HOMAS Jefferson Gore with others was the Editor of the "Australian Pioneer" for twelve years. This paper was widely circulated. His style of writing was of the simplest. His essays written on "Niagara," "The Mammoth Caves," etc., were beautifully descriptive of these wonderful places, couched in the simplest of language. For many years he wrote for the "Australian Christian," and did all he could to widen the circulation of this paper. The following article is an editorial written in the "Australian Pioneer" by T. J. Gore:--

      It is sometimes most difficult to comprehend the purposes of the Lord in His dealings with His children. Yet when these are looked at from every possible standpoint, their exceeding richness and glory are strikingly apparent. Abraham was led through perhaps the severest trial that could ever come upon man; yet this proved to him the greatest blessing. It was the occasion of the Heavenly Father drawing very near to him in the richest blessing. His faith was made perfect in passing through the deepest waters of affliction. This trial was not only a blessing to the one tried, but has been of untold value to millions of all believers in all ages.

      Who, then, can begin to estimate the value of God's dealings with His children in trial? But in this case there was developed that which, through the grace of God, lifts man up into the glorious realm of Divine favour, and lets in upon his soul the [40] light of the unseen world. There here shone forth in this chief of believers the fully determinate purpose to do the revealed will of God. There was no hesitancy, no doubt, no shrinking--all betokened a calm, fixed, immovable purpose. This is what every child of God needs at all periods of life. If there was in every soul that gives itself into the keeping of Christ this fully determinate purpose to do God's will under all conceivable circumstances, no matter how unfavourable, or how full of trouble, the result would be for the manifestation of the glory of the Lord, and the certain advancement of the "truth as it is in Jesus."

      God has a purpose in all the trials and troubles of this life, we may depend on that. One great purpose is to bring out and develop the best parts in our nature. This, we unhesitatingly say, is the love, the kindness, the gentleness, of which we have become possessed through faith in Christ and submission to Him. We sometimes feel that some Christians have not yet been fully developed--fully brought out as perhaps they may yet be. One thing we have noticed, that some Christians when they have grown old have painfully looked back on their past lives, and found them barren of that love, gentleness, and kindness which so filled up the life of the Saviour. We certainly think that the cultivation of the heart is neglected, not because the Lord does not afford abundant means of cultivation, but in spite of these means. What does not soften must of necessity harden. The gospel is a savour of life unto life, and of death unto death. If the Christian cherishes a censorious spirit, and lets it crop out at every opportunity, he is hardening himself, and is utterly unfitting himself for the greatest purpose of this life--the doing the will of the Lord. We have known some who seem to treasure up any amount of hard and unkind sayings, to be poured out at a church meeting. What an awful mistake it is to suppose that such an action is in any way acceptable [41] to the Lord, or in any way advances one in the great purpose of life. It seems to us that it has been purposely arranged that the most glorious example of an unflinching purpose to do the Lord's will has been given us in the New Testament, accompanied by the grandest development of which we could possibly conceive of the wonderful treasures of the human heart--even treasures of love. This purpose can never be firm, immovable, unless its roots go far down into the eternal principles of love. A man without a heart must be a man without this grand purpose.

      "Lovest thou Me?" were the words which laid bare Peter's purpose. "Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee." Enter then, upon the great purpose of your life: begin your work--"Feed my sheep." "If you love Me." The example in the New Testament to which we refer is that of the Apostle Paul. When troubles deep and dark came upon him, and loomed up before him, as by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he was permitted to see the things that should come to pass, then, as his heart was expanded by the love of Christ and of man, was developed the grand purpose of his life. In love that purpose was planted, and in love it was watered with tears. Hear him--"And, now, behold I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there, save that the Holy Spirit witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me." Here were abundant trials, even bonds and afflictions awaiting him; but the very anticipation of them seemed to tighten the grasp of his heart on the great purpose of his life, and though he already felt the clasp of the chain on his body, yet his spirit was free; his purpose was immovable; and he grandly says, "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel of the grace of God." Nothing could be sublimer than this, and yet this [42] noble purpose has its roots in real hearts suffering, but upon its flower rests the very smile of the eternal God.

      This language, which has spurred on to so many noble deeds so many of God's faithful children, came from the very heart of the Apostle. There are many trials which are even more severe than bonds and afflictions. Paul had these overshadowing his path, but he had also the tears and tender entreaties of his friends to contend with. None of these things moved him. What a wonderful example! After his words to the Ephesian elders, Paul, accompanied by them, "kneeled down and prayed with them all." What a prayer meeting that must have been! What heart work there! There was much weeping on the part of them all--Paul as well as the others. In all this the Lord was bringing out for the great comfort and upbuilding of his people, the great treasures of the heart's love of his chosen Apostle. Paul was a splendid logician, but his religion was not head religion alone. His logic came from the heart as well as from the head, and therefore it was powerful. But Paul sails away from Miletus, and in company with some noble-hearted companions--Luke among the rest--comes to Tyre. There he finds Disciples, and there he passes through another trial. The Disciples there, knowing what Paul should suffer for the Holy Spirit had made a revelation to them, besought him not to go to Jerusalem; but he must go in the way indicated by the Lord. However hard it might be, and however contrary to the advice of his friends, he must do as the Lord commands. This cost him much heart-work. The Lord was leading him through all this purposely. He comes to Cæsarea, and from thence to Jerusalem. In Cæsarea he meets with the hardest trial of all. Agabus the prophet comes down, and by the symbol of the girdle makes his bonds in Jerusalem so apparent that even Paul's travelling companions add their entreaties to the other [43] Disciples' that he would not go to Jerusalem. Then we have these noble words--"What mean ye to weep and to break my heart? For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." His friends might break his heart, but they could never break his purpose; he could never be turned aside from that. We thank God for these instances in the life of the Apostle where his purpose, though seen through his tears, yet shines out brilliantly clear, and so fixed that no person on earth could overthrow it. Reader, what is this noblest purpose of life? Is it not to do the Lord's will? May the Lord help you to have this purpose--to live in it--to work in it--to pray in it, and finally to triumphantly depart in it--to go and be with the Lord. [44]

[TJG 40-44]