,heart ,talks ,a ,volume of ,confidential ,talks on the ,problems1 ,privileges1 and ,duties of the ,christian ,life1 ,designed to ,comfort1 ,encourage1 ,strengthen and ,instruct by ,c4 ,w4 ,naylor #aibb ,reprinted #aihb by ,faith ,publishing ,house ,guthrie1 ,oklahoma ,,contents ,concerning ,the ,author ,preface ,reprint ,publisher's ,foreword 7,february1 #aihb7 ,talk ,one4 ,what ,it ,means ,to ,trust ,the ,lord ,talk ,two4 ,the ,blessing ,of ,dissatisfaction ,talk ,three4 ,why ,i ,believe ,the ,old ,book ,talk ,four4 ,he ,maketh ,me ,to ,lie ,down ,talk ,five4 ,blighted ,blossoms ,talk ,six4 ,meeting ,the ,lions ,talk ,seven4 ,egg-,shell ,christians ,talk ,eight4 ,two ,ways ,of ,seeing ,talk ,nine4 ,the ,living ,bible ,talk ,ten4 ,heeding ,intuitional ,warnings ,talk ,eleven4 ,doing ,something ,worth ,while ,talk ,twelve4 ,home-,made ,clouds ,talk ,thirteen4 ,it ,pleased ,the ,lord ,to ,bruise ,him ,talk ,fourteen4 ,putting ,clouds ,over ,the ,sun ,talk ,fifteen4 ,what ,is ,your ,word ,worth8 ,talk ,sixteen4 ,how ,to ,keep ,out ,of ,trouble ,talk ,seventeen4 ,what ,the ,redbird ,told ,me ,talk ,eighteen4 ,what ,old ,bill ,could ,not ,do ,talk ,nineteen4 ,divine ,and ,worldly ,conformity ,talk ,twenty4 ,baptized ,with ,fire ,talk ,twenty-,one4 ,what ,to ,do ,with ,the ,devil ,talk ,twenty-,two4 ,waiting ,on ,the ,lord ,talk ,twenty-,three4 ,three ,necessary 8,rations0 ,talk ,twenty-,four4 ,a ,retreat1 ,or ,a ,rout8 ,talk ,twenty-,five4 ,my ,dream ,message ,talk ,twenty-,six4 ,when ,god ,withdraws ,himself ,talk ,twenty-,seven4 ,what ,happened ,to ,solomon ,talk ,twenty-,eight4 ,fighting ,the ,good ,fight ,of ,faith ,talk ,twenty-,nine4 ,how ,are ,your ,ear ,connections8 ,talk ,thirty4 ,fret ,not ,thyself ,talk ,thirty-,one4 ,being ,easily ,entreated ,talk ,thirty-,two4 ,following 8,whithersoever0 ,talk ,thirty-,three4 ,paul's ,persuasion ,talk ,thirty-,four4 ,in ,christ ,and ,in ,ephesus ,talk ,thirty-,five4 ,the ,practical ,side ,of ,religion ,talk ,thirty-,six4 ,do ,you ,need ,patience8 ,talk ,thirty-,seven4 ,stumbling-,stones1 ,or ,stepping-,stones8 ,talk ,thirty-,eight4 ,use ,what ,you ,have ,talk ,thirty-,nine4 ,where ,the ,joy ,is ,talk ,forty4 ,blowing ,the ,clouds ,away ,talk ,forty-,one4 ,how ,to ,fertilize ,love ,talk ,forty-,two4 ,how ,to ,overcome ,disappointment ,talk ,forty-,three4 ,the ,big ,end ,of ,trouble ,talk ,forty-,four4 ,self-,made ,barriers ,talk ,forty-,five4 ,how ,to ,work ,god's ,joy-,machine ,talk ,forty-,six4 ,be ,brave ,talk ,forty-,seven4 8,but ,jesus ,sent ,him ,away0 7,luke #h3 #ch7 ,talk ,forty-,eight4 ,getting ,the ,kernel ,talk ,forty-,nine4 ,two ,sunsets ,talk ,fifty4 ,the ,sculptor's ,work ,talk ,fifty-,one4 ,the ,helplessness ,of ,the ,gospel ,talk ,fifty-,two4 ,he ,careth ,for ,you ,talk ,fifty-,three4 ,three ,tests ,of ,love ,talk ,fifty-,four4 ,two ,ways ,of ,rising ,talk ,fifty-,five4 ,getting ,even ,talk ,fifty-,six4 ,do ,you ,know ,yourself8 ,talk ,fifty-,seven4 ,balkers ,talk ,fifty-,eight4 ,sponges ,and ,watering-,cans ,talk ,fifty-,nine4 ,the ,final ,retrospect ,footnotes ,,concerning ,,the ,,author ,illustration ,c4 ,w4 ,naylor ,the author of ,heart ,talks has been peculiarly qualified for his task by a training of the soul in the school of suffering4 ,after thirteen years in the ministry1 as a result of an internal injury he has been compelled to spend the last thirteen years in his bed day and night1 a constant sufferer4 ,he has known the experience of long and intense suffering with no hope of relief from any human source1 and with no other prospect for the future than that of remaining a helpless invalid for life and without a means of earning a livelihood4 ,he has learned to trust ,god for the supply of his temporal needs because there was no other to trust4 ,he has learned to commune with ,god by being deprived of the opportunity of mingling much with his fellow men4 ,yet he has not lost the joy out of life4 ,he still does what he can to build up the kingdom of ,god and bless his fellow men by his words of good cheer4 ,he is still interested in the events of the world1 and especially in the progress of ,god's work4 ,he has demonstrated the efficacy of ,god's grace to sustain one and give joy in the very discouraging circumstances of life4 ,though a firm believer in divine healing1 and instrumental in the healing of those who kneel at his bedside for prayer1 yet he has not received permanent healing1 because1 as he believes1 this is ,god's method of developing his heart and making him more useful in helping others4 ,during the last five years1 especially1 he has contributed regularly to a religious periodical articles on subjects similar to those in this book1 besides conducting a 8,questions ,answered0 and information department1 and writing a number of books4 --,gospel ,trumpet ,company ,publishers #aibb ,a4 ,d4 ,,preface ,most of the miscellaneous writings of which this volume is composed appeared originally in serial form4 ,the widespread interest produced by them1 the hundreds of letters of appreciation1 and the numerous earnest requests for their publication in permanent form have been the moving cause for their presentation in this volume4 ,they cover a very wide range of topics1 are written in a popular style1 and deal with phases of life and personal experience that are all too much neglected but which every ,christian needs to understand4 ,each paper is complete in itself1 though all have a general relation4 ,they are pastoral in nature and have by the blessings of ,god comforted1 encouraged1 strengthened1 and enlightened many souls4 ,that they may by divine help continue to be a blessing to many is the earnest desire of the ,author4 ,anderson1 ,ind41 ,may #ad1 #aibj ,,reprint ,,publisher',s ,,foreword 7,,february1 #aihb7 ,this excellent volume1 ,heart ,talks1 by ,c4 ,w4 ,naylor1 has been out of print many years4 ,the cloth-bound book1 from which this reprint edition was produced1 is the property of ,sister ,fern ,stubblefield of ,earlsboro1 ,okla4 ,originally owned by the late ,nellie ,poulos1 the book was given in #aigh to ,sister ,stubblefield by ,t4 ,gus ,poulos1 the son of deceased ,nellie ,poulos4 ,this volume has been read by a number of saints and ministers who have recommended that it be reprinted with a very few footnote corrections and deletions4 ,therefore1 we submit this book to the reading public with the prayer that the ,lord will make its contents a blessing to many precious souls4 --,lawrence ,d4 ,pruitt ,faith ,publishing ,house ,publishers ,,talk ,,one4 ,,what ,,it ,,means ,,to ,,trust ,,the ,,lord ,throughout the ,bible we are exhorted again and again to trust in the ,lord4 ,we are warned against trusting in princes1 in riches1 or in ourselves2 for all such trust is vain4 ,trusting in the ,lord is represented as being safe1 as blessed1 and as producing very desirable results4 ,in it is our hope1 our strength1 our safety1 and our help4 ,but what does trust mean8 ,it does not mean carelessness or indifference4 ,just to let things go and say1 8,oh1 ,i guess it will come out all right10 is not trusting4 ,just drifting heedlessly with the tide is not trust4 ,neglect is not trust4 ,trust is something positive4 ,it is a real something1 not a mere happen-so or maybe-so4 ,it is a definite attitude of soul and mind1 a realization of our own need and of ,god's sufficiency4 ,it is the reaching out and anchoring of ourselves in ,god4 ,the soul who really trusts is not driven about by every wind4 ,the waves beat against him as they beat against the anchored ship1 but they can not dash him upon the rocks2 for he who trusts in ,god is strong1 because he has the strength of ,god4 ,trust does not mean shutting our eyes to facts4 ,there is no such thing as 8blind faith40 ,trust looks at things as they are4 ,it sees the dangers that threaten1 and assesses them at their true value4 ,it sees the need1 and does not try to disguise it4 ,it sees the difficulties1 and does not discount them4 ,but seeing all this1 it looks beyond and sees ,god1 its all-sufficient help4 ,it sees him greater than the needs or the dangers or the difficulties1 and it does not shrink before them4 ,there is no fear in trust3 the two are opposites4 ,when we really fear1 we are not fully trusting4 ,when we trust1 fear gives way to assurance4 ,fear is tormenting4 ,how many there are who are constantly agitated by fear6 ,they fear the devil1 trials1 temptations1 the wind1 lightning1 burglars1 and a thousand other things4 ,their days are haunted by fear of this thing or that4 ,their peace is marred and their hearts are troubled4 ,for all this1 trust is the cure4 ,i do not mean to say that if you trust1 nothing will ever startle you or frighten you1 or that you will never feel physical fear in time of danger2 but in such times trust will bring to us a consciousness that the ,lord knows and cares1 and that his helping presence is with us4 ,when ,john ,wesley was crossing the ,atlantic from ,england to ,america to become a missionary to the ,indians1 the ship on which he was sailing encountered a terrible storm4 ,it seemed that those on board would be lost4 ,many were much alarmed and were in deep distress4 ,wesley himself was one of this number4 ,in the midst of the storm his attention was attracted to some ,moravians who sat calm and undisturbed by the dangers about them4 ,wesley greatly wondered at their untroubled appearance4 ,he inquired why it was4 ,their reply was that they were trusting in the ,lord and that they had in their souls the consciousness of his protecting presence and care4 ,they felt no fear because there was nothing threatening that a ,christian had need to fear4 ,mr4 ,wesley did not have such an experience1 but what he learned from those simple-hearted people caused him to seek a similar experience4 ,there is no worry in trust4 ,when we worry about anything1 we have not committed it to ,god4 ,trust takes away the anxiety4 ,so many people use up a large portion of their energy in worry4 ,there is always something troubling them4 ,their days and nights are full of anxiety4 ,worrying becomes a fixed habit with them4 ,peace and calmness and assurance find but little room in their lives4 ,the cure for all this is trust4 ,trust brings confidence4 ,trust whispers to our souls that there is no cause to worry4 ,it tells us that ,god holds the helm of our vessel4 ,it bids us to be of good courage1 assuring us that ,god is our refuge and strength1 that our lives and all are in his hands1 and that he will work out for us the things that are best4 ,o soul1 stop worrying1 and trust4 ,it is so much better4 ,if you find yourself worrying1 stop right there4 ,take your eyes off the things that trouble you2 look up1 and keep looking up till you see ,god and his infinite care for you4 ,remember that when you worry you are not trusting1 and that when you trust you are not worrying4 ,worry depresses1 discourages1 and weakens4 ,it never helps us in any way4 ,it is always a hindrance to us4 ,god wants to bring into our lives a peaceful calm like that of a summer evening4 ,he would have us without anxiety1 as care-free as the birds or the lilies4 ,it is trust that brings us this experience4 ,will you not learn to trust8 8,casting all your care on him2 for he careth for you40 ,there is no murmuring in trust4 ,when all is trusted into ,god's hands1 it brings to us a feeling of satisfaction concerning ,god's dealings with us4 ,we can sing from our hearts1 8,god's way is best2 ,i will not murmur40 ,when we trust1 it is easy to praise4 ,when we trust1 the heart is full of thankful appreciation4 ,if you are inclined to murmur1 it is because you do not trust4 ,there is no feeling of bitterness when things do not go as we think they should1 if we are trusting4 ,bitterness comes from rebellion1 and there is no rebellion in trust4 ,trust can always say1 8,not my will1 but thine1 be done40 ,in trust there is peace1 the peace of ,god which passeth understanding4 ,there is calm in the soul of him who trusts4 ,there is no doubt in trust1 for doubt is swallowed up in assurance1 and assurance brings calmness and peace4 ,trusting brings confidence4 ,it permits us to see ,god in his true character4 ,it causes us to realize the greatness and tenderness of his love4 ,it gives us a consciousness of his might1 and through it we are sheltered under his wings4 ,by it our enemies lose their power2 our dangers1 their terrors4 ,we have a consciousness of safety1 and that brings rest4 ,he has said1 8,ye shall find rest unto your souls40 ,he who trusts finds this soul-rest4 ,god has not given us turmoil and trouble4 ,he has said1 8,in me ye shall have peace02 and again1 8,my peace ,i give unto you40 ,are not these precious promises8 ,are they true in your life8 ,god means that they shall be4 ,trust will make them real to you4 ,they never can be real until you learn to trust4 ,trust is the root that upholds and nourishes the tree of ,christian life4 ,it is trust that causes it to blossom and to bring forth fruit1 and the more fully you trust1 the greater and richer and more profuse will be the fruits of your righteousness4 ,i have told you something about trust1 but ,i now wish to speak of some other things that belong to trust4 ,trust implies submission4 ,very often ,god fails to do things for us because we do not permit him to4 ,we want to plan for ourselves4 ,we want things to be done in the way that seems best to our finite wisdom4 ,too many of us are like a woman whose husband recently said that they had often gone driving together1 that their horse would sometimes become frightened1 and that when it did1 his wife would also become frightened and would almost invariably seize the lines4 ,thus1 he would have to manage both his wife and the horse1 making his task doubly difficult4 ,how many of us are just like that woman6 ,when anything threatens1 we become alarmed and try to help ,god4 ,we feel that it is not safe to leave all in his hands and let him manage the circumstances4 ,our failure to submit to him often complicates matters1 and it is harder for him to manage us than it is to manage the difficulties4 ,to trust ,god means to keep our hands off the lines4 ,it means to let him have his way and do things as he thinks best4 ,it may be a hard lesson to learn1 but you will hinder ,god until you learn it4 8,it is ,god which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure0 7,phil4 #b3 #ac74 ,if your life is submitted to him1 he will work in you to will as well as to do4 ,he will help do the planning as well as the working out4 ,he will aid you in the choosing1 no less than in the doing4 ,if you can not submit to him thus1 you have not reached the place where you can trust4 ,you must first learn to take your hands off yourself and off circumstances2 then trust will be natural and easy4 ,how can you trust him if you are not willing for him to do just as it pleases him8 ,when you have submitted all and he has his way fully with you1 then the blessed fruitfulness of trust will come into your life4 ,trust also implies obedience4 ,it means working with ,god to produce the results4 ,we can not sit down and fold our hands in idleness and expect things to work themselves out4 ,we must be workers1 not shirkers4 ,the man who prays for a bountiful harvest but prepares no ground and plants no seed will pray in vain4 ,faith and works must go together4 ,we must permit ,god to direct our efforts and command our efforts4 ,we must be willing to work when he wants us to work and in the way he wants us to work4 ,our attempts to trust will amount to nothing if we are not willing to obey4 ,right here is the secret of many people's trouble2 they are willing to obey so long as the thing commanded is what they themselves would choose1 but when it is otherwise they are not so ready4 ,our obedience must be full and willing1 or we can not trust4 ,trust implies patience4 ,even ,god can not work everything out immediately4 ,we are told that 8ye have need of patience1 that1 after ye have done the will of ,god1 ye might receive the promise0 7,heb4 #aj3 #cf74 ,so many times we want the answers to our prayers right away4 ,if they do not come thus1 we grow impatient and think ,god is not going to answer4 ,there is no use trying to hurry the ,lord2 we shall only hinder him if we do4 ,he will not work according to our plans1 but according to his own4 ,time does not matter so much to the eternal ,one as it does to us4 ,a brother once came to the altar in a meeting ,i helped to hold4 ,in telling his trouble he said1 8,when ,i want anything done1 it has to be done in a hurry40 ,many other people can not be patient and wait4 ,they want it now4 ,this is a great hindrance to their faith4 ,the ,psalmist says1 8,rest in the ,lord1 and wait patiently for him0 7,psa4 #cg3 #g74 ,we are not only to wait patiently for him to work out his purpose1 but we are at the same time to rest in him4 ,some people can wait1 but they can not rest at the same time4 ,they are uneasy and impatient2 they want to hurry the ,lord all the time4 ,the result usually is that their faith does not last very long4 ,you must add patience to your faith to make it effective4 ,if you really trust1 you can be patient4 ,it may not always be easy1 but the more perfect your trust1 the easier it will be to be patient4 ,when ,luther was summoned to meet the diet for trial on a charge of heresy1 his friends1 fearing for his life1 tried to persuade him not to go2 but he declared that he would go even if there were as many devils there as there were tiles on the housetops4 ,he trusted ,god1 and that trust gave him an unwavering courage4 ,three ,hebrews trusted ,god1 and the fiery furnace could not even singe their garments4 ,daniel trusted ,god1 and the hungry lions could not touch him4 ,many thousands of others have trusted ,god with similar results4 ,but trusting ,god is an active1 positive thing4 ,a passive submission or surrender to circumstances is not trust4 ,trusting the ,lord to save us means to definitely rely on him to do it2 to confidently expect that he will do it4 ,this leads directly to the confident trust that he does do it4 ,it brings the conscious assurance that it is an accomplished fact4 ,we are not left to doubt1 to hope1 or to guess2 but we have a positive trust that brings a positive result4 ,the same is true of sanctification4 ,a positive faith brings a positive experience2 and so long as our faith remains positive1 the experience remains positive4 ,it is only when faith begins to waver and doubts appear that the experience becomes uncertain4 ,if you will maintain a positive faith1 ,god will take care of your experience4 ,here lies the secret of continuous victory4 ,there may be conflicts1 but faith is the foundation of sure victory4 ,trusting the ,lord for healing means more than refusing to employ a physician and to take drugs4 ,people who do not trust ,god at all often refuse to use drugs4 ,they may at no time during their sickness really exercise an act of faith for healing4 ,they simply surrender to existing conditions and hope that it will come out all right4 ,in many such cases nature will overcome the disease1 and the person will recover4 ,the 8prayer of faith10 however1 is positive2 it saves the sick2 it brings healing4 ,sometimes the sick person1 because of the mental effects of his sickness1 is not able to exercise faith2 but when he is able1 faith will be an active1 positive thing with him1 if the desired results are to follow4 ,it is safe to trust in the ,lord4 ,isaiah says1 8,i will trust and not be afraid0 7,isa4 #ab3 #b74 ,that is the way ,god wants us to trust4 ,he would have us be confident in him4 ,but sometimes we get to looking at circumstances1 and they loom up so threateningly before us that in spite of ourselves we tremble and shrink before them4 ,we believe that ,god will take care of us and help us1 but we can not quiet our fears4 ,our feelings are very much as they are when we stand just outside the bars of the cage of a ferocious wild beast4 ,we know it can not reach us2 we know we are safe from those powerful teeth and claws2 but still we can not help having a feeling that we should not have were we somewhere else4 ,when he comes to our side of the cage1 we shrink involuntarily1 but still we trust the iron bars and do not run away4 ,the ,psalmist tells us what to do when we have such fears4 8,what time ,i am afraid1 ,i will trust in thee0 7,psa4 #ef3 #c74 ,still keep trusting4 ,god will not chide you for the fears you can not help1 but only for those that come from unbelief4 ,trust in ,god4 ,it is the safest thing you have ever done2 and he will never fail you4 ,,talk ,,two4 ,,the ,,blessing ,,of ,,dissatisfaction ,a young sister sat in a room one beautiful summer afternoon4 ,the sound of the birds chirping on the lawn and other noises of the out-of-doors came in through the open window to her4 ,there was a look of melancholy upon her face1 and her gaze rested steadily upon the floor4 ,it was clear that she was troubled about something4 ,just then a minister entered the room4 ,noticing her forlorn appearance1 he said cheerily1 8,what is the matter1 sister80 ,she looked up at him and answered wearily1 8,o ,brother ,a1 ,i am so dissatisfied40 8,well10 he replied1 8,i am glad of it40 ,she almost gasped with astonishment1 and exclaimed1 8,why1 ,brother ,a6 what do you mean80 ,he then sat down in a chair near her and explained to her the substance of what ,i am going to say to you4 ,we have all thought how good it is to be satisfied4 ,how many times we have heard people testify and rejoice that they had reached this experience6 ,i would not depreciate this sense of satisfaction1 for out of it come many enjoyable things4 ,it is a very pleasurable feeling and one that most people very earnestly desire4 ,there are times1 however1 when such a feeling would be anything but a blessing4 ,perhaps this surprizes you as it did the sister4 ,god has made provision to satisfy us4 ,christ said that he who would drink of the water of life should thirst no more2 for it should be in him a well of water1 and thus his thirst should be continually quenched4 ,so there is a continual satisfaction in ,god4 ,it is a good thing to be thus satisfied with ,god and his plans and ways and with our salvation1 and dissatisfaction with any of these1 if we are saved1 is an evil to which we should not give place2 but hardly any greater evil could come upon us than a complete and constant sense of satisfaction relating to our attainments in grace1 the development of our spiritual powers1 or the measures of our service to ,god4 ,dissatisfaction is the mother of progress4 ,the ,chinese for centuries have been taught to be satisfied with having things like their fathers had4 ,as a consequence they have almost entirely lost the inventive faculty4 ,long ago they were an inventive nation1 but now an invention among them is a rarity4 ,as long as people are satisfied1 they are content to remain as they are4 ,satisfaction is the foe to progress4 ,as long as you are fully satisfied1 you are like a sailing-vessel in a dead calm4 ,the sea about you may be very smooth4 ,everything may be very peaceful and serene4 ,but all the time this calm prevails you are getting nowhere2 you are at a standstill4 ,it is only when the wind rises and the swells begin to move the vessel up and down and the sails begin to strain that good progress begins4 ,you may feel very comfortable in your satisfaction4 ,it may be very delightful and dreamy1 but it may be dangerous also4 ,those who are fully satisfied for very long may be sure that there is need for an investigation4 ,it is only when we become dissatisfied with present conditions and attainments that we are spurred to effectual effort to make progress4 ,suppose ,god had been satisfied with the world-conditions before ,christ came4 ,we should now have no ,savior and no salvation4 ,he was dissatisfied1 thoroughly dissatisfied1 and so he made the greatest sacrifice that he could make to change existing conditions4 ,paul was once very well satisfied with his place in the ,jewish religion2 he was not looking for anything better4 ,his dissatisfaction arose from the fact that some other people were not satisfied thus but were finding and advocating something different4 ,this aroused his severest condemnation4 ,what he had was good enough for him and ought to be good enough for them4 ,there are many today who are just like ,paul was4 ,they are fully contented in their present situation1 and should any one try to show them its insufficiency and the need of higher attainment1 it would only arouse their opposition and indignation4 ,that is why so many people oppose holiness4 ,just as soon as ,paul saw ,christ and the higher and better things for which ,christ stood1 he suddenly lost his satisfaction and became an earnest seeker for those better things4 ,sometimes it takes a rude shock to break through our self-satisfaction and to show us our true needs2 but when it comes and arouses a dissatisfaction1 it is truly a blessing4 ,suppose ,luther had been satisfied to continue in the ,romish church1 approving and submitting to her teachings and practices4 ,where might the world have been today8 ,he became dissatisfied and gave voice to that dissatisfaction4 ,others heard and became dissatisfied4 ,this dissatisfaction made their hearts hungry for ,god1 and out of that heart-hunger came the ,reformation4 ,dissatisfaction has brought us the multitude of new things which we have to use and enjoy4 ,it has been because men became dissatisfied with old methods and old implements and old ideas and customs and old attainments that they have toiled in painful research1 that they have labored night and day to invent new things4 ,in some places1 people still plow with a crooked stick and grind their flour in hand-mills4 ,what their fathers had is good enough for them4 ,some people are like that about religion4 ,what their fathers had is good enough for them1 and they are indignant if we even suggest something better2 they are satisfied4 ,there are others who sought and obtained a real experience of forgiveness1 but right there they stopped4 ,years have passed4 ,they were satisfied when they were first saved 7which was a very good thing72 the only trouble was that they remained satisfied and never made any further progress4 ,they hear entire sanctification preached1 they accept the doctrine intellectually1 but they can never be persuaded to press on into the experience themselves4 ,they go on from year to year to year and never make any real spiritual advancement4 ,what is the trouble8 ,oh1 they are just satisfied1 that is all2 and they will never get any further till their sleepy satisfaction is rudely broken in upon by something that startles them out of their security and awakens them to their needs4 ,that will bring dissatisfaction and that in time will set them to seeking to have those needs supplied4 ,some people are content just to drift with the tides4 ,they go along with the crowd1 whichever way sentiment