prayer? Of miracles? Upon these transcendently important matters the Bible alone is God's medium of revelation. And without information upon these subjects how can a man be said to know God? Ah! Nature's contribution to the knowledge of God is very limited, and only baffling and misleading when the Bible is ignored - as the statements of scientists so often and painfully show. Why do men of science turn from God's beautiful, reason-satisfying, ready-to-hand revelation, and spend their best hours in stargazing and rummaging among the dust for knowledge which they can never get there? The world by wisdom knows not God"-"His ways are past finding out"(l Cor. 1:21; Rom. 11:33).