goes1 and are quite content4 ,they are no real moral force in their community or in the church4 ,they are aware of the fact1 and they seem to be satisfied to have it so4 ,they will never amount to very much so long as they are thus satisfied4 ,getting dissatisfied is the only thing that will ever make anything worth while of them4 ,there are those who know that they are less spiritual than they used to be2 still1 they are not much concerned about it4 ,they are resting very easy4 ,such satisfaction is a curse4 ,what such folks need is a good case of dissatisfaction2 for that is the only thing that will keep them from drying up and withering away4 ,i know of people who once had a glorious experience but who for years have been so satisfied with themselves that they have not progressed an inch4 ,instead1 they have gone backwards1 with the result that today they are cold and formal4 ,they are still satisfied1 they still profess to be justified and sanctified1 but they amount to practically nothing for ,god or the church4 ,there is no moral force radiating from their lives4 ,to such persons the coming of dissatisfaction would be a great blessing4 ,so long as they are satisfied with their present condition1 so long they will be cold formalists4 ,some people know that they are coming short both of their duty and of their privileges in the ,lord1 but in spite of this they seem content and are making no effort--at least no effective effort--to do better4 ,o brother1 sister1 if you are satisfied where you ought to be dissatisfied1 it is time you awakened1 it is time you looked toward better things until your hunger for them stirred you to action to obtain them4 ,to those who are dissatisfied1 who realize your needs and lacks1 ,i say3 ,do not be discouraged4 ,god means by this very feeling of dissatisfaction with yourself to spur you on to seek diligently for higher and better attainments4 ,if you allow yourself to be discouraged1 it will only hinder you4 ,god will help you to obtain that which you need4 ,do not falter because your need seems great2 ,god's supply is more abundant than your need4 ,cast off every weight4 ,press forward4 ,god will help you4 ,when once he has aroused you to effort1 you will find him ready to help4 ,your dissatisfaction is most encouraging4 ,do not stay dissatisfied2 press on till you obtain what you need4 ,you will never attain your full measure of desire in this life1 but you may obtain much1 and what you do obtain will prepare you for that fulness and satisfaction which only eternity can bring you4 ,dissatisfaction is never welcome1 but it is a true friend4 ,through it you may reach blessed attainments and soul-enriching grace4 ,value it and use it rightly1 and it will prove a great blessing1 though it may often be a blessing in disguise4 ,,talk ,,three4 ,,why ,i ,,believe ,,the ,,old ,,book ,do ,i believe the old ,book8 ,do ,i really believe it8 ,my heart answers that ,i do4 ,the deepest consciousness of my soul testifies that it is true4 ,i will tell you some of the reasons why ,i believe it4 ,the ,oldest1 and ,still the ,newest1 of ,books4 ,god's book written in the rocks is old1 exceedingly old1 but ,god's book the ,bible reaches back still farther4 ,it goes back not only to the 8beginning0 of this terrestrial world1 but into eternity2 for the expression1 8in the beginning10 used by ,john1 reaches back long before this world was4 8,in the beginning was the ,word1 and the ,word was with ,god1 and the ,word was ,god40 ,from past eternity its majestic sweep covers the whole range of being and reaches into the future eternity4 ,it is1 in fact1 the book of eternity1 and within its folds lie the grandeur and sublimity of the great unknown future4 ,it never gets out-of-date4 ,other books have their run of popularity and are forgotten1 but the ,bible never grows old2 no matter how familiar we become with it1 it is ever new4 ,to the ,christian it never grows stale1 but is always fresh and always satisfying4 ,it ever reveals new depths that we fail to fathom1 new heights that we can not scale1 and new beauties that enrapture our vision4 ,we read it over and over1 and ever and anon we see new jewels sparkling within its pages1 jewels that delight the eye and reflect the light of ,god4 ,from it refreshing waters break out where we least expect them1 and our souls are refreshed like a thirsty man who suddenly finds water on the desert4 ,we may have read a text a thousand times1 yet when we look at it again it opens up and presents to us a vista of marvelous truth of which we were before entirely unconscious4 ,what other book can do these things8 ,when we read a book written by man1 however interesting it may be1 it soon loses its interest and its charm2 we do not find new beauties in it as we do in the ,bible4 ,its treasures are soon exhausted1 but the ,bible is ever new1 and so ,i do not believe that the ,bible is man's book nor that it could be man's book4 ,its depths are too deep to come from the heart or mind of man2 its heights are too great for him to reach2 and its wisdom is more than human4 ,it can but be divine4 ,the ,most ,loved of ,all ,books4 ,wherever the ,bible goes1 people learn to love and to treasure it above all other books combined4 ,it is the one book that people love2 it is the treasure that people hold fast even at the risk of their lives4 ,in past ages when wicked rulers tried to keep it from the people1 they could not4 ,at the peril of their lives people would have it4 ,they underwent dangers and tortures1 and shrank not from anything1 that they might possess this wonderful book4 ,it is not for what it claims to be--though it claims much--nor for what men claim for it1 but for what it is to the individual himself that it is so dearly loved4 ,there is that in the ,bible which endears itself to the human heart1 and no other book has that quality4 ,other books are enjoyed and admired and praised and valued2 but the ,bible1 in this respect1 stands in a class by itself4 ,the educated and the ignorant1 the high and the low1 all races in all climes1 when they learn to truly know the ,bible1 and when they submit themselves to the ,god of the ,bible1 learn to love it and to delight in it and are enriched and blessed by it2 and because ,i too feel this deep love in my heart for the old ,book1 ,i believe it4 ,i believe that1 in some way1 it was made for me by ,one who knew my needs1 and that it corresponds to the very essence of my inner self2 and ,i believe that ,i could not love it as ,i do if it were not ,god's book and if it were not true4 ,the ,most ,hated of ,all ,books4 ,not only is it the best-loved book1 but it is also the most-hated book4 ,no other book has had so many nor such bitter enemies4 ,i suppose more books have been written against the ,bible than against all other books combined4 ,men do not hate ,shakespeare nor ,milton nor ,longfellow2 they do not hate works on science nor philosophy2 they do not hate books of travel or adventure or fiction2 they do not hate the other sacred books of the world2 they hate only the ,bible4 ,why this hatred8 ,it can be only because they find in the ,bible something that they find nowhere else4 ,what they find there is a true picture of themselves1 and the picture is not pleasant to look upon1 so they turn away their faces and will have nothing to do with it except to vilify and condemn it4 ,they deliberately misrepresent it and write falsehoods about it2 they satirize and ridicule it1 using all sorts of weapons and all sorts of methods to combat it1 and for only the one reason--that its truth pricks them in their consciences and they can by no other means escape from it4 ,it is judged by a standard far more stringent than any other book1 not excepting the other sacred books4 ,no critic would think of treating any other book as he treats the ,bible1 nor of requiring of any other book what he requires of the ,bible4 ,the more men hate ,god1 the more they hate his ,word2 and this has a deep1 underlying reason1 and that reason1 ,i believe1 is that the ,bible is ,god's book and that in it there is so much of ,god himself4 ,it ,has ,withstood ,all ,assaults4 ,but though so bitterly assailed through all the ages1 the ,bible has withstood the assaults of all its enemies and stands victorious still4 ,the ,greek philosophers1 with all their skill1 were vanquished4 ,the greatest intellects of modern times find themselves given pause before it4 ,the sharpest arrows that unbelief could forge have not pierced it2 the assaults made upon it have resulted only in the destruction of the weapons used4 ,all through the ages countless theories--religious1 philosophic1 scientific1 or other--have been used against the ,bible1 only to fall in ruins at last before it and to be rejected even by those who once advocated them4 ,the ,bible endures an amount of criticism that no other book could endure1 and instead of being destroyed1 it is only brightened and made better known4 ,could such a thing be truly said of error8 ,could error endure what the ,bible has endured1 and live8 ,it is the law of nature that error is self-destructive1 but that truth can not be destroyed2 and according to this law1 the ,bible must be true because of its indestructibility4 ,it ,tells ,me of ,myself4 ,my deepest emotions and longings1 my highest thoughts and hopes1 are mirrored there1 and the more settled inner workings of conscience are there recorded4 ,it speaks to me of my secret ambitions1 of my dearest hopes1 of my fears1 of the love that burns within me4 ,my desires are pictured in the ,book just as ,i find them working in my heart4 ,whatever picture it draws of the human soul ,i find within myself1 and whatever ,i find within myself ,i find within its pages1 and thus ,i know that it is true4 ,no man can know me as the ,bible knows me nor picture out my inner self as the ,bible pictures me2 and since no work of man could correspond with my inner self as the ,bible corresponds with me1 ,i know that it did not come from man4 ,it ,is the ,book of ,conscience4 ,it is as a mirror into which every man1 when he looks1 sees himself4 ,it speaks to his conscience1 not as a man speaks1 yet with a potency unknown to any other book4 ,it is preeminently the book of the conscience4 ,other books appeal to men's consciences1 but not with the appeal of this book4 ,other books mirror men1 but not like the ,bible4 ,in the silent watches of the night1 in the lonely depths of the forest1 upon the expanse of the sea1 or wherever man may be1 how frequently is it the case that this book speaks into his conscience in a silent yet thundering voice1 and before it he is awed and silenced and oftentimes terror-stricken4 ,it speaks to the conscience as only ,god can speak1 and therefore it must be ,god's book4 ,it ,gives ,comfort and ,hope4 ,to what book do those in sorrow turn8 ,to ,voltaire8 to ,ingersoll8 to ,haeckel8 ,do they turn to science or philosophy or poetry or fiction8 ,there is but one book that is the book of comfort4 ,the sad and desolate heart turns to its pages1 and as it reads1 the consolation of the ,holy ,spirit1 which fills the book1 comes into that heart1 and it is comforted4 ,it is as the balm of ,gilead2 it is as a letter from home to the wanderer2 it is as a mother's voice to the child4 ,friends may speak words to comfort us1 but they can not comfort us as does the ,book2 its words seem to enter into our innermost sorrows with a healing touch4 ,god is the ,god of all comfort1 and it is the comforting ,god in this comforting book that comforts the soul4 ,it is also the book of hope4 ,sometimes man despairs1 and he looks here and there for hope1 finding none2 but there is one book in which hope may always be found4 ,it always has something to offer him to inspire hope with new courage4 ,therefore it is the hope of the hopeless2 since in the troubled soul it brings a calm1 brightening dull eyes and causing them to look beyond4 ,it lifts up the bowed head1 strengthens the feeble knees1 renews the courage1 and takes the sadness out of the voice2 it is therefore truly the book of hope4 ,the ,book of the ,dying4 ,a soldier1 desperately wounded1 lay in a trench4 ,the shells were bursting around him2 the bullets and shrapnel were whistling through the air2 the roar of the guns shook the ground4 ,he was going down into the valley of the shadow of death4 ,knowing that he must pass over to the other side1 he reached into his pocket with his little remaining strength and pulled therefrom a soldier's ,testament4 ,handing it to a comrade he said1 8,read to me40 ,his comrade opened the book and began to read--8,in my ,father's house are many mansions3 if it were not so ,i would have told you4 ,i go to prepare a place for you4 ,and if ,i go and prepare a place for you1 ,i will come again1 and receive you unto myself2 that where ,i am1 there ye may be also40 ,a smile overspread the face of the dying soldier as he listened to the words amid that solemn and terrible scene4 ,he closed his eyes and lay quite still smiling1 then he murmured1 8,it is well40 ,and with a smile still upon his face he passed across to the other side4 ,for what book do the dying call8 ,for just any book8 ,what words do they wish to hear in the final hour8 ,there is but one book for that hour2 but one that can throw light into that shadowy valley4 ,that is the ,bible4 ,it is the book of the living and of the dying1 the book of the sorrowing and of the hopeless4 ,it is just such a book as the loving ,father would give to the children whom he loves1 and it meets their need in all the details of their lives as only ,god could meet it1 and therefore ,i can but believe that it is the book of ,god4 ,only ,answer to the ,enigma of ,life4 ,the 8why0 of life is found nowhere else4 ,other books tell us many truths about life1 yet its depths and meaning find expression and answer in only one book4 ,it interprets life2 and he who reads the interpretation knows that it is true because it is the story of himself1 and in himself is the witness of its truth4 ,men have sought everywhere the secret of life and the things that pertain thereto1 but everywhere1 save in the ,bible1 they find only darkness and obscurity and uncertainty4 ,the ,bible1 however1 speaks in no uncertain terms4 ,it speaks the language of him who knows1 and if we reject its voice we are left in a tangled maze1 out of which we can not find our way4 ,the ,bible outlives all its critics and is triumphant when they are forgotten2 it has many times been pronounced dead1 but still it lives2 it has been called 8exploded10 but its power is not dissipated2 it has seen all antagonistic theories of the past1 one by one1 destroyed and rejected1 but it still stands in spite of the critics1 in spite of its enemies2 and those who anchor their faith upon it need not fear what voice is raised against it4 ,neither need they fear what weapons are brought to bear upon it2 for it is truth1 and those who fight against it fight against ,god and are themselves ruined4 ,it is adapted to all people of every race and clime1 to the high and the low1 the rich and the poor1 the learned and the ignorant4 ,of no other book can this be said4 ,it is the ,book of books1 the book of ,god4 ,in it ,god speaks1 and my inmost heart knows that it is the voice of my ,beloved1 and leaps for joy4 ,,talk ,,four4 ,,he ,,maketh ,,me ,,to ,,lie ,,down ,the ,psalmist says of the ,lord1 his ,shepherd1 8,he maketh me to lie down in green pastures10 or1 as the ,hebrew has it1 8in pastures of tender grass40 ,what a world of significance there is in this little sentence3 8,the ,lord is my shepherd40 8,he maketh me to lie down40 ,he doth not compel me4 ,that is not the ,lord's method2 he findeth a better way4 ,if he compelled me to lie down1 there would be no pleasure in it4 ,when a sheep is compelled to lie down1 it is in fear2 it can not but dread what is to happen to it4 ,so the ,lord doth not compel me4 ,he leadeth me in the pastures of tender grass1 and ,i eat until ,i am satisfied1 and being satisfied with the sweet and luscious pasturage1 ,i lie down1 content4 ,while the sheep is hungry1 it will not lie down in the pasture2 it desireth to eat4 ,but when it hath eaten its fill1 it lieth down and resteth and is satisfied4 ,so he feedeth my soul day by day2 the good things of his kingdom doth he give unto me4 ,he satisfieth my soul with fatness4 ,my soul desireth nothing more than what he giveth4 ,if ,i hunger1 he hath a supply1 and he giveth me1 and that with a generous hand4 ,he knoweth all my needs4 ,he supplieth every one1 that ,i may be 8fat and flourishing1 to show that the ,lord is upright40 ,there are many enemies about1 but 8he maketh me to lie down40 ,i am in quietness4 ,my heart is not afraid4 ,the ,shepherd standeth between me and those ravening wolves4 ,the lion and the bear can not harm me1 for the ,shepherd standeth as my protector4 ,his eye shall watch while ,i lie down4 ,his ear shall hearken and shall hear the sound of their footsteps if they come near4 ,i trust the ,shepherd2 therefore my heart is not afraid1 and ,i shall lie down safely4 ,it is trust that enableth me to lie down4 ,if ,i were afraid1 ,i could not thus rest4 ,i should be watching and fearing and trembling4 ,every noise would alarm me4 ,i should forget about the green pastures4 ,i should forget the tender grass4 ,but he is watching4 ,he hath his weapon in his hand4 ,he doth not fear my enemies1 and while he is watching ,i do not fear them1 for he is strong and mighty4 ,he is greater than my foes4 ,they know it and are afraid4 ,they tremble at his voice4 ,they flee away1 but ,i lie safely4 ,he hath said1 8,i will feed them in a good pasture1 and upon the high mountains of ,israel3 444 in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of ,israel40 8,he leadeth me beside the still waters40 ,when ,i grow thirsty1 the river lieth at the foot of the mountain1 and down the slope he will lead me1 and there in the shade1 in the quiet1 restful coolness1 ,i shall drink of the waters of quietness and shall be satisfied1 and my soul shall delight in him4 ,the path down which he leadeth me may be steep2 there may be thorns along the way2 but so long as ,i permit him to lead me where he will1 he will lead me safely4 ,i must not choose my own way4 ,i must not run ahead of him4 ,i must not leave the path4 ,i must follow close to him4 ,i must listen to his voice1 and then he will lead me to the still waters1 and there ,i shall rest in his love4 ,then as the evening falleth1 he will lead me to his fold1 and inside its walls of security ,i shall rest during the hours of the night4 ,i shall not fear the darkness1 for the ,shepherd is watching4 ,i shall not fear the wild beasts round about1 for they can not harm me4 ,he will watch over me and bear me up when ,i am weak4 ,i can rest secure4 ,my shepherd is the ,good ,shepherd4 ,he loveth his sheep4 ,they are a pleasure to him4 ,though he sometimes may needs lead by a rugged way1 yet ,i am safe1 for he careth for me4 ,he will lead me in the way that ,i should go4 ,he will enrich my soul with his goodness4 ,yea1 8goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life2 and ,i will dwell in the house of the ,lord forever40 ,,talk ,,five4 ,,blighted ,,blossoms ,in our yard1 a few feet from the door1 stands an apple-tree4 ,in the early spring ,i watched its swelling buds from day to day4 ,soon they burst forth into snowy blossoms1 beautifying the tree1 and filling the air with their fragrance4 ,there was the promise of a bountiful crop of fruit4 ,in a few days the petals had fallen like a belated snow4 ,as the leaves unfolded and grew larger1 there appeared here and there a little apple that gave promise of maturing into full-ripened fruit4 ,but1 alas6 how few apples there were compared with the number of blossoms with which the boughs had been laden6 ,most of the blossoms had been blighted1 and had fallen to the ground leaving nothing behind4 8,ah10 thought ,i1 8how like these blighted blossoms are so many of the desires and hopes and plans of our lives6 ,how many of our aspirations are never realized6 ,how many of our plans fail6 ,how scanty the perfectly matured fruit in our lives1 when compared with the blossoms60 ,when we consider this1 how barren our lives often seem6 ,how little we seem to accomplish6 ,how little our lives seem to amount to6 ,every truly saved heart longs to serve4 ,the redeemed heart loves1 and love finds its joy in service4 ,how much there is to be done all around us6 and how eagerly we would take up the task of doing it6 ,how much we want to accomplish for the ,lord6 but ah1 how little we do really accomplish6 ,how many blossoms of desire we possess6 but how little fruit of real accomplishment6 ,seeing this1 we sometimes become discouraged4 ,it does not seem worth while to try to do the few little things that we actually can do4 ,do the best we can1 so many of our blossoms will be blighted--so many of our plans will fail2 so many of our hopes will not be realized2 so many of our desires will not be fulfilled4 ,we can rejoice in those that are brought to fruitage2 we can rejoice in those that do mature2 but how about the blossoms that fall and seem to leave nothing behind them8 ,do they bud in vain8 ,do they serve no good purpose in our lives8 ,they are not in vain4 ,the blossoms on that apple-tree which were blighted1 and died1 were just as beautiful and just as fragrant as those which bore fruit4 ,they served a very real purpose1 and so do the hopes and purposes that we cherish in our hearts1 even though we never see their fruitage4 ,david was a man who loved the ,lord1 and out of that love came a desire to build the ,lord a house4 ,that desire was never realized by ,david4 ,making it a reality was left to others4 ,nevertheless1 ,david's purpose was pleasing to the ,lord4 ,in his prayer at the dedication of the temple1 ,solomon said3 8,and it was in the heart of ,david my father to build an house for the name of the ,lord ,god of ,israel4 ,and the ,lord said unto ,david my father1 ,whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name1 thou didst well that it was in thine heart0 7#a ,kings #h3 #ag1 #ah74 ,god did not despise the desire1 even though he did not permit ,david to carry it out4 ,as ,god was well-pleased with the desire of ,david to build him a house1 so he is well-pleased with those worthy desires and purposes of our hearts that are never carried out4 ,whether it be circumstances or surroundings that hinder us1 whether it be a lack of wisdom or of ability1 whether it be the pressure of other duties1 or even if ,god gives the task to some one else1 there is1 nevertheless1 beauty and fragrance in the desire that is in our heart to do him service4 ,we must not become discouraged and give up hoping and desiring and planning to do something for the ,lord1 even though so many of our plans fail and our hopes become blighted4 ,we know that it is the sap flowing upward through the tree that produces the beautiful fragrant blossoms4 ,likewise ,god knows that it is the love in our hearts that produces the desire for service2 and that love is precious in his sight4 ,do you sometimes feel that there is so little1 oh1 so little6 that you can do for the ,lord8 ,does your life seem to count so little for his kingdom8 and do you long to be more useful8 ,that very longing is as the odor of sweet incense before the ,lord4 ,if you are prevented from doing the things that you would gladly do1 if circumstances shut you in like a hedge1 if you seem weak when you would be strong1 you can still do something4 ,the more of those blossoms of desire you have1 even if they never reach fruition1 the more your life is beautified1 and the more the ,lord is pleased4 ,these unfulfilled desires work to ennoble our character and to enrich us1 provided we do not spend our time mourning and lamenting because we can not put them into action4 ,there is1 however1 one danger which we must be careful to shun4 ,sometimes people have their hearts so set on doing some great thing that they miss the little things1 the little opportunities that lie close to their hands4 ,life is made up of a round of little things4 ,the great things only happen at rare intervals4 ,but it is being faithful in the little things that makes us ready for our opportunities for the great things when they come4 ,christ said 8,he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much40 ,the little things are not spectacular1 they do not attract much attention1 but they are the things that make up life2 and if we are true in these little things1 ,god will trust us with some greater things by and by4 ,it is not wrong to yearn to do more2 but that longing works evil if1 in our reaching forward to greater opportunities1 we neglect what opportunities we have4 ,it is the fruits we are able to produce1 not their blossoms1 that count at the harvest4 ,let us1 therefore1 strive to do all that we can2 and if we can not do all that we would1 let us remember that the blossoms that are blasted are not in vain4 ,they serve their purpose4 ,they are well worth while2 and if we go resolutely and stedfastly on1 we shall at last hear the ,master's voice say to us1 8,it is good that it was in thine heart40 ,how sweet these words will sound in our ears6 ,how they will soothe our feelings of disappointment at not having done more6 ,let us press on1 therefore1 and not be discouraged because we do not see our hopes and plans realized in this world4 ,let us be strong and of good courage1 knowing that ,god knows all about it4 ,let us thank him for such privileges as we have1 and make the best of our opportunities4 ,,talk ,,six4 ,,meeting ,,the ,,lions ,the ,bible recounts some interesting stories of lions4 ,they are interesting1 not simply because they are stories of animals1 but because there are things in connection with them from which we may draw some very striking lessons4 ,we all remember the story of ,daniel--how he was cast into the den of lions1 and how during the long watches of the night he sat there in their den unharmed4 ,what was expected to be the tragedy of his life proved to be his most glorious victory4 ,the expected triumph of his enemies was turned into their utter defeat1 and ,daniel1 stronger and more courageous than ever1 came forth to continue his service to ,god4 ,samson too had an experience with a lion4 ,as he was going along the road one day he met a lion1 and it attacked him4 ,he had no weapons1 yet he met it courageously4 ,we are told that 8the ,spirit of the ,lord came mightily upon him1 and he rent him as he would have rent a kid40 ,some time later he was passing that way and found that a swarm of bees had entered the dried carcass of the lion and made their abode there1 and he took of the honey and went on his way4 ,in the thirteenth chapter of #a ,kings we find another lion story4 ,here a prophet sent of ,god went to ,samaria and prophesied as ,god had commanded him1 and according to the commandment he started back on his way to ,judea4 ,god had told him not to eat or drink there1 but to go back immediately by a different way from that by which he came4 ,he started to obey1 but sat down to rest by the wayside4 ,while he was here1 another prophet came and persuaded him to go back and dine with him4 ,then1 as he went upon his way1 a lion met him and slew him4 ,the lions of these stories may be likened to our trials4 ,we meet trials every now and then in life1 and some of them seem very much like lions4 ,they seem very threatening and very dangerous4 ,sometimes we try to run away from a trial1 but as surely as we do1 we meet another in the pathway in which we go4 ,we are certain to have trials4 ,the important thing is that we meet them properly4 ,some people imagine that if they live as they should they ought not to have trials4 ,but trials often come when it is no fault of ours4 ,daniel was not thrown into the lions' den because he had not lived right or because he had been unfaithful in something4 ,no2 it was his faithfulness that resulted in his meeting the lions4 ,it will be that way in our lives4 ,if we are true and loyal to ,god1 that very loyalty is sure to bring us trials sometimes4 ,daniel had his choice in the matter4 ,he could have been disloyal and escaped the lions1 but he chose rather to be loyal and take the full consequences1 whatever they might be4 ,god wants you and me to dare to be ,daniels too4 ,he does not want us to swerve an inch from the truth in order to evade any sort of trial4 ,if we are true1 and as a result of that trueness a great trial like being thrown into a den of lions comes upon us1 and every earthly hope seems shut off1 and there is no help from anywhere1 what shall we do8 ,despair8 ,ah1 no4 ,god will send his angel and shut the lion's mouth for us1 just as he did for ,daniel4 ,dare to be true4 ,god will stand by you even in the most trying and desperate hour4 ,it was not a test of his standing true that brought ,samson face to face with the lion4 ,he met the beast just by accident4 ,he got into the trouble unwittingly4 ,he had no expectation of it whatever1 but the first thing he knew1 he was face to face with it4 ,that is just the way it happens with us sometimes3 we get into a trial without any seeming reason for it2 we are not expecting anything of the kind4 ,if the prophet in ,samaria had gone in the way that ,god commanded him1 he would not have met the lion that slew him4 ,it was his disobedience that caused the trouble4 ,sometimes when we are in trials1 we realize that it is our own fault that we are tried4 ,sometimes we may be disobedient1 sometimes we may be careless1 sometimes it may be this or that2 but whatever it is1 we realize that it is our own fault4 ,that makes the trial harder to bear4 ,but however trials come1 whatever is their cause1 we must meet them4 ,we have no choice in the matter4 ,the important thing is to meet them right4 ,daniel knew that he had done right and pleased ,god2 and1 furthermore1 he met his trial with a calm peace and full assurance that ,god would take care of him1 and ,god did take care of him1 and he came through the trial4 ,he was peaceful through the trial and triumphant after it1 because ,god was his helper4 ,some one has said that our trials make or mar us4 ,this is true4 ,either we come out of them stronger than we went in or we come out of them weaker4 ,we have either joy or sorrow from them4 ,we should meet our trials as ,samson met the lion4 ,face them boldly4 ,do not run or shrink4 ,if you seem to have no adequate weapon to use against them1 trust in ,god and meet them boldly anyway4 ,that is the way ,samson did1 and do you remember what happened8 ,why1 after a while he got honey out of the carcass4 ,do you want honey out of your trials8 ,you would rather have that than bitterness4 ,well1 you may have the honey if you will face the trial and overcome it4 ,conquer in the name of ,christ4 ,do not whimper or whine2 do not lament or murmur2 do not fear or tremble4 ,face your trials boldly1 and the ,spirit of the ,lord will come mightily upon you as it did upon ,samson1 and you will conquer4 ,and then1 ah1 it is then that the sweetness will come3 after you have mastered the trial1 in the days that follow1 sweetness will come1 and you will bless ,god that he ever permitted you to be so severely tried4 ,conflict must always precede victory4 ,the lion must be killed before the bees can build the honeycomb in the carcass4 ,so face your trials boldly and kill them4 ,then you may taste the sweets of victory4 ,this is the only way1 and you are not too weak to take this way4 ,god has promised that he will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able to bear4 ,if you will believe it and do your part1 ,god will do his1 and you will triumph4 ,,talk ,,seven4 ,,egg-,,shell ,,christians ,you have sometimes heard it said of people that 8they have to be handled like eggs02 eggs must be handled carefully1 or you are likely to break them4 ,some people are super-sensitive3 you have to be very careful what you do or say1 or they will be hurt or offended2 you can never be sure how they are going to take anything4 ,such people are much of the time suffering from wounded feelings1 are displeased and offended4 ,it is true that some are of a highly nervous temperament and naturally feel things more keenly than others1 but it is not this natural nervous sensitiveness that leads to the results above mentioned1 it is a morbid and unnatural state into which people allow themselves to enter4 ,the natural feelings may need restraint and careful cultivation1 but these morbid feelings need to be got rid of4 ,sometimes people can bear to hear others ridiculed or talked about in a gossiping way1 or see them slighted1 and think nothing of it or even be amused2 but when they themselves become the target for such things1 it almost kills them1 or at least they feel almost killed4 ,what makes this great difference in their feelings8 ,why do they feel for themselves so much more than they do for others8 ,trace the feeling back to its origin1 and you will find that their self-love is the thing that has been hurt4 ,if they loved others as they love themselves1 they would feel just as much hurt by that which was directed against the other as by that which was directed at themselves4 ,it is self-love that makes people easily offended and easily wounded2 and the more self-love they have1 the easier they are hurt and the quicker their resentment is aroused4 ,self-love begets vanity2 it quivers in keenest anguish at a sneer or a scornful smile2 it is distressed by even a fancied slight4 ,self-love throws the nerves of sensation all out to the surface and makes them hyper-sensitive1 and so the person feels everything keenly4 ,he is constantly smarting under a sense of injustice4 ,he feels he is constantly being mistreated4 ,oh1 this self-love6 ,how many pains it brings6 how many slights it sees6 how often it is offended6 ,reader1 are you a victim of self-love8 ,if you are so sensitive1 always being wounded and offended1 self-love is what is the trouble4 ,if you will get rid of this self-love1 you will be rid of that morbid sensitiveness2 that is1 you will get rid of that morbid sensitiveness that makes people have to be so careful with you4 ,self-love makes a person wonder what others are thinking and saying about him4 ,it makes him suspicious of others1 suspicious that they are saying or thinking things that would hurt his feelings if known4 ,if two others talk in his presence and he can not hear what is said1 he is afraid lest the talk is about him or he is hurt because he is not taken into the confidence of the others4 ,if others are invited to take part in something while he is omitted1 he feels slighted and hurt1 and can hardly get over it4 ,i have often heard people make remarks like this3 8,we shall have to invite ,so-and-so1 or he will feel hurt40 ,self-love is a tender plant2 it is easily injured4 ,we may make all sorts of excuses for such sensitiveness2 but if we will clear away these excuses and dig down to the root of the trouble1 we shall find that ,god has it labeled 8self-love40 ,another thing that increases sensitiveness is holding a wrong mental attitude toward others4 ,this attitude manifests itself in a lack of confidence in the good intent of others4 ,if we are looking for and expecting slights1 ridicule1 and like things1 it means we take it for granted that others are holding a wrong attitude toward us4 ,we do not really believe that they love us and have kindly feelings toward us1 or that they will be just and kind and sympathetic in their actions that affect us or relate to us4 ,have you not seen children who1 when one would hurt another and say1 8,oh1 ,i did not mean to do it60 the other would retort1 8,yes1 you did2 you just did it on purpose08 ,there are many older persons who are always ready to say1 8,it was just done on purpose2 they just meant to hurt my feelings60 ,this is childish1 but alas1 how many professed ,christians hold such an attitude6 ,this is a sure way to destroy fellowship and to take the sweetness out of the association with ,god's people4 ,it is unjust to our brethren4 ,it is the foe of unity and spirituality4 ,were it not for self-love1 we would not think of attributing to others an attitude different from that which we feel that we ourselves hold toward them4 ,this self-love crops out in all our relations4 ,it constantly exalts us and as constantly depreciates our brethren4 ,god's saints are animated with a spirit of kindness and brotherly affection for each other1 and this does not manifest itself in wounds and slights1 and if we are looking for such manifestations it is because we do not believe that they have ,christlike feelings toward us4 ,god wants us to have more confidence in our brethren than to be looking for them to misuse us4 ,if we are looking for slights1 we shall see plenty of them--even where none exist4 ,if we are expecting wounds1 we shall receive them even when no one intends to wound us4 ,self-love has a great imagination4 ,it can see a great many evils where none exist4 ,it is like a petulant and spoiled child4 ,i remember one child of whom it was said1 8,if you just crook your finger at him1 he will cry40 ,thinking that this was an exaggeration1 ,i tried it1 and the boy cried4 ,there are some people six feet tall who are hurt just that easily4 ,they are truly 8lovers of their own selves40 ,paul said1 8,when ,i became a man1 ,i put away childish things40 ,it is high time others were doing the same thing4 ,suppose ,christ had been as sensitive as you are1 would he have saved the world8 ,if ,paul had been like you1 would he have endured the persecution and dangers and tribulations and misrepresentations that he bore to carry the gospel to the world8 ,he was not so sensitive4 ,he was not looking for slights4 ,he was a real1 full-sized man for ,god4 ,the secret is that he loved ,christ and others more than he loved himself2 therefore he could endure all things for his brethren's sake1 that they might be saved4 ,the cure for self-love and the sensitiveness that comes from it is to turn your eyes away from self to ,jesus ,christ1 and look upon him until you see how little and insignificant you and your interests really are4 ,look upon him until you see how high above all such narrow pettishness he was1 until you see that his great heart was so overrunning with love for others that he had no time to think of himself4 ,then ask him to revolutionize you and fill your heart with that same love till your eyes and your thoughts and your interests are no longer centered upon yourself1 and self no longer fills your horizon1 but your heart goes out to others till it quite draws you away from yourself4 ,you will find this the cure for your sensitiveness2 and when you are thus cured1 you will no longer be an egg-shell ,christian1 and people will no longer have to be afraid of wounding or offending you4 ,,talk ,,eight4 ,,two ,,ways ,,of ,,seeing ,the appearance that things have to us depends1 to a great extent1 upon the way that we look at them4 ,sometimes our mental attitude toward them is largely responsible for their appearance4 ,often two or more persons look at the same thing1 and each one sees something quite different from what the others see4 ,persons who see the same thing will often have very different stories to tell about it afterwards1 and will be very differently affected by what they see4 ,this is not because their eyes differ so much1 but because their mental attitude affects the interpretation of what they see4 ,a notable example of this is seen in the twelve spies sent by ,moses to spy out the land of ,canaan4 ,the ,israelites had crossed the ,red ,sea4 ,their enemies had been destroyed behind them4 ,they had come at ,god's command almost to the borders of the ,promised ,land4 ,here the people camped while the spies went to see the country4 ,they passed through it and viewed the land and the people1 and presently came back with their report4 ,it was a wonderful land1 they agreed1 a land flowing with milk and honey4 ,the samples of the fruit they brought back were large and fine specimens4 ,of course1 the people were at once very eager to possess such a land1 but the question came up1 ,are we able to do so8 ,what kind of people are they over there8 ,are they good fighters8 ,are they courageous8 ,do they have strongly fortified cities8 ,as soon as this question was broached1 there was a difference of opinion4 ,caleb said1 8,let us go up at once1 and possess it2 for we are well able to overcome it0 7,num4 #ac3 #cj74 ,the others1 however1 did not agree with him1 except ,joshua4 ,they said1 8,we be not able to go up against the people2 for they are stronger than we 444 and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature4 ,and there we saw the giants1 the sons of ,anak1 which come of the giants3 and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers1 and so we were in their sight0 7vs4 #ca-cc74 ,now1 what made the difference in their views8 ,they all saw the same things2 they all saw the same people2 but when it came to telling of them1 they told very different stories4 ,the difference must have lain in the men themselves4 ,when the ten saw those sons of ,anak1 they felt that they were as grasshoppers in comparison with such giants4 8,why1 we amount to nothing at all10 the ten spies thought4 8,those great big fellows could walk right over us40 ,and when they recalled their sensations1 the land did not seem so fine1 either1 and they said1 8,it is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof40 ,they did not stop to consider that their own words condemned them4 ,how could a land be such a bad land and yet the people who lived in it be so strong and so great8 ,joshua and ,caleb1 however1 were not to be frightened by the stories that the others told4 ,so they said1 8,the land1 which we passed through to search it1 is an exceeding good land0 7chap4 #ad3 #g74 ,they also held fast their confidence in the ability of ,israel to gain the land saying1 8,if the ,lord delight in us1 then he will bring us into this land1 and give it us2 a land which floweth with milk and honey4 ,only rebel not ye against the ,lord1 neither fear ye the people of the land2 for they are bread for us3 their defense is departed from them1 and the ,lord is with us2 fear them not0 7vs4 #h1 #i74 ,now1 all these men were probably honest4 ,they probably described things just as these appeared to them4 ,what was the difference8 ,the difference was not in their eyes1 but in that which was back of their eyes4 ,when the ten went through the land and saw the giants1 they forgot all about ,god4 ,it was themselves against the giants1 with ,god left out2 and when we leave ,god out1 things look very different4 ,how big those giants looked6 8,we poor grasshoppers had better be getting out of here quickly4 ,we do not stand any show at all10 they thought4 8,how could ,israel fight with such fellows1 anyway80 ,the ten were full of doubts1 and they looked through their doubts1 and their doubts magnified the ,anakim4 ,but ,caleb and ,joshua had no doubts4 ,they had faith in ,god--faith that did not waver4 ,they remembered the ,red ,sea4 ,they remembered the manna from heaven4 ,they remembered the other things that ,god had done4 ,they looked at the situation through their faith2 and instead of feeling as if they were grasshoppers1 they felt themselves more than a match for the giants4 ,the two were not at all frightened4 8,why10 they said1 in effect1 when they came back1 8they will be only bread for us4 ,we shall just eat them up4 ,they have heard what ,god has done among us1 and they are too scared to fight4 ,their defense is departed from them40 ,then these men of faith began talking about the other side4 8,the ,lord is with us2 fear them not4 ,what do those fellows amount to1 since ,god is not with them8 ,what do their fortresses amount to8 ,let us go up at once10 said they4 8,why1 we can whip them with ease40 ,but the people listened to both sides1 and their ears heard2 but instead of listening through their faith to ,joshua and ,caleb1 they listened through their doubts to the ten and believed them and became very much frightened2 and in consequence they went to murmuring and complaining because ,moses had brought them out there to face such a situation4 ,the result was that they were turned back1 defeated by their enemies1 and had to wander forty years in the wilderness until all the old ones perished4 ,now1 that is just the difference between faith and doubts4 ,looking back from the present time1 we can easily believe that ,god would have conquered the land before them4 ,yes1 we can believe that4 ,we can see how foolish it was for them to turn back and to be afraid and to murmur4 ,that all looks very plain to us now4 ,we say1 8,how foolish and how full of unbelief they were60 ,but the question is1 ,are we doing any better than they did8 ,when we look at the obstacles in our way1 when we look at the troubles that seem to be coming1 when we look at the things that are before us1 do we look through faith1 like ,caleb and ,joshua1 or do we look through doubts1 like the ten8 ,do your trials and difficulties make you feel like a grasshopper8 ,does it seem that you would surely be overwhelmed8 ,does it look as though you could never get through1 that you might as well give up8 ,if so1 you are looking at things through your doubts just as the ten did4 ,the people who win1 the people who are victorious are those who look at things through their faith4 ,they do not compare their troubles and trials and difficulties with themselves2 they compare these with ,god4 ,they behold ,god's greatness4 ,they behold the things that he has done in the past4 ,they see how he has helped others4 ,they see that they have been helped in the past1 that ,god has stood right by them and helped them through4 ,they get their faith and their eyes working together1 and then they can see a way out of their difficulties1 just as ,caleb did4 8,they shall be bread for us10 faith says4 8,no use to be afraid4 ,giants don't count4 ,what is a giant beside ,god80 ,doubts say1 8,oh1 what shall we do80 ,faith takes a new grip on its sword and says1 8,come on2 let's go and conquer them40 ,your eyes are all right2 they will see things all right1 but the question is1 ,what is behind your eyes--doubts1 or faith8 ,that is the thing that really counts4 ,doubts will magnify your troubles1 will make them look very great4 ,doubts will make your power look very small4 ,they will make your ability to fight look as nothing4 ,they will make you feel like running or surrendering4 ,faith will not work that way4 ,it will fill you with courage2 it will put the song of victory in your heart4 ,get faith behind your eyes4 ,look out by faith4 ,remember that ,god will fight your battles4 ,be strong and of a good courage1 and you will overcome your foes4 ,but doubts will spoil things for you4 ,doubts will take away what courage you have4 ,doubts will ruin you if you let them4 ,so get rid of your doubts4 ,look to ,god1 believe in him1 trust in him1 and the victory will be yours4 ,take your stand with ,caleb and ,joshua4 ,do you remember what became of the spies8 ,the ten doubters died in the wilderness1 and their bodies were left there2 but the two who had faith went on into the ,promised ,land and died full of years and of honors4 ,,talk ,,nine4 ,,the ,,living ,,bible ,the ,bible is a living book4 ,what it is to us depends on what we are to it4 ,if we approach it with unbelief and sneers1 it shudders like a wounded thing and closes up its heart1 and we gaze only on a cold and gross exterior4 ,we behold the form of its words1 but discern not the treasures hidden in them4 ,it appears cold and lifeless and repellent1 and we go away depressed and unbelieving4 ,if we approach it reverently1 trustfully1 and confidently1 it opens up to us its hidden depths4 ,it shows to us its wonders4 ,we may see in it unequaled beauties1 unfading glories1 magnificent vistas of thought2 we may hear its voice of love1 tender beyond words2 we may feel the warmth of its affection1 be uplifted by its hopefulness1 and thrilled with the tones of its joy-bells4 ,if we open to it our heart's door and pour out our treasures of affection1 it in turn opens to us a great storehouse1 and we may eat and be satisfied1 and drink and thirst not4 ,we may revel in its rich perfume1 the rhythmic cadences of its music1 the splendor of its heavenly light1 and to us there is no question whether it is the living truth4 ,the ,bible is to the ,christian what the forest is to him who delights in nature4 ,he who walks through the forest laughing1 talking1 and singing1 hears not the sweet notes of the songster nor sees the wild things4 ,he who would see and hear the things that delight the nature-lover must steal softly and silently along1 watching his footsteps1 hiding in the shadows1 and thus he may see nature as she is4 ,likewise he who comes to the ,bible full of self-importance with mind and heart self-centered sees not the natural beauty of the ,bible4 ,we must come to it effacing self1 seeking not our own but the things of ,christ1 and we shall find it a mine of spiritual gold1 a fountain of living water1 a balm for every sorrow1 a light in every dark hour--the one and only book that meets and satisfies the needs of the human soul4 ,,talk ,,ten4 ,,heeding ,,intuitional ,,warnings ,there are things which we know and feel but which do not result from our own study4 ,we have a consciousness that there is some supreme power over us1 and we are conscious of a certain responsibility to1 and a dependence upon1 this higher power4 ,reading the ,bible and reasoning may give us clearer ideas of this power and our relations to it1 but we have the consciousness of its existence without being taught4 ,this is never more clearly seen than in the case of the man who denies the existence of a personal ,god4 ,as surely as he rejects the ,god of the ,bible1 he sets up something else in ,his place1 and though he may call it by some other name than ,god1 he will1 nevertheless1 attribute to it the powers and actions that belong to ,god4 ,these intuitions by which we know without being conscious of how we know are given us by ,god for our protection and safety1 and we ought to give careful heed to their testimony4 ,sometimes our reason sees no harm in a thing1 but we do not feel just right about it4 ,a doctrine may look ever so plausible and be ever so interesting2 but if we feel an inward uneasiness after consideration of it1 there is a reason why we should be careful4 ,our intuition will often detect something wrong when our reason has not yet done so4 ,these intuitions are not to be disregarded4 ,they are ,god's means of warning us against unseen dangers4 ,sometimes when we come in contact with people1 we see nothing outwardly wrong1 but we have an inward feeling that all is not well4 ,we feel that there is something wrong somewhere1 even though we may be at a loss to know what it is4 ,sometimes we come in contact with a company of people and at once feel a strange something that we can not analyze2 but we can not always trust our feelings4 ,there are many things that influence us1 and it is very easy to misinterpret them4 ,nor should we conclude that there is something very badly wrong with anyone merely because we have peculiar feelings when in his presence4 ,there may be something wrong1 however1 and it behooves us to be on our guard4 ,sometimes it happens that such feelings arise when we are in the presence of people who are deeply tried1 or discouraged1 or suffering under the assaults of ,satan4 ,there are many evil spirits at work in these days among professors of religion1 and especially is this true among the various holiness factions4 ,have you ever gone into a meeting and felt that some way you did not 8fit0 there8 ,the worshipers may have seemed joyful and may have said many good things1 but all the while you felt an inward uneasiness4 ,there was some reason for this1 and whether the reason was spiritual or merely human1 it was wise to exercise carefulness4 ,it is usually best to refrain from trying to make yourself blend with anything when you have that internal sense of protest against it4 ,fellowship is natural and spontaneous4 ,it can not be forced4 ,if you are straight and true and your heart is open and unprejudiced1 you will usually have fellowship with whatever is of ,god4 ,most sectarian holiness people are so broad that they can take in almost anything and call it good4 ,beware of this spirit4 ,god's ,spirit accepts only the good4 ,if you have ease and freedom with true1 established1 spiritual people of ,god1 and are free in meetings where the whole truth is preached and the ,spirit of ,god works freely1 and then when you come in contact with other professors you fail to have that freedom1 do not accuse yourself nor try to force yourself to have fellowship with them4 ,a preacher once came into a certain community and began to preach4 ,he was quite enthusiastic2 he praised the ,lord and shouted4 ,he preached much truth and professed to be out clean for ,god4 ,it was afterwards discovered that he was very crooked and wholly unworthy of confidence4 ,i asked a number of the congregation later how it came that they received him4 ,their answer was that1 as he came recommended by some good brethren and preached so much truth1 when they did not feel right about him they came to the conclusion that they must be wrong and he right4 ,so they accused themselves and went on through the meeting suffering under a heavy burden4 ,they knew they had no such feelings when other ministers came into their midst1 nor did they feel that way in their own ordinary meetings4 ,but in spite of this1 they took the wrong course1 and the result was that the congregation received much harm both spiritually and financially4 ,the same thing happened with this preacher in other places1 till at length he came to a place where some refused to ignore their feelings or to accuse themselves of being in the wrong4 ,instead1 they sent at once for two well-established ministers1 and as soon as they came into the community1 the crooked preacher fled and was seen no more in those parts4 ,sometimes some one will come around making a high profession1 and while we can see nothing wrong1 we do not feel free with him1 or1 in other words1 we have a sense of uneasiness4 ,we feel at home with other saints1 but not so with this person4 ,beware4 ,if you are in fellowship with those whom you know to be true saints1 look out for those with whom you do not have inward harmony4 ,do not blame yourself nor disregard the warning4 ,isolated ,christians naturally become hungry for spiritual association4 ,sometimes they go to meetings where1 while they find some good things1 they also see other things and feel things that grate upon their spiritual sense of propriety4 ,in such cases one should be guarded and should not try to 8fit0 with these things4 ,to blend with them you must become like them2 and if you become like them when they are not right1 you will find that when you come into an assembly where the truth and ,spirit have freedom1 you will not blend there4 ,if you ignore those inner warnings and accept something contrary to them1 you will soon find yourself out of harmony with ,god's church and without the liberty you used to have among the children of ,god4 ,do not follow your intuitions blindly1 but do not go contrary to them4 ,let your reason find out the way of action before you act1 so that you may act wisely4 ,but when that inward sense says to us1 8,stop1 look1 listen10 we shall do well to heed its warning4 ,,talk ,,eleven4 ,,doing ,,something ,,worth ,,while ,we all like to feel that what we are doing counts for something1 that it is really worth while4 ,we like to see practical results4 ,we know that much labor is lost in the world1 and we do not want ours to be lost4 ,the ordinary things of life seem to amount to so little4 ,they are not spectacular2 no one pays very much attention to them2 and we naturally feel that when we do something1 we want it to be something that people can see and that they will think is worth while1 and something that we ourselves can feel is worth while4 ,some think3 8,if ,i could just preach1 ,i shouldn't mind working for the ,lord4 ,but1 oh6 ,i can do so little--nothing worth while at all1 nothing worth the effort4 ,what can my feeble efforts accomplish1 anyway80 ,others think that if they could go to a foreign land and work among the heathen1 draw people to ,christ there1 send back home great reports of what they have accomplished1 have their names published in the paper1 and have people talking about them1 then that would be worth while4 ,but since they are only ordinary people and can do only ordinary things1 it seems to them that it hardly pays to try4 ,they will just follow the line of least resistance and do things the easiest way4 ,of course they want to do what they can for ,god1 but they want to do something really worth while4 ,and now1 reader1 what is really worth while in life8 ,is it only those things that make a great show8 is it only those things that the world counts great8 ,a sister said to me recently in a letter1 8,i used to think that ,i could do nothing worth while1 but ,i have found that just simply living salvation before people is a great work40 ,now1 that sister has learned a wonderful lesson4 ,she has found a truth so great that most people do not recognize it as truth when they do find it4 ,it is one of those truths that have the peculiarity of seeming small and insignificant though they are the very fundamentals of truth4 ,just simply living salvation before people--yes1 that is what counts1 and it counts more than anything else4 ,that is one of the very greatest things that an individual has ever done in this world4 ,talk is cheap1 and many people can talk all day and say scarcely anything either4 ,some people can sway great crowds by their eloquence1 they can accomplish wonderful things1 but still they can not live salvation1 or1 at least1 they do not4 ,there is no power so great in this world as the simple power of a holy1 quiet life4 ,the sister mentioned can never hope to do great things as other people might count them4 ,she is in frail health2 she is isolated from other saints and can not attend meetings as can many others2 she has not the ability to preach or to do anything very great1 as greatness is usually reckoned2 but she has learned the great fact that she is not shut out from doing a grand work4 ,if all ,god's people could learn this lesson--if they could learn that it really counts just simply to live right1 just simply to be an ordinary every-day ,christian2 if they could once get that thoroughly fixed in their minds and hearts--it would glorify their lives1 it would exalt the common service1 it would shed a halo over their lives1 and they would not feel discouraged4 ,when ,moses was at ,pharaoh's court1 ,i suppose he thought that he was doing something really worth while4 ,he amounted to something there4 ,but when the ,lord let him be driven1 or rather frightened1 away from that court and he went out into the wilderness1 ,i suppose he thought his occupation there was hardly worth while4 ,why1 what was he doing1 anyway8 ,just taking care of the sheep1 leading them out in the morning to the pasture1 bringing them back to the fold at night1 seven days in the week--just doing this and nothing more4 ,i suppose it did not look very big to ,moses1 but it did to ,god4 ,god thought it worth so much that he kept him at that work for forty years4 ,then ,moses1 at the age of eighty1 when it looked as if he were about done with this world1 was called to go to do something for the ,lord4 ,that forty years in the wilderness counted now4 ,it had given him experience that helped to qualify him for the work to which ,god had called him4 ,he came out of there worth while because he had done something worth while in those years4 ,he had learned about ,god--oh1 so many things he had learned6 and now he was ready to put that knowledge into practise4 ,sometimes we have wilderness periods in our lives1 when ,god lets us be shut up in a corner1 as it were1 and do the little things that do not seem to count4 ,but they count on us if they do not count anywhere else4 ,there is one thing--and just one--that stands out above all other things in the human life1 and that is faithfulness4 ,no matter what our life may be1 nor where we may be1 nor what is our situation1 if we are just faithful it is sure to count1 and to count a great deal4 ,that is one thing that you can do3 you can be faithful to the ,lord4 ,you can do what he wants you to do4 ,you can live pure1 holy1 undefiled1 and keep shining every day1 no matter what the circumstances may be4 ,just remember to keep shining4 ,that is the thing that counts4 ,keep living clean and as ,god wants you to live4 ,if you do this1 he will know where he can find somebody who is faithful when he wants something else done4 ,but ever keep this before you3 there is no greater nor more necessary work in the world than putting the truth of ,god into visible form in a pure and quiet life4 ,,talk ,,twelve4 ,,home-,,made ,,clouds ,louise stood looking out of the window with unseeing eyes4 ,there was a troubled expression upon her face4 ,there were tears in her eyes1 and a lump in her throat4 ,what was the trouble8 ,an hour before she had been singing as blithely as a song-bird4 ,her morning devotions had been sweet4 ,the presence of ,god had been with her4 ,the day had started out full of sunshine1 but alas6 now her sky was clouded4 ,it had all happened in a moment4 ,her younger brother had been playing with his dog and had carelessly run against the stand upon which her flower-pots were sitting and had upset one of the choice plants1 breaking the pot and ruining the flower4 ,louise saw the happening4 ,how careless it was of the boy6 ,quickly a feeling of impatience arose1 and before she realized what she was doing1 she had spoken sharply to her brother and had said hasty words that she immediately regretted4 ,her conscience quickly reproved her4 ,she felt bad over the loss of the flower1 but she felt much worse over her hasty words4 ,a dark1 heavy cloud settled down upon her4 ,the sunshine was all gone2 there was no longer any song in her heart1 but heaviness instead4 ,standing there by the window1 she now meditated over it4 ,oh1 if she had been more tender6 ,if she had only exercised more self-control6 ,if she had kept back those hasty words6 ,it was quite true that ,tom had been very careless4 ,still1 she knew that he too loved the flowers4 ,he did not mean to destroy one4 ,louise loved ,tom1 and because of this she felt all the more deeply what she had done4 ,he was gone now1 she knew not where4 ,she would be glad to apologize to him and beg his pardon if he were there4 ,she decided that she would tell him as soon as he returned1 and that gave her some satisfaction1 but it did not take away the cloud4 ,she thought of how bright the morning and how light and care-free her heart had been6 ,but now her day was clouded1 and worst of all1 she had made the cloud herself1 by her own haste4 ,that is often the way it is with us4 ,we make so many of our own clouds in life4 ,clouds often come over our lives from the actions of others2 sometimes they come through circumstances that can not be helped2 sometimes they come from ,satan himself4 ,such clouds as these do not have the effect upon us that our home-made clouds do4 ,the things that are hardest to bear are the things that we feel we have brought upon ourselves4 ,these get closer to us than anything else4 ,they have a sting to them that nothing else has4 ,many times people do things that try us2 but if we also do or say something hastily at that time1 it will increase our trial and make it the more difficult to bear4 ,it will make the clouds that come all the darker4 ,if we have not been as kind as we ought to have been1 if there has been a sharpness in our words1 or if we have manifested our displeasure at something in a way that showed our feelings too much1 it is sure to bring a cloud over our day4 ,the more tender our consciences1 the more we shall feel these things and the more the tendency will be to cloud our days4 ,it is true that we shall feel displeased over things1 and it is very natural to manifest our displeasure in some way4 ,some people are very impulsive and speak before they stop to think what they are saying or what the result will be1 and thus they are continually making clouds for themselves4 ,there are times when we must resolutely take hold of ourselves when the feeling of displeasure comes1 as it is sure to do4 ,the will must grapple with these emotions quickly and not let them get into action4 ,our wills were given us to rule ourselves with4 ,when tempted to be unkind or to be hasty in our words and actions1 we should say within ourselves3 8,i will not speak hasty words4 ,i will control myself and keep sweet4 ,i will be patient2 ,i will be kind4 ,i will do as the ,lord would have me to do40 ,then we should put these resolutions quickly into action4 ,instead of the trial bringing a cloud over us1 the fact that we have conquered ourselves and kept ourselves in the attitude that we should hold toward ,god and toward others will make the sunshine all the brighter4 ,conquer yourself2 set a watch before your lips4 ,if you are of an impulsive disposition1 you may fail again and again1 but do not be discouraged1 keep up the fight4 ,you will win in the end4 ,you will reach at last the place where self-control acts automatically1 where you will think in time4 ,if you fail and the clouds come1 endure them patiently1 resolving to do better the next time4 ,do not let yourself be crushed under the circumstance4 ,do not let yourself be so discouraged that you think that there is no use in trying1 that you never will overcome4 ,keep up the fight2 you will yet come out conqueror4 ,sometimes people feel that ,god is leading them to do a certain thing2 they feel strongly impressed to do it4 ,they see an opportunity2 then1 perhaps through timidity or indecision1 they let the opportunity pass by1 and when it is gone they feel bad because they failed to improve it4 ,how they regret not having done it6 ,if they had another opportunity1 they would not let it slip4 ,but it has gone4 ,in vain do they wish for it again4 ,they have failed1 and that failure brings a dark cloud over them4 ,it is another home-made cloud4 ,they can not blame anyone else for it--not even ,satan4 ,but they do blame themselves1 and sometimes to such an extent that it takes the joy and sweetness out of the day1 and possibly out of several days4 ,if we have done such things1 it does no good to heap reproaches upon ourselves4 ,that only makes our clouds darker4 ,the way out is to open our hearts to ,god and tell him all about it1 asking him to help us to be more courageous1 more diligent to take advantage of our opportunities1 and more faithful to follow his leadings4 ,let us resolve in our hearts that we will do this1 then go cheerfully about it4 ,frivolous or foolish conversation or actions sometimes bring clouds over our sky4 ,the ,spirit reproves us and we see our fault4 ,to chide and condemn ourselves does no good4 ,the only profitable thing for us to do at such times is to be open-hearted and frank toward the ,lord and tell him about it1 to ask his help that we may do better the next time1 and to determine in our hearts that we will do better4 ,i do not mean that we should get into bondage4 ,god wants us to be free1 to live naturally1 and not to live under a strain1 but to exercise a proper degree of caution4 ,i suppose we all have regrets and come more or less short of our ideals at times4 ,but if we are as careful and as true as we ought to be1 we shall not have so many of these home-made clouds2 but if we do have them1 let us bear up patiently4 ,it will do no good to chastise ourselves4 ,the only thing we can do that will be profitable is to trust in the ,lord1 and go ahead until the darkness passes away and the sun shines again4 ,let us be true to ,god and hold fast our confidence and our decision to serve him and be ready to confess our faults before him4 ,he will treat our faults as faults1 not as sins4 ,he will not cut us off for such things4 ,he will have mercy upon us and will show his loving-kindness toward us4 ,let us therefore trust in him and make as few of these home-made clouds as possible4 ,,talk ,,thirteen4 ,,it ,,pleased ,,the ,,lord ,,to ,,bruise ,,him ,it is a mystery in the minds of many why ,christian people often have to suffer4 ,with all the promises of physical healing1 they still are many times in pain1 notwithstanding ,god's faithfulness and his omnipresence4 ,they also suffer temptations1 persecutions1 and soul-conflicts4 ,how can we explain these things8 ,how can we harmonize these with the teachings of a loving ,god8 ,when we read ,paul's experience1 we find it largely a record of privation and suffering1 of sorrow and heaviness4 ,it is true that in it all there is a note of joy and an unquenchable shout of victory1 but nevertheless soul1 mind1 and body often had to endure the lash of pain4 ,did ,god love him8 ,why1 then1 must such things be8 ,god loved ,christ with a perfect love1 but we read that 8although he had done no violence1 neither was any deceit in his mouth1 yet it pleased ,jehovah to bruise him2 he hath put him to grief0 7,isa4 #ec3 #i1 #aj1 ,a4,s4,v474 ,what strange language6 ,he had done no evil1 he was guilty of nothing1 and yet 8it pleased the ,lord to bruise him40 ,is it true that love is tender1 the tenderest of all things1 and yet can bruise and find pleasure in it8 ,but this is just what happened4 ,jesus1 the innocent ,lamb of ,god1 was 8smitten1 stricken of ,god40 ,when we remember ,gethsemane1 the crown of thorns1 the cruel cross1 it does not seem an act of love for ,god to give his ,son over to such suffering2 yet it was love1 truest love4 ,why did ,god thus deal with him8 ,it was not because the ,father-heart did not feel that agony4 ,it was the only means to an end1 and love desired that end so much that it pleased it to make the great sacrifice that out of it might come the infinite joy of a world's redemption4 ,there is nothing that brings ,christ so close to men as his sufferings2 there is nothing that makes men trust in him so much as the story of those last days4 ,if that story were taken from the pages of the ,bible1 what would ,christ be to us8 ,only a great teacher whose morality was high and wonderful1 though to us unattainable2 but with this record added1 he becomes a ,savior and makes his righteousness attainable by us all4 ,had he not suffered1 he could not have brought us to ,god4 ,how much poorer we should be today without the story of ,gethsemane and ,calvary1 without knowing that 8it pleased the ,lord to bruise him0 and that out of his sighs and tears and groans has flowed into our hearts a fountain of joy and love and tenderness whereby we have been enriched and the angels of ,god have been caused to sing a song for joy6 ,if ,god was pleased to bruise his own beloved ,son1 need we marvel if he is sometimes pleased to bruise us8 ,if we are sometimes bowed down with grief1 if anguish takes hold upon us1 if the sky grows dark above us1 and if ,god seems to have turned away1 is it any proof that he no longer loves us8 ,is it not only the proof that ,god sees something to be accomplished that can be accomplished in no other way1 and that he is pleased for the sake of that gain to let us suffer8 ,the things that are worth while come through pain4 ,joy does not make us stronger nor bring us nearer ,god2 nor does it refine1 ennoble1 or enrich us4 ,the pure gold comes from the fire only and the tempered steel also must have passed through the flame4 ,god would have us pure as gold and as strong as steel1 and to have us so he can not spare the flame4 ,we must pass through the furnace of affliction4 ,we are told that ,god 8doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men0 7,lam4 #c3 #cc74 ,it is only that something may come out of it that will be better and more blessed than could have been without it4 ,we know in reality only what we know by experience4 ,those who would be instruments in ,god's hands to help others must often have a preparatory training-course in the school of suffering2 how else could they know how to help others8 ,brother1 sister1 has ,god called you to do a work for him8 ,if so you need not marvel if he lets the rod of pain be laid upon you4 ,if you have hindrances which seem to shut up the way before you1 if you have trials that you can not understand1 if you have disappointments and perplexities1 if you have spiritual conflicts that threaten to overwhelm you1 do not think it strange4 ,how can you teach others how to bear such things if you have not borne them8 ,how can you know the way out for others if you have never gone that way8 ,how can you teach others to look for the blessings in these things if you have not their fruitage in your own life8 ,those who have suffered most can enter most into the sufferings of others4 ,the successful worker will find that the strength and wisdom that bring him success was the gift of pain1 and had not pain brought him strength and knowledge1 success could not now be his4 ,likewise sometimes we must suffer for others if we would save them4 ,so if you would be a worker for ,god and know how to enter truly into the sorrows and needs of others1 you must yourself drink the bitter cup and feel the chastening rod4 ,after the ,lord called me to his work1 ,i endured some great soul-conflicts4 ,in them ,i suffered inexpressibly4 ,i almost despaired at times1 but ,i look back upon those things now as being the things that made me understand the human heart1 that gave me a broader sympathy1 and that have since enabled me to enter into the sorrows and needs of others and to minister comfort and help as ,i could not otherwise have done4 ,those early sufferings unlocked a thousand mysteries and enriched not only my own life but also the lives of others4 ,endure these things with patience2 for out of them will come to you that which is more precious than gold4 ,if you do not suffer1 you can be of little use to those who do suffer4 ,the promise is1 8,if we suffer with him1 we shall also reign with him40 ,abraham suffered in that one supreme sacrifice1 but his example of faithfulness in the test has enriched millions of souls4 ,job suffered not only physical agony but the keenest and deepest of spiritual agony1 yet that suffering was only an opportunity for ,god to manifest his mercy and kindness4 ,how much ,job learned of ,god by enduring through these dark days and how much the world has learned6 ,if we should take out of the ,bible the record of suffering and its results that are written there1 we should take out of it all that is best and noblest and most helpful and encouraging4 ,how much poorer we should he if the sacred record told only of joy and peace and comfort1 if it spoke only of victory and achievement1 and told us nothing of the hard road that leads up to them6 ,if the ,lord chastises us1 it is 8for our profit02 if ,god smites1 it is only to enrich2 so bear with patience1 endure as seeing him who is invisible4 ,be 8patient in tribulation10 drink the cup of your ,gethsemane1 wear your thorny crown without complaint1 endure your ,calvary2 for unto you is given both to suffer and to reign with him4 ,,talk ,,fourteen4 ,,putting ,,clouds ,,over ,,the ,,sun ,a little boy was walking down the street rejoicing in the possession of a bright new penny4 ,he was going to buy some candy with it4 ,he could almost taste it already1 but just then he dropped his penny upon the sidewalk4 ,an older boy seized it and started off4 ,the little boy began to cry and demanded his penny1 but the other boy only laughed derisively4 ,it was a mean trick4 ,it spoiled the whole day for the boy1 and ever after when he thinks of the incident1 he will have an unpleasant feeling4 ,the older boy put a dark cloud over the little fellow's sun that day1 and the shadow will be cast upon him through other days4 ,a number of persons were sitting in a room talking over a matter4 ,during the conversation one man made a charge against another1 comparing him half contemptuously with a man whose conduct had been quite unbecoming4 ,the charge was like a dagger in the man's heart4 ,he knew it was both untrue and unjust4 ,he was conscious of the uprightness of his conduct4 ,he had always held the other man in high esteem1 and to be thus publicly wounded by him was almost unbearable4 ,he made no defense1 but he went out of that room with an aching heart1 humiliated and wronged4 ,his friend had put a great cloud over his sun4 ,years have passed1 but the darkness of that cloud has not yet all passed away4 ,when he thinks of the injustice1 there is still a pang in his heart4 ,he does not feel bitter toward the other2 he has forgiven2 but the close tie has been broken4 ,he has never since been able to confide in the one who did him such an injury4 ,a faithful minister had labored for years for souls4 ,he had been successful2 he had been a blessing to many4 ,one day a certain person spoke of him half jestingly in a manner that aroused the suspicions of some others who were present4 ,these suspicions grew until they became whispers1 and the whispers grew till they became open charges4 ,the minister could not prove them to be false4 ,they hindered his labors4 ,they bowed down his head with sorrow4 ,some one had put a cloud over his sun and over his name1 and for years the dark shadow of it rested upon his life4 ,how easy it is to put a cloud over some one's sun1 to make some life dark that might have been bright6 ,it may seem only a little thing1 but sometimes a little cloud can make a dark shadow4 ,we may not see either the cloud or the shadow1 but the heart that is darkened both sees and feels4 ,how many times parents1 by unkind words or actions1 becloud their children's sky6 ,one way in which parents do this is by telling the faults of their children to visitors1 in the presence of the children4 ,there is scarcely anything more disheartening to a child than this4 ,he feels humiliated and hurt4 ,he feels1 and justly feels1 that he has been mistreated4 ,it sinks down into his soul and rankles there4 ,it discourages him1 and if it is often repeated he comes not to care if he is at fault4 ,constant reproof and faultfinding make a child's life gloomy and sad4 ,that is not the way to cure faults2 it is the way to make them worse4 ,i once knew a young saint who had a rich experience of salvation4 ,a certain relative who opposed her religion began finding fault with her and kept doing so at every opportunity4 ,the result was that that young life was beclouded and a deep melancholy settled down over her4 ,her cheerfulness gave way to sadness and moroseness4 ,the song of joy1 once so often upon her lips1 was stilled4 ,some one had put a cloud over her sun1 and her life was never what it otherwise might have been4 ,children may darken the hearts and lives of their parents4 ,how many times is the mother-heart or father-heart grieved by the conduct of the children6 ,it may be that they are only thoughtless1 or they may be disobedient and wilful4 ,young people1 cherish your parents1 try to make their lives as bright as you can4 ,they have many cares4 ,these are enough for them to bear without your adding a single one4 ,when you have grown older and they have gone out of your life1 you may look back with a pang of regret at the times when you caused their hearts to ache4 ,brighten their lives while you may2 then when you look into the open grave where ,father or ,mother is being laid to rest1 your conscience will not smite you4 ,we are told that 8no man liveth unto himself40 ,there is a circle of influence about our lives that affects every other life that we touch4 ,we brighten or darken the lives about us4 ,we lighten or make heavier the burdens of others4 ,every unkind word or look makes a shadow on some life4 ,every slighting remark1 every sarcastic fling1 every contemptuous smile1 puts a cloud over somebody's sun4 ,lack of appreciation has darkened many a life4 ,how much better it would be to take away the clouds1 to banish the gloom6 ,you can do this just as easily as you can bring clouds4 ,it is just as easy to speak kind words as to speak unkind ones1 and you will feel much better over it yourself4 ,you can encourage and help1 you can speak words of appreciation4 ,when people please you1 let them know it4 ,when people do well1 or even when they try to do well and fail1 you can show that you appreciate their efforts4 ,you can be cheerful and courteous and kind4 ,that will make sunshine for others4 ,there are enough clouds in life at best in this world of sorrow4 ,be a sunshine-bearer4 ,drop a little good cheer into every life you touch4 ,no matter what you are by nature1 you can form the habit of being cheerful and encouraging4 ,even when you have heavy burdens yourself1 you can be encouraging and helpful to others4 ,do not let your troubles be mirrored on your face4 ,one's face can smile and his words can be cheery if his own heart does ache4 ,i am not writing a mere theory4 ,i know what pain and gloom and heaviness are4 ,i know what burdens are4 ,during the first few months of my illness every one knew how ,i felt4 ,my face told the story without words4 ,i finally saw that that would not do1 and deliberately set to work to get the gloom out of my face and out of my words4 ,you who read what ,i write know something of my success4 ,you can do the same4 ,,talk ,,fifteen4 ,,what ,,is ,,your ,,word ,,worth8 ,everything is measured by some standard of value4 ,material things are measured by length1 breadth1 weight1 density1 usefulness1 or intrinsic value4 ,character also has its standard of measurement4 ,some people are valued more highly than others1 whether in the community1 in the church1 or in the nation4 ,people are valued1 not for their physical size or weight1 but for their abilities and more especially for their characters4 ,in a ,christian the special thing of value1 and the only special thing1 is his character4 ,if one's character is not of a higher and better quality than that of people in general1 one has no right to the name ,christian4 ,the quality of ones character is indicated in various ways4 ,one's words are generally a clear index to one's character4 ,a person is judged by them1 and his value is reckoned by the reliance that may be placed upon his word4 ,we know some on whose word we fully rely4 ,if they tell us anything1 we believe them4 ,if they make us a promise1 we do not expect it to he broken4 ,we rely upon them because they have shown by their conduct that they themselves place a high value upon their own word4 ,of such persons it is often said1 8,if he says it is so1 it is true10 or1 8,if he makes a promise1 he will fulfil it40 ,such men wield a strong influence in a community4 ,people can easily believe and trust in their character4 ,it is a sad fact that such individuals are the exception rather than the rule1 even among professed ,christians4 ,how many times promises are made only to be broken or forgotten6 ,this is a grave matter and marks a serious defect in ,christian character4 ,we should never make a promise unless we fully expect to fulfil it1 and we ought to feel under deep obligation to keep our promise4 ,if we are careless and neglectful of this1 it is sure to lower us in men's esteem1 and we shall be cheapened and discredited4 ,hasty ,promises4 ,many times promises are made hastily4 ,the person does not stop to consider what he really is promising2 he does not weigh its meaning4 ,he says1 8,yes1 yes1 ,i will02 but later when he thinks the matter over1 it looks different to him4 ,he is sorry that he made the promise1 and begins to look for some way out so that he will not have to fulfil it4 ,these hasty promises are just as binding as any others4 ,if we ignore them and do not make our word good1 the persons to whom we have made them will have just reason to condemn us4 ,it is easier to make promises than it is to fulfil them4 ,beware of making haste to promise4 ,think about the fulfilment4 ,think whether you really want to do1 or really will do1 what you promise4 ,consider your promises binding4 ,have the fear of ,god before you just as much in this matter as in other things4 ,if you wish people to value your word1 you must show that you value it yourself4 ,if you do not value it enough to keep it1 do not expect others to value it4 ,if you value your word1 it will make you careful about your promises--careful in making them1 careful in keeping them4 ,do not make rash promises4 ,consider what you are promising4 ,is it something that you can perform8 ,consider your ability and what things may hinder4 ,have you any just reason to suppose that you can fulfil it8 ,would it be wise for you to do it8 ,would it be best8 ,have you made other promises that will conflict with it8 ,remember that when you once promise1 if you do not keep your word your failure leaves a shadow upon your character in the mind of the one you promised unless there is some good and sufficient reason to excuse you in his sight4 ,do not make careless promises4 ,the ,bible tells us that in our planning we should say1 8,if the ,lord will02 that is1 we should take in to consideration that the unexpected may happen4 ,we do not know the future2 therefore we ought not to make our promises too positive4 ,we ought to qualify them so as to allow for hindrances4 ,we ought to be honest in making our promises4 ,many promises are made when there is no intention of carrying them out4 ,many people1 rather than to say no1 will promise and then refuse to perform1 thereby making themselves liars4 ,they have not manhood enough to refuse and honestly tell why1 so they make a promise and break it4 ,that is the coward's way out4 ,it is the dishonest way out4 ,some people say1 8,if the ,lord wills1 ,i will do so10 when they do not consider the ,lord in the matter at all1 but simply mean1 8,if ,i do not change my mind40 ,do not throw the odium on the ,lord4 ,if you think you may change your mind1 do not commit yourself definitely4 ,if you are not fully decided1 do not be afraid to say that you do not know what you will do4 ,be honest enough to let the other know the state of your mind4 ,be honest in making promises2 be honest in fulfilling them4 ,fidelity to ,promises4 ,do not make too many promises4 ,he who is too free to promise1 places little value upon his promises4 ,he forgets them readily or lets some trifle hinder the performance of them4 ,he always has a ready excuse to ease his conscience and to release himself from the obligation4 ,this indicates a want of character1 a lack of real sincerity4 ,when you make a promise1 do not forget it1 do not break it4 ,never disappoint people when you can help it4 ,they feel disappointment as keenly as you do4 ,there is an old saying that 8promises are like pie-crust--made to be broken40 ,are your promises of the pie-crust variety8 ,possibly you have heard the story of the old deacon4 ,a man came to him one day to endeavor to get him to fulfil a promise that he had made4 ,the deacon refused4 ,the other urged and entreated him1 but still he refused1 and finally said1 8,the ,bible says that we should let our words be yea1 yea1 and nay1 nay2 and my words are so40 8,yes10 quickly retorted the other1 8when you are asked to make a promise1 they are yea1 yea2 but when you are asked to fulfil it1 they are nay1 nay40 ,this is one brand of yea-and-nay ,christians1 but not the kind in whom ,god delights or man trusts4 ,when you make promises1 keep them4 ,they are a test of your character4 ,i do not mean that you should be under bondage to your promises4 ,sometimes we fully believe we can and will perform them1 but later find that it is impossible4 ,in such a case we should explain matters and so relieve the mind of the one to whom the promise was made and show him that the failure to make good our word is not due to neglect or unwillingness4 ,keep your business promises4 ,many persons get into debt and promise to pay and then just let things drift along4 ,this is wrong4 ,pay your debts when you agree to1 or give a reason for not doing so1 and let it be a reason1 not an excuse4 ,if you promise to do work for some one1 do it4 ,keep your promise if you must sacrifice to do so4 ,many parents are very careless and inconsiderate regarding their promises to their children4 ,children will 8tease0 for things if allowed4 ,too many times parents make promises that they do not expect ever to fulfil1 just to be rid of the children's asking4 ,children soon learn the value of such promises1 and they learn the value of your character4 ,do not lie to your children2 do not make promises to them unless you mean them4 ,if you make promises to them and then are not able to keep them1 value your word enough and their respect enough to explain to them the reason4 ,reader1 what is your word worth8 ,what value do you place on it8 ,what value do others place on it8 ,what value does ,god place on it8 ,god wants you to 8speak the truth1 and lie not40 ,your standing1 your influence1 your usefulness--all depend upon your faithfulness2 and if you are faithful1 you will be faithful to your promises4 ,think seriously over these things4 ,if you are at fault1 set about to amend4 ,such a fault will be a blight upon your life and upon your character until it is corrected4 ,when the ,psalmist pictures a righteous man1 he says that he 8sweareth promiseth to his own hurt1 and changeth not40 ,are you that sort of righteous person8 ,,talk ,,sixteen4 ,,how ,,to ,,keep ,,out ,,of ,,trouble ,old ,uncle ,john was not so spry as he had once been4 ,there were only a few black hairs left among the many gray ones4 ,his limbs were shaky and his steps faltering4 ,he was 8no good for work any more10 he said2 but there were two things that he kept on doing right along3 he seemed to be always smiling and he seemed to be always praising the ,lord4 8,happy ,john10 people called him1 and he certainly deserved the name4 ,he did not seem to have much of this world's goods to make him glad4 ,his lot in life did not appear to be more than usually pleasant1 nor was there anything in the way of external evidence to show whence his happiness came4 ,i had often sat and gazed upon his placid face lifted in devotion to ,god4 ,he never seemed to get into trouble4 ,no matter what happened1 ,uncle ,john seemed to have no part in the trouble4 ,with others1 troubles came and troubles went1 but ,uncle ,john still smiled and praised the ,lord4 ,one day ,i was standing outside the meeting-house with a little company of brethren1 when ,uncle ,john came walking out1 smiling as usual and praising the ,lord4 ,one of the brethren said to him1 8,uncle ,john1 how does it come that you are always so happy and never seem to get into trouble80 ,he stopped and looked at the speaker with a broad smile1 and answered1 8,i just praise the ,lord and mind my own business40 ,he turned and walked away1 but his words lingered in my ears and were indelibly impressed upon my memory4 ,his secret was very simple1 but very effective4 ,and thus he went on smiling1 praising the ,lord and minding his own business1 and he was 8happy ,john0 even to the end4 ,many years ago he went to his reward1 but the lesson that ,i learned that day has never been lost4 ,uncle ,john's rule for keeping out of trouble seemed very simple4 ,it looks very easy to mind one's own business1 but it is one of the hardest things in the world to do1 because it is one of the hardest things in the world for us to be willing to do4 ,the ,scripture says1 8,every fool will be meddling10 and it is so hard for some folks not to act like fools1 anyway in this particular respect1 even though they are ever so wise4 ,the affairs of others are so interesting to them6 ,this is a very human trait1 but it sometimes leads to unpleasant consequences4 ,god knew the failing of people on this line1 so he said1 8,study to be quiet1 and to do your own business0 7#a ,thess4 #d3 #aa74 ,you have1 no doubt1 studied a great many lessons1 but have you studied this particular one8 ,it is evident that many have not yet learned this if they have studied over it4 ,probably they did not know that it requires studying4 ,possibly they never thought of it as being an object for study4 ,but it is4 ,we shall never graduate in the school of wisdom until we study this lesson and learn it thoroughly4 8,study to be quiet and to do your own business40 ,that is the lesson4 ,have you learned it8 ,some folks are always talking1 talking1 talking4 ,there seems to be no end to their talk4 ,when people talk so much they are sure to talk of some things that should not be talked of4 ,some people can not keep an experience of salvation because they talk too much1 and as a result they have a great deal of spiritual trouble that might be avoided4 ,but1 then1 they are so interested in their friends and neighbors6 ,how can they help talking about them8 ,why1 just let them spend their time in studying to be quiet4 ,let them give themselves a few lessons in minding their own business4 ,peter had that human trait4 ,he was interested in what ,john was going to do4 ,when he asked the ,lord1 8,what shall this man do80 he received an answer4 ,he did not have to wait for it4 ,it was this1 8,what is that to thee8 ,follow thou me40 ,i have known many good ,christian people who became mixed up in neighborhood or family affairs and got into a great mess of trouble because they failed to mind their own business4 ,if there is a dog-fight going on1 all the dogs in the community seem to want to join in it4 ,there seems to be something in humanity that is very much the same4 ,if there is trouble in the community they want to mix into it some way or another4 ,trouble is a thing that is much easier to get into than it is to get out of4 ,more people get into trouble through the wrong use of their tongues than through any other means1 ,i suppose4 ,the ,wise ,man says1 8,he that keepeth his tongue keepeth his soul from trouble40 ,he also says1 8,the beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water40 ,you know how it runs in every direction1 so that you can not gather it up again nor confine it4 ,never meddle with the strife of others4 ,you are sure of an abundant crop of trouble if you do4 ,it is written1 8,he that passeth by and meddleth with strife belonging not to him is like one that taketh a dog by the ears40 ,you know how that is3 if he holds fast he will get into trouble1 and if he lets go he will get into trouble4 ,there are some people who are religious and who seem to get along pretty well until their children get mixed up in trouble with some one4 ,just as sure as that happens they are in the trouble1 too4 ,they think that their children could not be to blame4 ,they take the children's part1 and trouble is the result4 ,and when they have gotten out of the trouble1 if they do get out1 they have dishonored both themselves and their religion4 ,there are others who can never let trouble alone if their friends or neighbors are in it4 ,they will mix in4 ,they feel that they must defend their friends1 and they are often so partial in their feelings toward them that they can not believe them to be in the wrong4 ,they become all heated in the thing1 and before they know it they have a big case of spiritual trouble on hand in addition to the other trouble4 ,when people get into trouble1 they like to tell others about it4 ,if you have sympathetic ears for trouble1 you can hear plenty of it4 ,when you hear such things1 it is very easy to pass them on to some one else4 ,never let yourself he a news-carrier for trouble4 ,you will have trouble of your own if you do4 ,the only business that a ,christian has in relation to such troubles is as a peace-maker1 and even then he must be very cautious and wise1 or he will become involved4 ,few people want to take ,god's way out of trouble4 ,they will do anything to have their own way out4 ,we are told to leave off strife before it is meddled with4 ,that is the only safe way4 ,while you are out1 keep out2 and the only way to keep out is to mind your own business4 ,try ,uncle ,john's rule4 ,it will work very well4 ,it is a splendid preventive of trouble4 ,would you be happy8 ,would you have the confidence of your neighbors and associates8 ,would you be free from worldly entanglements8 ,would you have a contented heart and a cheerful mind8 ,would you be worthy of the esteem of the people8 ,would you be different from worldly people8 ,would you be a sunshine-bearer for your neighborhood8 ,there is just one way to do it4 ,you must do as 8happy ,john0 did--smile1 praise the ,lord1 and mind your own business4 ,,talk ,,seventeen4 ,,what ,,the ,,redbird ,,told ,,me ,it was a cold winter morning4 ,snow covered the ground4 ,the frost on the trees sparkled in the bright sunlight like ten thousand diamonds4 ,but the brightness outside seemed to find no reflection in me4 ,i had been confined to my bed for more than six months4 ,i was gloomy and despondent4 ,it seemed as though all the light and joy had gone out of my life and that only pain and suffering and sorrow were left to me4 ,i had no desire to live4 ,again and again ,i prayed that ,i might die4 ,i should have welcomed any form of death1 even the most horrible4 ,i had grown morbid1 and almost despaired4 ,i had been prayed for again and again1 but the healing touch came not4 ,life seemed to hold for me no ray of hope1 no gleam of sunshine4 ,as ,i lay brooding in my melancholy state1 a red grosbeak1 with his bright red plumage1 alighted on a tree a few feet from my window4 ,his eyes sparkled as he gazed at me with interest4 ,he turned his head now this way and now that1 apparently studying me intently1 and then he gave a cheery call and hopped as near to me as he could get and repeated his cries over and over4 ,somehow his cries took the form of words in my mind4 ,this is what he said to me3 8,you1 you1 you1 cheer up1 cheer up1 cheer up40 ,he hopped about from limb to limb1 wiping his beak1 picking at pieces of bark1 but ever and anon hopping back to look at me and cry again4 8,cheer up1 cheer up1 cheer up40 ,this he did for a long time1 then he flew away1 only to return soon and to peer at me again1 crying his merry 8,you1 you1 you1 cheer up1 cheer up1 cheer up40 ,for more than two hours he continued to repeat this and then went away1 and far in the distance ,i heard the last echoes of his notes still saying1 8,cheer up1 cheer up40 ,it seemed as though ,god had sent the bird to bring a message to my soul2 and as ,i thought of the cold and the snow and the winter winds1 of the bird's uncertain supply of food1 of his many enemies1 and considered that1 in spite of all this1 he could be so cheerful and gay1 it made me feel ashamed that ,i should be so melancholy and despondent4 ,his message1 enforced by his example1 sank into my heart4 ,i began to think over the favorable side of my situation4 ,i began to consider how many things the ,lord had bestowed upon me in the past--his mercy1 his kindness1 and his blessings4 ,my heart took courage1 hope began to lift herself up from the dust ,i reflected over the way ,i had yielded to discouragement4 ,i saw that if ,i was ever to rise above it ,i must set myself resolutely to the task of looking upon the bright side and of overcoming the gloom and heaviness4 ,the message of the bird made me ashamed to submit longer to my feelings4 ,i resolved then and there that ,i would be different4 ,and from that day ,i began to act and think and speak more cheerfully4 ,many times ,i had to act contrary to the way ,i felt1 but ,i found that this was having an influence upon my feelings1 and the more ,i practised being cheerful the more cheerful ,i became4 ,many times ,i have been sorely pressed down in spirit1 but ,i have found that ,i can act cheerfully and talk cheerfully even in the midst of depression1 and that this is not hypocrisy1 but the true way in which to meet such things and conquer them4 ,cheerfulness is largely a matter of habit4 ,we must do one of two things--either yield to our feelings and let them be our master or compel our feelings to yield to us that we may be their master4 ,it is a case of conquering or being conquered4 ,so many persons are at the mercy of their emotions4 ,if they do not feel well in body1 or their mind is troubled1 or their spiritual sky is clouded1 they yield themselves to gloomy thoughts and look upon the dark side of the picture4 ,their thoughts and feelings are reflected in their face1 and actions and words4 ,this1 in turn1 reacts upon them1 and they then feel worse in body and mind4 ,every one around them knows how they feel4 ,this is putting a premium on your bad feelings4 ,it is encouraging them4 ,and it is a very bad habit4 ,you can be cheerful if you will4 ,do not wear your troubles on your face4 ,do not let them put a note of sadness in your voice4 ,cease your sighing3 you are only adding to your burdens4 ,take the birds advice and cheer up4 ,you can if you will4 ,you can hide your burdens instead of advertising them4 ,to hide them will help you to forget them4 ,you have a place to put your burdens--8,casting all your care upon ,him40 ,i still suffer2 ,i still have periods of mental depression2 but ,i have learned to be cheerful and not let these things be on exhibition4 ,i find it now the easier1 and by far the better1 way4 ,cheerfulness is a habit2 get the habit4 ,it depends upon you1 not upon your circumstances4 ,you can rule your circumstances instead of letting them rule you4 ,take hold of your bad feelings with a will and conquer them with cheerfulness4 ,the task may not be easy at first1 but keep at it and you will win4 ,do not despair if you lose a few battles4 ,you may have cultivated gloom for so long a time that it has become the fixed state of your mind4 ,overcome the habit4 ,god will help you4 ,when your feelings become gloomy1 say1 8,i will not be so10 and force your mind into other channels4 ,it will want to go back to its former habit1 but as often as you catch yourself thinking along gloomy lines turn your thoughts back to the sunshine4 ,put good cheer into your voice and a smile on your face1 no matter how you feel4 ,it will prove a tonic for soul1 mind1 and body4 ,listen to the redbird4 ,hear his merry 8,cheer up1 cheer up10 and act upon his advice4 ,you will find it worth while4 ,,talk ,,eighteen4 ,,what ,,old ,,bill ,,could ,,not ,,do ,old ,bill ,m-- was a drunkard4 ,everybody knew it4 ,people expected to see him stagger as he walked2 that was the common thing4 ,as a young man he had been the leader among his chums1 and people thought he would make his mark in the world4 ,he had excelled most of his companions1 but alas6 it was not in the things that make men noble and great4 ,as people said1 8,the drink was getting him40 ,he was a familiar figure in each of the three saloons in ,a--4 ,he was popular1 for he was good-natured and jolly4 ,he was still the leader of a company1 who called themselves the 8bunch40 ,each night they made the rounds of the saloons1 then at a late hour staggered homeward4 ,yes1 ,old ,bill was a drunkard4 ,he had tried many times to quit4 ,his friends had warned him and advised him to quit4 ,his wife had begged him a hundred times1 with tears running down her face4 ,he had promised again and again1 had tried1 over and over1 to master the habit1 but it held him fast4 ,one night when he went home1 drunk as usual1 he found his wife seriously ill4 ,three days he watched by her bedside1 and then the end came4 ,in her dying hour she laid her hand on his and asked him once more for her sake1 and his own1 to quit drinking4 ,bill promised with hot tears falling like rain1 and he meant it with all his heart4 ,two days later he followed her body to the church1 and as he took his last look at that still form1 he vowed with all his strength of will never to touch drink again4 ,he walked silently back to his home1 but it was not home any more4 ,he was heart-broken4 ,what would he do8 ,how could he bear it8 ,presently two of his comrades came out to sympathize with him4 ,after talking a while1 one pulled a bottle from his pocket1 saying1 8,here1 ,bill1 take a bit to brace you up40 8,no1 ,jack10 he answered1 8,i'm going to quit the stuff2 ,i promised her ,i would40 8,that's all right10 said ,jack1 8but you need a little now for your nerves40 ,he lifted the bottle to his own lips1 then held it uncorked in his hand4 ,the odor entered ,bill's nostrils1 the old appetite asserted itself1 and before he knew it he had seized the bottle4 ,a minute later it was empty6 ,when ,bill next came to realize what was happening1 it was a week later4 ,he had been drunk all the time2 he did not even know what day it was2 but when he realized what had happened1 he was stricken with remorse4 ,he knew now1 as never before1 that drink was his master4 ,two years passed4 ,his few belongings had been sold to pay the funeral expenses2 the remainder had gone for drink4 ,another family lived in the home now4 ,mr4 ,wilson1 a kind neighbor1 had given him a home1 and he worked for him when he was sober enough4 ,one evening as he was making his way to the saloon as usual1 he heard singing4 8,that's strange10 he muttered2 8wonder what's going on80 ,he turned and walked toward the singing and soon found a large tent filled with people4 8,queer-looking show10 he thought as he approached the entrance4 ,a pleasant-faced young man stepped up to him and said1 8,come in1 ,bill1 and ,i will get you a good seat40 ,he mechanically followed the usher in4 ,the singing was good1 and he enjoyed it4 ,presently a man arose and1 with tears running down his face1 related that he had been a drunkard1 and that after years of trying to overcome the habit1 he had finally turned to ,god for help1 and that he was now a free and happy man4 ,bill understood the struggle part1 but not the rest4 ,he knew what it meant to fail1 and as he pondered he thought of his wife4 ,did she know how he had broken his promise8 ,did she weep over him now as she used to8 ,some one entered the pulpit and talked for a long time1 but ,bill did not hear anything he said4 ,bill was thinking1 thinking4 ,there was a man who had 8beat the drink10 and he said the ,lord had helped him4 ,bill wondered if the ,lord would help him4 ,when the preacher finished1 the first man rose again2 ,bill straightened up and looked keenly4 8,yes10 he thought1 8he has been a drinker all right1 and a hard one2 his face shows it40 ,the speaker was inviting men to ,christ for the help they needed4 ,old ,bill never quite knew how it happened1 but he suddenly found himself up in front holding the stranger's hand and telling him that he wanted help to quit drink4 ,side by side they knelt while the saved man earnestly poured out his heart to ,god for the drunkard4 ,old ,bill did not know how to pray1 he had never tried in his life1 but he wanted help2 all his soul longed for it4 ,he listened to the other man praying4 ,he was asking for just what ,bill needed2 his heart joined in4 ,yes1 he wanted to quit drinking2 he wanted to be a good man1 but he had to have help4 ,the other man prayed as though ,god were right close by1 and ,bill felt that ,he must be1 so he said3 8,yes1 ,god1 ,i'll quit it if you'll help me4 ,i'll be a man if you'll help me1 but ,i can't do it by myself60 ,that was all1 but he meant it1 and he felt that ,god would help him4 ,a strange1 quiet peace came into his heart1 and he really felt happy4 ,he went home sober that night4 ,some of the 8bunch0 outside the tent had seen ,bill go forward1 and soon the news was in all the saloons4 8,he'll be back by ,saturday night10 they said4 ,but he did not come back4 ,instead he was in the meeting telling the people what wonderful things ,god had done for him4 ,he did not want strong drink any more at all1 he declared4 ,the 8bunch0 did not believe this4 ,they laughed and made many prophecies2 they waited week by week1 but ,old ,bill came to the saloon no more4 ,two years passed2 ,bill lived a joyful ,christian life and never tired of telling what the ,lord had done for him4 ,he went out to a country schoolhouse1 where he organized a ,sunday-school and labored zealously and successfully4 ,there were many temptations4 ,at first the 8bunch0 laughed and made him the butt of many rude jests1 then they laid plans to trap him4 ,one day one of them stuck an open whisky-bottle under his nose1 saying1 8,smell it1 ,bill2 ain't it a fine odor80 ,bill stepped back1 all smiles1 and said quietly1 8,well1 ,tom1 drink was my master a long time1 but ,i have a better ,master now40 ,he went on his way unobstrusively but steadily1 and finally won the respect and confidence of all4 ,at last the end came2 ,old ,bill was dead4 ,there was a peaceful smile upon his face1 for his sun had gone down in splendor4 ,the 8bunch0 followed him to the grave4 ,they could not quite understand even yet what had happened to him4 ,it was a wonderful change1 and his life had won their respect1 and they followed him silently to his last resting-place4 ,after the burial they stood talking it over in a little group by themselves1 8,i thought the drink had him sure10 said one2 8,i don't see how he beat it40 8,it was not ,bill who did it10 said a quiet voice behind them2 8it was ,jesus ,christ40 ,they turned and saw the pastor walking away4 8,guess the parson must have it right10 said one of them4 8,it was a pretty good job1 too40 ,,talk ,,nineteen4 ,,divine ,,and ,,worldly ,,conformity ,the ,scriptures say1 8,be not conformed to this world3 but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind0 7,rom4 #ab3 #b74 ,they also say that we should be 8conformed to the image of his ,son0 7,rom4 #h3 #bi74 ,we have here two sorts of conformity1 one of which is condemned and the other approved4 ,much is said by some classes of religious professors about worldly conformity1 while little is said about divine conformity4 ,it is my purpose herein to point out the essential nature of these two kinds of conformity4 ,by worldly conformity most religious teachers mean outward likeness of dress1 manner1 customs1 etc4 ,this1 however1 is not its true significance4 ,conformity to ,christ does not mean dressing as he dressed1 speaking the language that he spoke1 eating the same kind of food that he ate1 or observing any of those externals that went to make up his life4 ,in the true meaning of the word1 conformity goes deeper than externals4 ,two things may look very much alike and yet be very different in their natures4 ,pyrites of iron looks so much like gold that it has deceived many a person into thinking that he had found riches4 ,for this reason it is called 8fool's gold40 ,likewise things may outwardly seem very different1 while in reality they are very much the same4 ,a sparkling diamond seems very different from a lump of coal1 but the chief difference is only in the arrangement of their particles4 ,both are composed chiefly of carbon1 so in nature they conform closely to each other4 ,conformity is a thing of nature1 not of external appearance4 ,we are 8by nature the children of wrath40 ,our likeness to the world consists in a likeness of character1 and for that reason we are told that we must be transformed4 ,this transformation is a change of character2 it has to do1 first of all1 with internals1 not with externals4 ,conformity to the world in most externals is not only advisable but necessary4 ,we wear clothing as the world does2 we live in houses built like those around us2 we speak the same language as sinners2 we have the same habits of thought and speech in general that they have2 we use the same implements and tools2 we raise the same crops2 we employ the same methods of work and business2 in fact1 we conform to the world in all these things4 ,we can not avoid doing this without sacrificing what is vital and proper in our lives4 ,conformity to the world in these externals becomes evil only when such conformity has its origin in an evil principle in the heart or when it produces an evil effect4 ,when ,christ prayed for his disciples1 he said1 8,keep them from the evil40 ,paul said1 8,as using and not abusing40 ,it is that which is evil1 or the evil use that is made of externals1 that is obnoxious to ,god4 ,a proper use of all things is permissible1 and if our hearts are conformed to ,god1 we naturally desire and seek only the proper use of things4 ,but the natural heart is wicked2 it is set on pleasing itself2 it is full of vanity and pride4 ,so long as this condition exists1 the heart is not conformed to ,god4 ,there must be a transformation1 and this is not one which starts from the outside and works inward1 for such at best could be only a reformation4 ,the real transformation is a thing that begins on the inside and works a vital change in the spiritual condition and character4 ,when this internal change is wrought1 it gives a new quality and direction to the whole range of thought and activity4 ,it manifests itself in new desires and aspirations1 in new habits and customs1 in newness of speech and looks and behavior4 ,when we are transformed so that we become new creatures in ,christ ,jesus1 we begin to act like new creatures4 ,but our bodies are not transformed3 we still have bodies of flesh1 which retain their natural desires and appetites1 and these we may gratify in a lawful way without sin4 ,when the heart is transformed and purified from its vanity and pride1 these qualities will not be manifested in external things4 ,but so long as pride and vanity remain in the heart1 preaching to people and requiring them to cease wearing worldly adornment is like trying to kill a tree by pulling off some of its leaves--the people may layoff such things under pressure1 but they are no better than before4 ,people must be taught the ,bible standard of externals1 but the chief thing is to get their hearts right4 ,when the heart is conformed to the image of ,christ1 the words of the old song are true of it3 8,there's no thirsting for life's pleasure1 ,nor adorning rich and gay2 ,for ,i've found a richer treasure1 ,one that fadeth not away40 ,neither force nor persuasion is required to get persons with such an experience to act properly regarding external things4 ,in carrying out their idea of non-conformity to the world1 some bodies of people have adopted a special garb or a special form of speech to distinguish them from others4 ,this1 however1 is not a mark of real non-conformity1 but a mark of sectarianism4 ,the true and only difference needful between ourselves and the world in externals is that we are to reject those things that are evil or that produce evil4 ,all things else are lawful to us1 though these lawful things must also be judged by the law of expediency4 ,conformity to ,christ means conformity in character4 ,it means purity of desire1 so that our hearts reach out for only those things that are pure1 and we are moved by pure motives and actuated by holy purposes4 ,it means that we have a conscience toward ,god in whatever we do4 ,it means to put his will before everything else4 ,it means that the dominating purpose of our life will be to please him in every detail1 and not ourselves4 ,a heart like this is not attracted by the vain and sinful things of the world2 on the contrary1 it is repelled by them4 ,when the person is adorned with gold1 jewels1 costly or gaudy array1 or immodest clothing1 we must needs look for the root in the heart4 ,there is where the trouble lies4 ,there is the seat of the desire4 ,it is useless to take off the externals while the internal corruption is permitted to continue4 ,god hates all vanity and pride4 ,there is no such element in his character4 ,if we are conformed to him1 there is no such element in our character2 and if our character is purged from these things1 we have no desire for their external manifestations4 ,god loves meekness and modesty1 and these are the opposites of display4 ,if we are meek and modest in character1 our dress and deportment will manifest these qualities4 ,if we do not manifest them1 it is because we do not possess them4 ,it may not be out of place here to call attention to the ,bible principles relating to the subject of dress and personal adornment4 ,in beginning this phase of the subject we should note that the gospel is not a set of rules1 but a revelation of moral principles4 ,it is intended for all people in all countries1 climates1 and ages4 ,we should not1 therefore1 expect that these principles as they relate to dress would be revealed in other than the most general terms1 or applied to the details of the subject4 ,there is just one principle involved2 we may sum up the whole subject under that one heading4 ,the ,bible standard of dress consists of just three words1 but these three words cover the whole scope of life4 ,they are1 8in modest apparel0 7#a ,tim4 #b3 #i74 ,this is the standard1 and this is the whole standard4 ,we are given a hint regarding how to apply this standard1 but our own good judgment is sufficient to draw the line in the right place1 provided our hearts are conformed to the divine image4 ,there is no excuse for fanaticism any more than there is for pride4 ,sound judgment and good sense will help us avoid both extremes4 ,a definition of modesty is1 8,restrained within due limits of propriety2 free from indecency or lewdness2 not excessive or extreme2 moderate40 ,a ,christian's apparel should be modest in cut1 that is1 in the way it is made2 it should cover the body as a modest person would cover it1 not displaying those parts that the prevailing standards of modesty require to be covered47#a7 ,judged by this standard1 very many religious professors come far short1 their clothing being less than decency really requires4 ,such a thing1 of course1 does not have its origin in a pure heart4 ,the woman who displays herself to attract attention is anything but modest4 ,clothing should be made to conform to modesty in all other respects also4 ,useless things added to one's apparel for the purpose of display and show do not conform to modesty4 8,loud0 and flashy colors are not modest4 ,the ,bible does not forbid us to wear any particular shade1 but there are shades and combinations that are showy and gaudy1 and by their extremeness violate modesty1 for modesty is the avoidance of extreme4 ,whatever we wear1 it should be modest in color just as well as in other particulars4 ,christian apparel should be modest in texture2 that is1 it should not be so thin that it displays the body or the underwear4 ,no man thinks a woman modest who wears goods so thin as to display her under-garments1 or hosiery so thin as to display her limbs4 ,such things are very unbecoming to saints1 and of course not less so to other people4 ,sisters1 dress so that a modest man will not feel embarrassed in your presence4 ,apparel should be modest as to cost4 ,it should not be what the ,scriptures term 8costly array40 ,it is well to buy good material1 and for such we must pay a good price1 but this is not what the ,bible means by 8costly array40 ,it means not to be extravagant4 ,we should not waste money1 but make the best possible use of it4 ,some have thought it wrong to try to make our clothes becoming4 ,this is not the case4 ,the ,bible says 8that women adorn themselves in modest apparel02 that is1 their apparel should be such as adorns or becomes them1 so long as it is modest clothing4 ,it should be adapted in cut1 color1 etc41 to harmonize with the complexion1 size1 and height of the person4 ,we owe it to ourselves to make a good appearance4 ,to make ourselves outlandish in any way is neither wise nor right4 ,it is violating modesty1 and this is not consistent4 ,it is only when we make a proper appearance that we can have a proper influence1 and so be effective for ,god4 ,god delights in modesty in dress1 in words1 in actions--in all things4 ,pride and show are an abomination to him1 and if we conform to him in our inner life and character1 outward conformity will naturally follow2 but if inward desire runs out after that which is immodest and gaudy1 if the heart desires to display upon the person gold and jewels and finery1 it is because it does not conform to the image of ,god's ,son1 but to the world4 ,,talk ,,twenty4 ,,baptized ,,with ,,fire ,john the ,baptist said1 when speaking of the work of the coming ,messiah1 8,he shall baptize you with the ,holy ,ghost and with fire40 ,the symbolic tongues of fire which sat on the believers on the day of ,pentecost represented a very real something which from henceforth would be manifested in their lives4 ,it is not my purpose here to enter into an explanation of the ,baptist's words4 ,i wish to speak only of the fervency which fire represents as it should characterize our lives4 ,the life that has in it no fervency has little or nothing of ,god4 ,the soul that is vigorous in ,god is a soul full of power4 ,we need to be 8on fire0 for ,god1 and there are three ways in which this fervency should manifest itself4 ,a ,burning ,love4 ,we need a fervent love4 ,it is the foundation1 as it were1 of all ,christian fervency4 ,if our love lacks fervency1 it lacks the vital element that makes it effective4 ,if our love for ,god is kindled into a burning passion1 it will put him before all else4 ,his will and desire will be the delight of our hearts4 ,his service will be no task1 to sacrifice for him will be easy1 and to obey him will be our meat4 ,it will make our consciences tender toward him4 ,what he loves we shall love1 and whom he loves we shall love4 ,if our love is fervent1 we shall love truth1 and we shall love it as it is worthy to be loved--above our own opinions or ideas and more than the teachings of men4 ,we will not sacrifice it or deny it for ease or comfort or to please others4 ,we shall strive to make our lives conform to it4 ,we shall labor with all our strength to spread it over the world4 ,if we love the truth1 we shall be missionaries whether we are at home or abroad4 ,love begets labor4 ,a fervent love of the brethren glows in the heart that is full of ,god4 ,it will burn up criticism and backbiting4 ,it will burn up division and strife4 ,it will destroy jealousy and envy4 ,it will make peace in the home1 in the church1 and in the individual heart4 ,a thousand troubles come when love grows cold3 the eyes see no more as they once saw1 the ears hear no more as before1 the tongue talks differently1 and the heart feels differently1 the glow dies out of the eyes1 the tenderness leaves the touch1 sympathy wanes in the heart1 and there is ashes for beauty and heaviness instead of praise4 ,when the first love is left1 when the divine fire is quenched1 out of the life has gone its richness1 its transfiguring beauty2 and what is left8 ,o brother1 sister1 keep the red glow of fervency in your love4 ,if you have lost it1 rest not till it is rekindled4 ,love makes us strong to do and to bear4 ,john ,knox said to ,god1 8,give me ,scotland or ,i die40 ,that was love that shook a kingdom4 ,paul counted not his life dear to him4 ,that was love that overthrew the idols of the heathen4 ,god 8so loved the world10 and a new era dawned1 bringing light and salvation4 ,if we have such love1 it will work out in effectual action4 ,a church fervent in love is a church reaching out and winning others4 ,it is a church with an all-absorbing passion for the lost4 ,let us ask ourselves today1 8,have ,i a fervent love8 or am ,i cold and has my love lost its strength80 ,a ,burning ,zeal4 ,a man or a church without zeal is of necessity ineffective4 ,what is the temperature of your zeal8 ,does it let you go for months without speaking to a soul about his salvation8 ,does it permit you to rest easy while others are toiling1 praying1 and sacrificing8 ,about how much time on an average do you spend each day praying for souls1 or for the progress of the kingdom of ,god in the earth8 ,about how often do you pray definitely for some of your neighbors1 your friends1 or business associates8 ,about how long has it been since you invited some one to ,christ8 ,when did you pray with some one for his spiritual needs8 ,when did you speak encouraging words8 ,when did you give some one a tract or paper8 ,when did you write a letter filled with spiritual advice or help8 ,how much sacrifice are you making for the cause8 ,how much time1 labor1 or money have you expended for the kingdom in the past year8 ,is your zeal dead1 or is it in fervent activity8 ,how much does the salvation of the world mean to you8 ,behold the zeal of the advocates of some of the false movements of these days6 ,see how they pour out their money like water4 ,see how they never can be satisfied unless they are laboring for their movement4 ,are we as zealous as they8 ,if not1 why not8 ,if we have the truth and know that we have it1 should not that be enough to fire our zeal till it would not let us rest while there are others in darkness8 ,almost in sight of you1 or perhaps within a stone's throw1 are people who do not know the truth4 ,if you do no more than you have done the past year1 may they not live and die there and never know it8 ,zeal does not ask for excuses4 ,zeal is never satisfied till it has gone full length in labor4 ,when one man was asked what was the secret of the marvelous success of the early church in its fight against heathenism1 he replied with just one word1 8,zeal40 ,the same sort of zeal will produce results today4 ,zeal must1 of course1 be enlightened4 ,it can succeed only when guided by wisdom4 ,blind zeal is like a blind horse3 it is likely to run in any direction regardless of results4 ,so be wise when you are zealous4 ,if you are truly wise with that wisdom 8which cometh down from above10 you will also be zealous4 ,a ,fervent ,hatred4 ,a good ,christian is a good hater4 8,ye that love the ,lord hate evil40 ,this is an age of toleration4 ,almost any false doctrine may be preached1 while many of the religious teachers of so-called orthodoxy plod on their way indifferently4 ,error thrives1 a multitude of souls are deceived1 but many seem but little concerned4 ,evil raises its head everywhere and sneers at the ,christian people4 ,dens of vice1 gambling-houses1 lewd picture-shows1 and a hundred other forms of evil are tolerated and even looked upon as 8necessary evils0 by religious professors4 ,he who really loves ,god just as truly hates all evil4 ,he so hates it in himself that he will give it no place in his heart or life4 ,he hates it in others4 ,he sees no pleasant thing in it4 ,to him it is foul1 vile1 and revolting4 ,it is his enemy1 and he is its bitter foe4 ,the measure of his love for good is the measure of his hatred for evil4 ,we can not love the good more than we hate the evil4 ,the two exactly balance in our lives4 ,a burning love1 a burning zeal1 and a burning hatred will make your life as a beacon-light to the world2 and if you would be a true example of what ,god means men to be1 you must have this fervency in your life4 ,it alone can keep you from coldness4 ,it alone can make you a prosperous1 victorious ,christian4 ,,talk ,,twenty-,,one4 ,,what ,,to ,,do ,,with ,,the ,,devil ,some people say there is no devil1 but ,i am convinced that he is very real4 ,in fact1 ,i have had some personal experiences with him that leave no room for doubt4 ,he is right here in this world4 ,like a lion he 8goeth about seeking whom he may devour40 ,what to do with him is the biggest problem that faces some ,christians4 ,they spend so much time thinking about the devil1 fearing him1 and trying to combat him1 that they have little time for ,god4 ,their testimony is a testimony of the devil's doings and their conflict with him4 ,their religion is a negative1 not a positive1 thing4 ,it consists in not doing and not being1 not thinking and not feeling or in trying not to4 ,they are working on the problem from the wrong end4 ,our problem is to do and be1 to live a positive life4 ,life is for accomplishment and for character-building4 ,the overcoming of the obstacles that we meet is only incidental2 it is not the main purpose of our lives4 ,a great many persons think that they could accomplish great things and be wonderful ,christians if it were not for the devil4 ,what to do with him is their problem4 ,i shall tell you what to do4 ,first1 do not be afraid of him4 ,have you not read these words1 8,greater is he that is in you1 than he that is in the world08 ,if you will just believe that1 you will have no cause to fear the devil4 ,do you not know that ,god is in you8 and if he is in you1 is he not more than a match for your adversary8 8,if ,god be for us1 who can be against us80 ,satan may oppose us1 but he can not prevail against us4 ,his opposition and his schemes will be brought to naught4 ,just add a little boldness to faith1 and you will overcome him4 ,do not be frightened at his roaring4 ,he can not touch you unless ,god permits1 and if ,god permits him1 it will only be to give you the greater victory in the end4 ,are you ,god's child8 ,will he permit anything that will do you permanent ill8 ,do not fear the devil2 trust ,god4 ,give your attention and strength to pleasing him4 ,if you will keep busy doing this1 you will not have so much trouble with ,satan4 ,god does not want you to be shivering with fear4 ,he wants you to 8be strong in the ,lord and in the power of his might40 ,satan is like a lion2 but when a lion roared against ,samson1 that man slew the beast with his naked hands because the ,spirit of the ,lord was upon him4 ,if1 instead of fearing1 you will trust in the ,lord to put his ,spirit upon you when there is need of it1 you may overcome ,satan as easily as ,samson did the lion4 ,daniel was thrown into the lions' den1 but they did not eat him4 ,god put a muzzle on them1 not a literal muzzle1 but something still more effectual1 and they could not touch ,daniel4 ,being afraid of the devil is much like being afraid of the darkness4 ,when ,i was a boy1 ,i was bold enough to go where ,i wanted to in the darkness2 but when ,i started for the house again1 ,i could imagine that dogs and bears and all sorts of frightful things might be anywhere about1 so ,i would run at full speed4 ,there might have been something1 but if so1 ,i never really knew it2 but ,i would get panic-stricken just the same4 ,if you become frightened this way in spiritual things1 you may look upon it as only a childish habit4 ,you will never be a 8really and truly0 grown-up man or woman for ,god until you get over your foolish fear of the devil4 ,we are told to 8resist him stedfast in the faith40 ,it is faith that counts4 ,if you have a gun1 a crow will not fly near you4 ,if you have faith1 the devil will be more afraid of you than you are of him4 ,try using this weapon on him4 ,you will find it very effectual4 ,second1 do not run from him4 ,a man from the ,east was once riding over a ,western prairie with a party of friends1 when he saw an ,indian walking along4 ,while he was looking at the ,indian1 an angry bull1 which had been bellowing and pawing up the ground1 suddenly charged the ,indian4 ,instead of his running1 as the ,easterner expected him to do1 he simply turned about1 folded his arms1 stood stock-still1 and faced the angry animal4 ,it came charging down till it was almost upon him1 then suddenly stopped1 looked at him1 and ran around him4 ,the ,indian stood motionless4 ,the animal bellowed and pawed and ran round and round him4 ,he did not move1 and the animal did not touch him1 but presently went off and left him alone1 after which the ,indian went on his way as though nothing had happened4 ,there is a good lesson in that for us4 ,there is no use to run from the devil1 for he can run faster than we can4 ,our victory is often won by our standing still to see the salvation of ,god4 ,third1 watch4 ,that is what our ,lord commanded1 but he did not say1 8,watch the devil40 ,the thing that we need to watch most is where our own feet are going4 ,if we allow ourselves to be occupied in watching ,satan1 we may get out of the path and not know it4 ,the ,bible also says1 8looking unto ,jesus10 not1 8looking unto ,satan40 ,it is from ,god that our help comes4 ,when we look at ,satan1 he appears great and terrible4 ,when we look to ,god1 ,we see his greatness and realize how much greater he is than ,satan1 and our courage rises1 our strength is increased1 our fears vanish1 and we become confident4 ,look to ,god and where your own feet are going1 and let ,god manage the devil4 ,fourth1 ignore him4 ,there is nothing ,satan hates so much as to be ignored4 ,for us to calmly go upon our way unafraid and trustful1 not dismayed by his roaring1 is not at all to his liking4 ,if we will keep our hearts and minds occupied with good things and pay no attention to his threats1 we shall find that he will go off and leave us4 ,he may soon return1 but if you meet him in the same way1 he will not linger around you as he will if he can hold your attention upon himself4 ,you have better use for your time than to let the enemy occupy it4 ,use it in active service for ,god4 ,jesus said he would give us 8rest unto our souls40 ,do you have that rest8 ,god means for you to have it1 but you can not have it if you keep your attention on ,satan all the time4 ,he will tantalize you if you will let him4 ,while you are looking unto ,jesus1 you will not see the faces that ,satan makes at you1 and so will not be troubled4 ,if you will listen to ,god1 you will not have time to listen to ,satan4 ,if he is constantly troubling you1 it is because you are giving him opportunity4 ,he is a conquered foe4 ,the victory is yours1 if you will have it so4 ,,talk ,,twenty-,,two4 ,,waiting ,,on ,,the ,,lord ,some people are always in a hurry about things4 ,if they want to do something or to have something1 they can not wait1 they must do it or have it at once4 ,when they are compelled to wait1 the time seems very long and their impatience grows with every delay4 ,they can not quietly and patiently wait for anything4 ,such persons bring this same characteristic into their spiritual lives4 ,when they pray1 they want an immediate answer--they want ,god to hurry up4 ,if the answer is delayed1 they get all worked up about it4 ,sometimes they murmur against the ,lord and feel very bad1 like spoiled children4 ,sometimes they pray a few times for what they desire1 and if the answer does not come they conclude that ,god does not mean to answer them2 so they give up seeking for it and sometimes question ,god's faithfulness4 ,if they see something that needs doing or something that is not going to please them1 it must be remedied immediately2 if it is not1 they are much displeased4 ,they can not wait for a propitious time or till things have worked out so that they can be properly handled4 ,their motto seems to be1 8,do it now40 ,that is all very well for some things1 but quite frequently it is necessary to patiently wait on the ,lord and upon others4 ,we can not hurry the ,lord2 all time is his4 ,he works according to his own purposes and will1 according to his own wisdom and plans4 ,we can not choose for him2 we must be willing for him to choose for us4 ,it must be his to say both as to 8when0 and 8how40 ,ours is to wait and trust1 his to choose and do4 ,many years ago ,i read a story4 ,later1 when ,i was lying on my bed of affliction and praying earnestly for ,god to restore my health1 he brought to my mind this story and applied its lesson to my soul4 ,it was such a help to me that ,i will give it to you also4 ,i had been much troubled because ,i was not healed4 ,i would pray very earnestly1 with a longing that seemed to draw out all my soul4 ,others would pray also1 but there was no answer from ,god4 ,disappointment and discouragement seemed to shut me in with walls of darkness4 ,a feeling of helplessness and almost of utter hopelessness came over me4 ,i was in this condition when ,god brought to my memory this long-forgotten story and applied it to my heart with a peculiar emphasis that made it a direct message from him to my soul4 ,this is the story3 ,the king of a certain country was growing old1 and he had no son to succeed him4 ,he announced to his people that he would choose an heir to the throne from among the young men of the country by a competitive test which would give all an equal chance4 ,on the day appointed a great number of young men presented themselves4 ,a certain test was made1 and some failed while others passed4 ,then other tests came1 and each time some were rejected till at last only three were left4 ,they were put through test after test1 but all seemed equally able to meet them1 so the king announced through his heralds that on the next day the matter would be decided by a foot-race4 ,the course was marked off1 the judges were at their places1 and all was ready4 ,just at this time a man came up to each of the contestants and said secretly to him1 8,the king is taking special note of you4 ,do not run when the signal is given until the king gives you a special signal40 ,the three took their places eager for the race4 ,the signal was given1 one bounded forward quickly1 then hesitated and stopped2 then another sprang forward after him1 upon which the first started forward again and they ran for the goal with all speed4 ,the third stood looking anxiously at the king and at the two runners1 murmuring to himself1 8,i can make it yet1 ,i can make it yet40 ,the king gazed at the runners and gave no heed to the one still standing4 ,the waiting man thought himself forgotten and soon realized that it would be impossible for him to win the race4 ,he felt that all was lost for him4 ,the two runners ran on at top speed1 reaching the goal together4 ,they were brought back1 and all three stood before the king4 ,to the first he said1 8,were you not told not to run until ,i gave you the signal8 ,why then did you run80 8,i forgot10 said the man4 ,of the second he asked the same question4 ,his reply was1 8,i thought it would be but a moment till you would give the signal1 and seeing the other running ,i ran also40 ,to the third he said1 8,and why did not you run80 8,because you did not give me the signal1 sir10 he answered4 8,my son10 said the king1 8,i knew that you could run1 but ,i did not know that you could wait40 ,so the young man found that the test was not a test of doing but of waiting4 ,and thus the ,lord said to me that day1 8,i knew that you could run1 ,i knew that you would work with all your strength2 but can you wait on me80 ,these words have been repeated over and over in my heart during the long years4 ,it was a hard lesson to learn1 and many times ,i have grown weary1 many times ,i have longed for the end of the waiting2 but that lesson has helped me to bear and to wait and to be patient in the waiting4 ,sometimes it has seemed that the answer would never come4 ,sometimes it has seemed that the ,lord had forgotten4 ,many times ,i have had to say to my heart1 8,be patient and wait40 ,this is the hardest lesson that many of us ever have to learn1 but learn it we must if ,god's will and his plan are to be fulfilled in our lives4 ,there are some things for which we do not need to wait1 but for which we need to press our petitions with earnestness and diligence and with an out-reaching grasp of faith for a 8now0 answer--for example1 the supplying of a soul-need1 such as forgiveness or sanctification1 or physical or other help where the need is urgent4 ,sometimes people think that it is not the ,lord's time to save or sanctify them or to give them something else that is needed at once1 when the trouble is they do not get in earnest enough or do not exercise faith as they might4 ,god's time for necessary things1 and especially for salvation work1 is now2 and if we do not receive when we seek1 we may look for the fault in ourselves or in our manner of seeking4 ,waiting on the ,lord is not needful in this class of things and it will only hinder receiving4 ,there are1 however1 many other things for which we may not know ,god's time and in the case of which growing impatient and trying to force matters will grieve ,god and hinder us4 ,unfulfilled desire patiently and submissively met is often a powerful factor in character-building4 ,have you prayed for things1 yearned for them1 reached out after them1 and yet your prayer is not yet answered8 ,have you been tempted to believe that it was of no use to seek for them8 ,if you are not seeking selfishly1 or if ,god has not denied you1 do not lose faith4 ,god has said1 8,ask1 and ye shall receive02 and again he says1 8,they shall not be ashamed that wait for me0 7,isa4 #di3 #bc74 ,god is faithful4 ,he knows what is best4 ,as a loving ,father he watches over you4 ,his ear is open to your cry4 ,we are told to 8rest in the ,lord1 and wait patiently for him40 ,do not grow impatient1 do not become wrought up1 but while you must wait on the ,lord1 rest in him4 ,jeremiah tells us how to wait for ,god to deliver--8,it is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the ,lord0 7,lam4 #c3 #bf74 ,think of that expression1 8hope and quietly wait40 ,do not these words mean confidence and soul-rest8 ,do they not mean assurance and trust8 ,they do not mean1 however1 that we should be careless4 ,they imply activity of faith and desire1 but they shut out fear and unbelief4 ,the ,psalmist says1 8,wait on the ,lord3 be of good courage1 and he shall strengthen thine heart0 7,psa4 #bg3 #ad74 ,keep up your courage while you wait1 do not grow despondent1 be strong in faith2 ,god will not fail4 ,again1 we are exhorted to 8wait on the ,lord1 and keep his way0 7,psa4 #cg3 #cd74 ,if wrongs are not righted1 if persecutions continue1 if1 like ,paul1 we have a 8thorn in the flesh0 and our desires are not granted1 let us do what this text tells us--let us 8keep ,his way40 ,let us serve the ,lord just as truly as though conditions were ideal and all our desires satisfied4 ,let us show our fidelity to ,god1 by being true whether circumstances are favorable or unfavorable4 ,god promised ,abraham the land of ,canaan1 but he went up and down in it for many years as a stranger4 ,his posterity went into ,egypt and there1 under the lash of the taskmaster1 they waited1 waited1 waited4 ,did not they have ,god's promise8 ,had he not said that that goodly land should be theirs8 ,why did he wait so long8 ,was this the way that he fulfilled his promise8 ,had he forgotten them8 ,did their cries to him fall on deaf ears8 ,their waiting was not easy4 ,it was long and oh1 how wearisome6 ,why did ,god wait so long1 was there any adequate reason8 ,yes1 when ,god waits there is always a good reason for the waiting4 ,his acts are not arbitrary2 he does not act according to caprice2 he acts wisely and when it is best4 ,he tells us why he delayed in this case--it was because the sins of the ,canaanites had not yet come to the full4 ,when they reached that point1 the ,lord fulfilled his promise and led the children of ,israel out of their bondage into that goodly land4 ,have you learned this lesson of waiting upon the ,lord8 ,can you commit your ways to him and feel that if desire is still unsatisfied1 if obstacles are not yet removed1 if trials yet bear upon you1 the ,father-love is not growing cold1 nor his hearing dull1 nor has he forgotten8 ,in the proper time and way the answer will be sure1 and because of the delay the answer will be fuller and will enrich you more than if it had come when first you asked4 ,wait patiently on the ,lord1 trust also in him1 be not weary in well-doing1 and out of your waiting will come strength1 and out of your sorrow will come rejoicing1 and out of the bitterness will come sweetness1 and at the end of the way you will find a crown and life everlasting4 ,,talk ,,twenty-,,three4 ,,three ,,necessary 8,,rations0 ,the soul1 like the body1 must have something to nourish and strengthen it1 to give it vigor and vitality4 ,an army will have neither the strength nor the courage to fight unless it has its rations4 ,and if ,i may be allowed a play on words1 ,i may say that there are three rations which are very needful to every ,christian4 ,without these he must be weak and faltering and of little service1 but with them he may be a pillar of strength in the temple of ,god4 ,the first of these 8rations0 is aspiration1 or ardent desire4 ,strong desire is one of the greatest incentives of life4 ,to be contented as we are is one of the most fatal hindrances to progress and activity4 ,there is nothing to stir us to action when desire is satisfied4 ,the trouble with a great multitude of people is that they are satisfied when conditions do not warrant it4 ,if we are to make progress in the ,christian life or accomplish anything for ,god1 we must have strong aspirations4 ,these are as a spur to our energies4 ,aspiration is the cure for being 8at ease in ,zion40 ,aspirations are good or bad according to the motive that prompts them4 ,some are essentially selfish1 and such are necessarily evil4 ,if we desire to be or do for selfish advantage1 for glory and praise2 if we aspire to be leaders1 as so many religious people do1 only that they may have authority or honor--our aspirations are evil4 ,but each one of us owes it to himself and to ,god to desire strongly to be and to do his best for ,god4 ,what is the temperature of your spiritual aspirations today8 ,are you so well satisfied that desire is cold and almost lifeless8 or are you reaching out to the things that are before with an eager yearning8 ,no matter how good or how holy you may be1 if you look ,christward until you see the depths of his submission to the ,father1 the length of his love for souls1 the heights of his lofty purity and unworldliness1 the tenderness of his sympathy1 the richness of his communion with the ,father1 his self-abnegation1 his humility1 and his unswerving faithfulness1 your soul will feel itself so immeasurably beneath ,christ that you can not help longing to be more like him4 ,it will create in your soul an inexpressible aspiration to draw further away from this old world with its trifles and its follies and to draw nearer to ,christ1 to be more like him in your inner life1 and to act more like him in your outward life4 ,if you look only at self and self-interest1 your spiritual aspirations will fade away2 but as you look away from self and behold ,him who is altogether lovely1 the more you look upon him the greater will be your desire to be conformed to his likeness and submitted to his will4 ,each of us ought to desire to be our best for ,god4 ,do not be content to be one of the 8weak ones10 or even an average ,christian4 ,those souls who rise above the average1 those who are bright lights in their communities1 are not the ones who are easily satisfied with their attainments1 nor are they the ones who are willing to be this year as they were last year or the year before4 ,you1 as well as anyone else1 can be a bright light if you will4 ,you can be spiritual if you will4 ,it is not a question of ,god's blessing some more than others2 it is a question of desire that spurs to active effort to become spiritual4 ,there is much work to be done1 and you have a part in that work4 ,how great that part may be depends more upon your desire to work than upon anything else4 ,are you1 like many professed ,christians1 willing enough for others to work and willing to be idle yourself8 ,if you really want to do something for the kingdom1 there is something that you can do4 ,if you are willing to do anything1 no matter what1 ,god will see that you have something to do4 ,no matter how small your task is1 it is worth doing well4 ,look upon the fields1 not those afar off1 but those about you4 ,all around you are souls going to destruction4 ,forget your own concern4 ,look at the needs about you till your heart is filled with desire for these souls1 till you covet them for the ,master as a miser covets gold4 ,then you will find work enough to do and strength to do it4 ,the second 8ration0 is inspiration4 ,there is so much half-hearted work1 so much done mechanically1 so much form in worship and service4 ,what we need is enthusiasm4 ,we hear much about artistic inspiration and poetic inspiration1 but what we really need most of all is spiritual inspiration4 ,religious forms are cold and dead until there is put into them the warmth of enthusiasm4 ,get your soul filled with this glowing warmth4 ,it will lighten your tasks4 ,it will bring success instead of failure4 ,it will be a well-spring of joy4 ,it will make an optimist of you4 ,it will help you break down barriers4 ,it will enable you to surmount obstacles4 ,it will put the shout of victory in your soul in the very face of your foes4 ,an enthusiastic man is a victorious man4 ,an enthusiastic church is a victorious church4 ,enthusiastic work and worship are filled with a vitality that makes them worth while4 ,do not be content to be a formalist4 ,throw yourself into your work4 ,go at things as though you meant business4 ,do not be a lazy ,christian4 ,an indolent way of doing things can be neither joyful nor successful4 ,the more of your heart you put into your work1 the more it will mean to you1 and the more it means to you1 the more you can accomplish4 ,have confidence that you will succeed1 for confidence will help you attain to your desires4 ,your energy wisely directed has in it the very element of success4 ,look at what others are accomplishing by hard work and perseverance4 ,the same qualities in you will win4 ,but keep this one thing in view1 that without inspiration or enthusiasm you lack much of the winning quality4 ,cultivate enthusiasm4 ,do with your might what your hands find to do4 ,the third 8ration0 needful is consideration4 ,this serves as a balance for the two former rations4 ,its absence has caused disaster many times4 ,many people grow very enthusiastic and aspire to great things1 but because they lack consideration they run into wild fanaticism and go to great extremes2 and as a result both they and their religion lose the respect and confidence of the people4 ,how especially true this is in some of the modern holiness movements6 ,their adherents give themselves over to unseemly demonstrations1 ignore good judgment1 and teach things and do things they would not if they stopped to carefully consider them4 ,salvation and all that pertains to it stand on the foundation of wisdom and good sense4 ,anything that is not according to these is out of harmony with the true principles of religion4 ,so we should weigh our every act and all our teachings in the balance of good judgment4 ,what in our lives or teaching does not appeal to the sound judgment and good sense of others had better be rejected4 ,genuine holiness1 because of its reasonableness1 appeals to the intellect and heart of every man4 ,extremism and fanaticism are not part of true religion4 ,throw plenty of enthusiasm into your work1 but see to it that that enthusiasm is held in proper channels by consideration4 ,do not let it overflow without bounds4 ,it is sure to run in the wrong direction if you do4 ,god has given us the power of consideration and understanding to control and guide our energies4 ,by means of these faculties we get the highest and best use of our powers4 ,to act without consideration is very often to act wrongly4 ,god's acts are always wise1 and to be godlike means for us to use what wisdom he gives to us4 ,let us be sure that we have these three needful 8rations0 and that we make the use of them that ,god has designed4 ,we shall then be successful ,christians and accomplish the work that it pleases ,god for us to do4 ,aspire to be and do your best4 ,throw your soul into whatever you undertake4 ,be careful and considerate in all your ways1 so that you 8shall neither be barren nor unfruitful10 but that you 8shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water1 that bringeth forth his fruit in his season40 ,,talk ,,twenty-,,four4 ,a ,,retreat1 ,,or ,a ,,rout8 ,armies often suffer defeat1 but there is a great difference in the way they take defeat4 ,sometimes an army is overcome and driven out of its position1 but retreats only as far as it must1 then turns again upon the foe to courageously renew the conflict4 ,other armies have been defeated1 and in a panic have thrown away their weapons and fled in disorder4 ,the first1 though defeated1 retains its honor1 while the others have nothing but shame4 ,similar things are seen in individual lives4 ,there are those who suffer temporary defeat1 but who count it only temporary and set themselves immediately to the task of gathering together their forces and retrieving what they have lost4 ,others1 when they realize a defeat1 give up all as lost1 throw down their weapons1 and cease to fight4 ,they forsake the ranks of ,god's people1 sometimes for a very trifling reason1 and go back into the world and suffer the shame that attaches to a backslider4 ,the serious part of this is that many can do such a thing and consider it a rather light matter4 ,instead of being a light matter1 turning away from ,god is one of the most terrible things that a soul can do and one which is often fraught with the direst results and would be every time were it not for the exceeding mercy of ,god4 ,how it is that one who has ever truly loved ,god can turn away from him and plunge again into the follies of the world1 doing those things which he knows ,god abhors1 is more than ,i can understand4 ,sometimes those who once seemed to be quite spiritual are now among the most wicked1 even worse than before they ever made a profession4 ,in one of the ,southern ,states lived a lady who had at different times professed to be saved1 but as often backslid4 ,her daughter1 while conversing with me one day1 said1 8,when ,mother goes back1 she goes full length to the world40 ,she went on to tell me that when her mother gave up her profession she at once laid aside her plain attire and decked herself in jewelry and gay clothing and began attending worldly places of amusement4 ,she seemed to think that when she no longer claimed to be saved she could cast off all restraint and ignore ,god's claims upon her entirely1 and that it did not matter what she did now4 ,her excuse was1 8,oh1 ,i am not saved now40 ,just as though that changed in any degree her solemn responsibility to obey ,god6 ,i was talking with a man who had been a preacher4 ,i spoke to him about something that had happened in his life on a certain occasion4 ,he had been guilty of immoral conduct4 ,he acknowledged it with apparently no sense of shame1 saying1 8,oh1 ,i was not professing then40 ,he acted as though he thought his past conduct made no difference in respect to his present standing or influence4 ,some people seem to think that backsliding gives them some sort of indulgence or license to act as they please4 ,such a view is equally dishonoring to ,god and to themselves4 ,sin makes a stain that never can be eradicated4 ,do not forget this4 ,i make the statement advisedly4 ,i am aware that many persons do not view it thus1 but it is only because they do not consider the question as it should be considered4 ,even the blood of ,christ1 all-powerful as it is1 is not sufficient4 ,this is not heresy2 it is solemn truth1 and1 reader1 the sooner you find it out the better4 ,it may make the matter of sin appear more serious to you4 ,the blood of ,christ will wash away the guilt of our sins1 if we truly repent and believe1 and our hearts may be made as pure as though we had never sinned2 but the stain of it lies ever upon our memory1 and its somber shadow lies upon our life whenever memory calls it to view4 ,no doubt that shadow will be as eternal as our souls4 ,its stain also lies upon our reputation4 ,men do not forget such things4 ,if you backslide and go into sin1 you may obtain salvation again through the forbearance of ,god1 but you can not get away from the stigma of your backsliding4 ,the sins you committed may be forgiven by the saints1 for 8charity shall cover a multitude of sins10 but the world neither forgets nor forgives4 ,the preacher who1 after he has preached to others to live right1 goes into sin1 can not expect repentance to put him back where he was before1 except in the mercy of ,god4 ,he will have his sin to live down4 ,his words will have lost their power4 ,his influence will have greatly suffered4 ,this is true of others as well as of preachers4 ,david was a man of ,god2 he sinned1 and to this day men despise him for it4 ,the skeptic and the infidel cease not to point to the sad spectacle4 ,the one sin of ,peter in denying his ,lord stands out today as a dark stain upon his life4 ,o my friend1 if you have been defeated in your ,christian life1 if you have lost the sacred treasure of salvation from your heart1 ,i adjure you today that you do not throw away everything1 but value at their true worth the things that remain to you1 and hold them fast4 ,in your righteous life you formed many good habits2 do not turn away from them1 hold fast to them4 ,you had a thankful and appreciative heart toward ,god2 do not become hard and thankless4 ,you had a reverence for holy things2 do not let it go4 ,you had a desire to please ,god2 keep that desire still warm in your bosom4 ,keep your face turned ,godward1 not worldward1 and make your way back to him at once4 ,sometimes people sin against ,god1 then immediately cease their profession and just drift along day after day1 making no effort to obtain forgiveness4 ,they think they will 8get saved again0 when some evangelist comes to hold a revival4 ,we often see reports of meetings saying that so many 8backsliders were reclaimed40 ,this expression tells a sad story of such careless living before ,god that it makes one's heart sad to contemplate it4 ,if ,satan gets advantage of you1 or your foot slips in your upward climb1 do not let go all holds and go clear to the bottom into the pit of sin1 there to lie carelessly2 do not lose an inch more than you can help losing4 ,if you have sinned1 resolutely determine that you will not add to it another sin4 ,repent of the one committed and press your way right back to ,god2 do not wait for some preacher2 do not wait for anything2 return to ,god4 ,to drift along and wait is folly4 ,it is giving ,satan all the chance he needs4 ,one of the most hurtful ideas existing among us today is1 that one sin puts a man back in the same place where he was before he was saved4 ,nothing could be more false2 nothing could more obscure what salvation has done for him4 ,nothing could tend more to make him indifferent and careless4 ,i want to oppose that idea with all my strength1 for it is ,satan's lie4 ,when a man sins he becomes guilty1 but the good character that has been built up1 the pure feelings and desires1 the right habits of thought and action1 the ,christian point of view to which he has attained--these are all a wealth that he still possesses4 ,they are something of exceeding value1 which in a large measure still remain in his possession4 ,they are1 however1 in serious danger4 ,if he persists in sin1 he will lose them all2 but if he recovers himself in time1 he will save them4 ,i offer no excuse for sin2 it is terrible1 and how quickly its deadly infection spreads through all the being6 ,fear it as you would fear a plague4 ,if you have sinned1 make your way back to ,god at once before that sin shall 8increase to more ungodliness40 ,if you are a backslider1 do not think that it does not matter what you do2 for it does matter greatly4 ,do not add sin to sin1 increasing your guilt2 but let the fear of ,god be upon your heart4 ,if you are overcome1 do not let yourself be routed4 ,do not throw away your weapons in a panic1 but turn again and face the foe and fight him until the victory comes1 until you regain what you have lost1 until you stand 8more than conqueror through him that loved us40 ,,talk ,,twenty-,,five4 ,,my ,,dream ,,message ,solomon says that dreams come 8through the multitude of business40 ,our night thoughts are like our day thoughts1 except that our faculties being partly asleep1 our dreams usually lack the coherence and the reasonableness of our waking thoughts4 ,god does occasionally1 at rare intervals1 operate upon men's minds to cause them to dream something2 but even the prophets with whom he thus communicated more than with ordinary men received such messages only now and then1 and their other dreams had no significance4 ,many people are always trying to find some hidden meaning in their dreams4 ,if they have some peculiar dream1 they try to interpret it or to get somebody else to do so4 ,now1 ,god is reasonable4 ,he knows that we can better comprehend when we are awake than when we are asleep2 so he usually communicates with us during our waking hours4 ,we sometimes have very striking dreams1 but this does not signify that the ,lord originated them4 ,i have known people to act very unwisely as the result of following dreams4 ,one night a preacher1 who was holding a series of meetings1 dreamed of having a terrible fight with a great snake4 ,when he awoke1 he felt that surely the ,lord was trying to show him something4 ,he interpreted the dream to mean that somebody in the congregation was represented by that snake4 ,the next day he told his dream in the meeting and said that he thought he knew who the snake was4 ,he began acting upon his supposition4 ,the result was that at least two of the congregation backslid over it1 and the whole church was thrown into confusion4 ,a dream is a dream1 and possibly not more than one in ten thousand come from ,god4 ,there are times1 however1 when we may learn good lessons from our dream thoughts as well as from our waking thoughts4 ,one such dream ,i once had1 and the lesson ,i derived from it has been good for my soul4 ,i dreamed that ,i stood beside a gigantic wild rosebush4 ,in my hand ,i held one of the beautiful fragrant flowers4 ,i looked at it and drank in its rich perfume1 but ,i saw a great number of flowers1 and ,i desired more than the one1 so ,i held it in my left hand and began to reach up for others4 ,they were very high1 so ,i pressed against the outer limbs and stretched to my utmost1 but they were too high2 ,i could not get them4 ,i stepped back from the bush4 ,as ,i did so1 my gaze fell upon the rose in my hand just in time to see its petals fall to the ground4 ,in stretching for those beyond my reach1 ,i had ruined the one that was already mine4 ,i gazed upon the empty stem in my hand and at the bruised petals upon the ground with a feeling of regret4 ,the scene changed4 ,i sat at a desk with pencil and paper1 and in my dream wrote these words3 8,if you have but one rose1 enjoy it to the full4 ,do not let its perfume be wasted upon the empty air1 and its beauty go unnoticed1 while you spend your time in vain longing for the unattainable40 ,when ,i awoke ,i wrote down the words that ,i had written in my dream1 and through the years they have preached to me many a sermon4 ,how natural it is for us to forget what we have while we look at others whom we think to be more fortunate6 ,we look at the blessings that others enjoy and forget to be thankful for our own4 ,we look at others' possessions1 and because they are greater than ours1 we fail to appreciate what we have4 ,our position in life may be very humble1 but however humble1 our life is full of blessings if we but have eyes to see them4 ,when ,i had this dream1 my health was gone1 and ,i lay alone in my bed throughout the long hours of the day while my wife was away working for our support4 ,my eyes were so ,i could read but a very little4 ,we had two rooms in a house with another family4 ,all around us were people with health and plenty4 ,i could easily realize the difference between my situation and theirs4 ,sometimes ,i would look out of the window and see people passing1 strong and vigorous and care-free4 ,i would hear the gay laughter and the sound of happy voices1 while ,i--there ,i lay suffering and alone4 ,how easy it was to see their blessings6 and in seeing theirs1 how easy it was to forget my own6 ,but this dream came upon the morning of my birthday2 and as ,i lay there thinking it over1 ,i determined that in the coming year ,i would not let my one rose be spoiled because ,i was reaching for that which was beyond my reach4 ,i decided to enjoy my own blessings4 ,if others were more blessed than ,i1 should ,i not rejoice in the fact8 ,longing to be like them would not make me so4 ,if ,i had but little to enjoy1 ,i would enjoy that little4 ,so ,i began to look at my blessings1 and as ,i looked them over ,i found them greater than ,i had supposed4 ,i had many things to give me comfort4 ,i had food to satisfy my hunger4 ,i had a home and clothing4 ,i had the loving care of a faithful wife4 ,i had kind friends who gave to me freely of their sympathy and who were ready to grant my every wish so far as it lay in their power4 ,better than all else1 ,i had the peace of ,god in my heart4 ,i began to realize that my state might be far worse4 ,the more ,i thought1 the more ,i saw for which to be thankful4 ,the more ,i considered my blessings1 the more ,i appreciated them4 ,and many a time since have ,i looked out upon the passers-by or listened to their merriment1 and have said to myself1 8,i would not exchange places with you2 for ,i am saved2 ,i have the treasure of ,god's love2 ,i have the presence of the ,holy ,spirit2 ,i have the joys of salvation2 ,i have a mansion in heaven40 ,i knew that most of the passers-by did not have these things1 and so ,i was blessed more than they4 ,what were health and strength when put to a wrong use8 ,what were temporal blessings that ministered only to selfishness8 ,what were the joy and gaiety that ignored ,god8 ,what were the pleasures of sin1 when they only laid up a harvest of sorrow8 ,ah no1 ,i had no reason to envy them1 for my blessings were greater and would not fade away like mist before the sun4 ,my brother1 my sister1 you may be happy in your own little corner if you will learn the lesson of enjoying what you have4 ,learn to be content with common things4 ,learn that the truest joy does not come from external things4 ,it springs spontaneously from a contented heart4 ,if ,god wills that you be situated as you are1 will he not make you happy where you are8 ,the ,bible says1 8,godliness with contentment is great gain 444 ,having food and raiment let us be therewith content0 7#a ,tim4 #f3 #f-h74 ,you may not have much of this world's goods2 you may not have many talents2 your blessings may seem few2 but remember my dream message--8,if you have but one rose1 enjoy it to the full40 ,if another has both hands filled1 he may enjoy them less than you enjoy your one1 unless you look with envious eyes4 ,sometimes a little perfume is sweeter than an abundance4 ,do not spend your days in vain longing4 ,do not despise what you have because it is not greater4 ,cultivate the habit of thankfulness and appreciation4 ,be glad for what you have4 ,be contented4 ,better your condition if you can1 but do not spoil what you have in reaching for more4 ,if you have but one talent1 use it for the ,lord and be thankful for it4 ,do not depreciate it because others have several talents4 ,use it and be content4 ,happiness consists not in the things we have1 but in our appreciation and use of them4 ,so enjoy your one rose4 ,drink in its sweet perfume2 gaze upon its beauteous colors4 ,enjoy it to the full4 ,,talk ,,twenty-,,six4 ,,when ,,god ,,withdraws ,,himself ,a mother sat quietly in her easy chair4 ,upon the floor near her was her little one playing--piling his blocks one upon another1 then throwing them down and laughing in childish glee4 ,he was all absorbed in his play4 ,the mother gazed upon him with her eyes beaming4 ,presently she began to call him1 8,baby1 come to ,mama6 ,baby1 ,baby1 come to ,mama60 but he played on unheeding4 ,again she called1 but he paid no attention2 his mind was occupied with his own affairs4 ,presently the mother quietly slipped from her chair and went into an adjoining room1 out of the baby's sight4 ,he did not notice her go4 ,he supposed that she was right there and that he could go to her at any time2 but happening to glance up from his play1 he saw that the chair was empty4 ,the laughter ceased at once1 and a cloud came over his features2 he turned and looked all around the room1 but his mama was not in sight4 ,he saw only a stranger sitting in an easy chair4 ,a pang of startled fear passed through him1 and he began to cry and call very earnestly1 in his baby way1 for his mama4 ,it brought a quick response4 ,the mother1 leaving her concealment1 rushed to him quickly1 picked him up1 and hugged him tightly to her bosom4 ,his chubby baby arms were clasped about her neck as though he would never let her go4 ,soon the tears were gone and the baby's face lay against that of the mother1 while the joy of the mother-heart caused the eyes to shine like stars4 ,now1 the mother did not go away from the child because she did not love it1 or because she thought that it did not love her2 but she wanted to draw its attention away from its little concerns to herself4 ,she wanted to show her affection for it and to receive its baby caresses in return4 ,like that little one1 we sometimes become so absorbed in our own pleasures1 our work1 or some little personal interest1 that ,god can not attract our attention4 ,his father-heart yearns for a season of communion with us4 ,he wants to show his love to us and receive1 in turn1 our love and communion4 ,but we do not heed him2 we are too busy with other things2 and so he quietly withdraws himself1 and we become aware that we are alone4 ,with that presence gone1 how lonely we feel6 ,how dark the world suddenly grows6 ,how quickly we lose interest in the things that held our attention before6 ,how we yearn for his presence again6 how our hearts reach out for him6 how our tears start6 ,we think1 8,what have we done that caused him to leave us8 have we grieved away his ,spirit8 have we sinned against him80 ,but ah6 he is not gone far2 he is just beyond our vision4 ,he is watching2 he is waiting for our hearts to be drawn back to himself4 ,the mother would not have left her child if by leaving she would have placed him in danger4 ,she did not mean to stay away4 ,so ,god knows that to leave us thus is not to expose us to danger4 ,he is watching1 waiting anxiously the moment when he may return2 and ah6 when he does return and takes us in his bosom1 what words of comfort he speaks6 what tender affection he shows6 and how our hearts are melted and poured out in thanksgiving and adoration before him6 ,if ,god apparently withdraws from us1 it is only because he sees that we need to be left alone for a season4 ,he sees that the heart must be drawn away from selfish interest2 and when this is accomplished1 he comes back and reveals to us anew the fulness and richness of his love4 ,,talk ,,twenty-,,seven4 ,,what ,,happened ,,to ,,solomon ,in his early manhood ,solomon was noted for his deep piety and his fervent love of righteousness4 ,when he became king1 he found a great work ready for his hand1 and he set about the task with a glad heart4 ,to build a temple to ,jehovah was his delight1 and he threw into it his whole strength4 ,his prayer at the dedication of the temple shows a deeply reverent and submissive spirit4 ,as the years went by he increased in riches and honor4 ,his name became a synonym for wisdom4 ,many nations paid him tribute4 ,but notwithstanding all these things1 his heart held true to ,god4 ,during these years he had1 ,i suppose1 no thought but that he should continue thus until the end1 that he should live his life out as a true servant of ,jehovah1 and that his life's sun would go down in a blaze of glory4 ,but alas6 it was not so to be4 ,we who know his history know the dark shadow that came over his life4 ,we know how its radiance faded away into the night4 ,we shall do well to analyze the things that led to his downfall4 ,there was no change in ,jehovah4 ,there was no change in ,solomon's duty toward him4 ,the change that led to the disaster was in ,solomon himself4 ,for political reasons ,solomon married princesses of the royal houses round about him4 ,these women were idolaters4 ,jehovah they regarded as only the national ,god of the ,hebrews4 ,they still clung to their old religions1 and worshiped the gods of their nations4 ,their feelings and sentiments were all in favor of idolatrous worship4 ,these influences ,solomon withstood for a long time4 ,his heart held true to ,god2 but these influences kept on working4 ,he was in daily contact with them1 and little by little they gained a hold upon him2 consequently we read1 8,it came to pass1 when ,solomon was old1 that his wives turned away his heart after other gods3 and his heart was not perfect with the ,lord his ,god1 as was the heart of ,david his father0 7#a ,kings #aa3 #d74 ,as a result1 the man who had been so honored by ,god and who had so honored ,god became an idolater and put his ,lord to an open shame and drew away into the same net of idolatry many of his people4 ,what a lesson there is in this for us6 ,what a warning is there in his example6 ,when young ,christians marry sinners in these days1 the final result is generally pretty much the same as it was with ,solomon4 ,but it is not only through such marriages that hearts are turned away from the ,lord3 there are many other things that will influence us likewise if we are not careful4 ,we are strongly influenced by the actions of others4 ,that influence is constantly working1 whether we are conscious of it or not4 ,in the life of ,joash we see an example of the power of influence4 ,he was brought up by ,jehoiada1 the high priest1 who was a man that feared ,god2 and as a result of the influence brought to bear upon the young king1 he grew up to be a man who feared ,god1 and who1 during the lifetime of ,jehoiada1 did that which was right and good in the sight of the ,lord4 ,he was a good king as long as he had a good teacher and was under proper influence2 but at last ,jehoiada died1 and other influences were brought to bear upon the king4 ,he yielded to them2 and instead of continuing to be a godly king1 he became a wicked one4 ,thus1 his life experience is parallel to that of ,solomon4 ,they were glorious in their youth and young manhood2 but in their old days they dishonored their ,god and themselves1 and in consequence their sun went down in darkness1 and their lives were blighted and sullied4 ,with these two examples before us1 we shall do well to give heed to the scripture that says1 8,let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall40 ,when we are serving the ,lord1 it is natural for us to suppose that we shall go right on to the end4 ,we do not think that we shall yield to any influence that will draw us away from the ,lord4 ,but alas1 how many1 like ,solomon1 are having their hearts turned away by the influences that are brought to bear upon them6 ,solomon himself said1 8,keep thy heart with all diligence10 but he failed to do this4 ,the silent and subtile workings of those evil influences wrought in his heart something that he did not know was taking place4 ,he did not realize that he was being alienated from ,god2 but presently his love had waxed cold1 his zeal had abated4 ,to him the ,god of ,israel became only as one of the other gods4 ,there are influences brought to bear upon you each day and each hour1 my brother1 my sister4 ,do you know what these influences are8 ,do you know how they are working8 ,do you know what effect they are having upon your heart and your life8 upon your thoughts and your soul's attitude8 ,are you diligently guarding yourself against every evil influence8 ,look into your life and see if there is any evil influence to which you have been gradually and unconsciously yielding4 ,has the world been getting closer to you through the years8 ,has it more attraction for you than it had in the days gone by8 ,do its pride and vanity1 its frivolity and ungodliness1 seem less obnoxious to you than it has heretofore8 ,does sin seem a lighter thing to you than it used to8 ,does the ,word of ,god take less hold upon your conscience now than formerly8 ,is the voice of duty speaking in your soul in the same clear terms as before8 and does it find your soul as ready to respond8 ,are the service and worship of ,god still so sweet and satisfying8 ,is it your delight to give of your substance for the spread of the gospel8 or has covetousness1 little by little1 been working into your heart until it has taken root there8 ,do you love material things less or more than formerly8 ,is your consecration just as real and just as complete as it was8 ,if you are coming short in any of these things1 what has been the influence that has worked to bring it about8 ,make a good1 careful examination of the situation4 ,if you have been drifting1 beware lest your heart be entirely turned away from the ,lord4 ,find out what influences are working4 ,watch and defend your heart against them2 overcome their influences2 counteract their powers2 stand for ,god4 ,it is only in this way that you can serve him to the end faithfully1 and that you can be triumphant when the call comes for you to stand before his presence4 ,,talk ,,twenty-,,eight4 ,,fighting ,,the ,,good ,,fight ,,of ,,faith ,paul said1 8,fight the good fight of faith40 ,this world is a battle-ground of spiritual forces4 ,if we are spiritual beings1 it is impossible that we should hold ourselves neutral and stand apart from those forces that are in conflict4 ,we must stand on one side or the other of the battle array4 ,jesus has said1 8,he that is not with me is against me40 ,since we must be in the conflict whether we will to be or not1 it behooves us to be on the right side4 ,when we know that we are on the right side1 then the thing of greatest importance to us is the method of our warfare4 ,since we wrestle not against flesh and blood1 but against the principalities and powers of evil1 it is not strange that our weapons should be 8not carnal0 weapons1 which are effective against material foes1 but those spiritual weapons that are 8mighty through ,god40 ,one great outstanding fact in this battle of life is that it is necessarily a battle of faith4 ,as ,i observe some people's methods of trying to fight this ,christian warfare1 it seems to me that they are rather fighting the fight of unbelief1 or of doubts4 ,instead of being confident with the confidence that true faith gives1 they are all the time fearful4 ,they are never certain they are going to win4 ,they are never certain that their methods are going to prevail4 ,they are always trembling and uncertain4 ,when they do gain a victory1 it seems more like a piece of good fortune than the result of their fighting4 ,when they see a conflict coming1 they shrink from it and look for some way to evade it4 ,they are filled with fear of the outcome4 ,sometimes they fight in desperation and win2 and when they see that they have won1 they are surprized4 ,they were almost sure that they would lose the battle2 they were almost certain of defeat1 but in some way they won4 ,that victory1 however1 does not give them much courage to meet the next conflict4 ,they meet it with the same fearfulness1 with the same unbelief1 with the same doubt4 ,there is not the joyful note of victory in their song4 ,they do not face the future with confident expectation of winning4 ,they are continually harassed with their doubts2 they are constantly troubled with forebodings4 ,it is better to fight thus than not to fight at all1 but there is a better way than this to fight4 ,faith is the mightiest of all weapons4 ,when our spirits are armed with faith1 we may go confidently into any battle4 ,we may have expectation of winning4 ,we may know before we fight that victory is ours4 ,we may face our adversary with calm confidence and with a consciousness of an indwelling power that is greater than his power4 ,has not ,god said1 8,greater is he that is in you1 than he that is in the world08 ,if our faith claims that to be so1 then ,god will make it so to us4 ,we must have faith in ,god4 ,he is our leader4 ,the army that does not have confidence in the ability and courage of its leader is half defeated before it goes into battle4 ,most of us1 ,i think1 have confidence in ,god's ability as a leader1 and in his power and wisdom1 and believe that he is able to overcome our foes4 ,it is not his ability that we doubt4 ,the only question that confronts us is1 8,will he use that power to conquer our enemies80 ,we see that he has made many promises4 ,it is easy to believe1 in a general way1 that they will be fulfilled2 but when it comes to making direct applications to the situations that we meet1 it is there that faith sometimes fails4 ,will ,god fight for us on this special occasion8 ,will ,god help us now8 ,will he really make good his word to us8 or will he fail us in the critical moment8 ,if ,god's promises are true1 then the ones that relate to our particular needs are true1 and they are true now4 ,if they are true to others1 they are true to us1 for ,god is no respecter of persons4 ,and if they are true to us1 they are true to us now as well as they were yesterday or will be tomorrow4 ,it is so easy to think that ,god would help others4 ,they are more worthy than we are4 ,do you feel this way8 ,do you feel that if it were somebody else in your place1 you could easily have faith that ,god would help8 ,then1 why not have faith that ,god will help you8 ,this brings us to the next important thought3 ,we must have faith in ourselves as well as in ,god4 ,we must have faith in our integrity and loyalty4 ,do we mean real business for ,god8 ,have we thrown ourselves unreservedly on the side of ,god in this battle8 ,do we intend with all our souls to fight the good fight of faith8 ,do we have it really settled that we are going to do the right8 ,so many want to do the right1 but they are not sure that they will do it4 ,they mean to do it1 but they are constantly afraid that they will fail in doing it4 ,this is not faith4 ,have confidence in yourself2 not only in your loyalty and integrity and purpose to serve ,god1 but also in your ability to do it4 ,you can do it4 ,you can do it as well as anyone else4 ,that doubt and fearfulness that you have will only be a hindrance to you4 ,get rid of it4 ,develop confidence in yourself--not overconfidence that depends upon yourself1 but that true confidence that depends upon ,god helping you and that arms you with courage and trust in ,god and in yourself4 ,you must also have confidence in your weapons4 ,our weapons are 8mighty through ,god10 we are told4 ,god has told you how to win2 and just as surely as you follow his instructions and trust in him for results1 he will cause you to wear the victor's crown4 ,our cause is a righteous one4 ,have faith in that cause1 and know that right must triumph4 ,but remember that you can not win unless you put your faith into your fighting4 8,this is the victory that overcometh the world1 even your faith40 ,believe that you will win4 ,no matter how weak you are1 no matter how great your foe1 no matter what may confront you1 go into the conflict with that courage that is born of faith4 ,believe that ,god will give you the victory4 ,do not consider defeat at all4 ,let your faith mount up1 and say3 8,i can win1 and ,i will win4 ,in ,god ,i will conquer40 ,throw away your doubts4 ,make an end of them4 ,trust in ,god4 ,his ,word is true4 ,you can believe it if you will1 and believing it1 you shall be more than conqueror through him that loves you4 ,,talk ,,twenty-,,nine4 ,,how ,,are ,,your ,,ear ,,connections8 ,a telephone must be properly connected with where the person is to whom we wish to communicate1 or it will be of no value to us4 ,if the connection is broken1 or the receiver out of order1 it will be useless for us to talk into the transmitter3 the person at the other end will hear none of our words4 ,we may speak just the same as though he were hearing1 but nothing will be accomplished4 ,there must be a proper connection3 there must be a responsive vibration at the other end of the wire4 ,it is just so in spiritual things4 ,one of the most important things is to have our ears properly connected with our hearts4 ,we have often heard the expression1 8,it just went in at one ear and out at the other40 ,by this is meant that the one who heard gave no heed4 ,how often this occurs in regard to the things of ,god6 ,when it comes to gossip and idle tales and foolish conversation and things of that sort1 we ought to let such go 8in at one ear and out at the other02 we should be very careful that they find no lodging-place in our hearts4 ,that is the only safe way for our souls4 ,but too often these things are given a place in the heart and mind3 there is too good a connection1 and many times there is only too ready a response in the heart for such things4 ,that is why some people can never keep spiritual1 and are always lagging behind others4 ,people who have such a good connection and responsiveness in their hearts on these lines usually have very poor connection between their ears and their hearts when it comes to the teachings of the ,word of ,god4 ,they can hear the ,word preached on almost any subject1 and not seem to think it means them4 ,they go along in their lives just as they had been doing before4 ,they feel no particular responsibility to obey4 ,they can go on just as if they had never heard1 and still profess1 and possibly shout occasionally4 ,there were times when ,israel had their connection broken4 ,god said to the prophet of old1 8,they hear thy words1 but they will not do them40 ,so many times people say1 8,was not that a good sermon today80 ,why1 yes1 how they enjoyed it6 ,but they go their way and give no further heed to what was said4 ,however1 in the popular pulpits of today the preachers too often hold this attitude3 8,this is my opinion of things4 ,you may take it or let it alone1 just as you please2 you have a right to your own opinions about it40 ,and there are a great many people who act upon this idea4 ,they feel that they can take a thing or let it alone1 just as they please--even when the words preached are the judgments of ,god4 ,many hold that attitude not only toward preaching but toward the ,bible also4 ,they read1 or hear read1 what it says about worldliness1 foolish actions and conversation1 the wearing of gold for adornment2 they read about being patient and holy and blameless1 about not returning evil for evil1 and about speaking evil of no man2 yet they go right on doing the things forbidden1 just as though the ,book said nothing4 ,they do not take it to heart4 ,the trouble is1 the connections between their ears and their hearts are broken as far as these things of ,god are concerned4 ,the ,bible warns us to take heed how we hear4 ,if we do not treat the preaching of ,god's ,word reverently1 and listen with reverent hearts to his messages1 it is because we do not reverence him4 ,it is because in our hearts we are lifted up against him4 ,that attitude of 8,i shall take or leave alone1 just as ,i please0 is one of the very worst attitudes that can be held4 ,not only is it dishonoring to ,god1 but it is exceedingly dangerous4 ,sometimes such an attitude of heart is partly1 at least1 the result of the way the preacher preaches4 ,if a man has a message from ,god1 he has authority to preach that message as the word of ,god1 and he should so preach it4 ,every true gospel preacher should be imbued with the feeling3 8,i am preaching the truth of ,god4 ,it is your duty to hear it2 ,i expect you to hear it2 and hear it you must40 ,let him hold this attitude in his heart and mind1 and then let him enforce upon his congregation by proper disciplinary methods the truth that he preaches4 ,if the preacher feels his authority as ,god's spokesman as he ought to feel it1 the people will be impressed--they can not help it4 ,it is true that they may rebel1 grow stubborn1 or disobey2 they may shut his words out from their hearts2 but nevertheless he is clear1 and they only increase their responsibility1 of which they must give an account to ,god4 ,paul believed that preaching and teaching should be with 8all authority40 ,this does not imply mere human rule1 but divine authority--,god speaking through the man4 ,when the heart does not hear and feel1 there is always a reason4 ,one reason is self-will4 ,people do not like to be told what to do4 ,they like to be masters of themselves4 ,god's government demands complete surrender of self-will and must of necessity do so4 ,if we will be his servants1 it is not for us to choose what our lives shall be1 nor what we shall say1 nor what we shall do4 ,it is his right to command2 it is our part to hear and to obey4 ,to hear and then to heed just as we please is setting up our authority above his4 ,the two ideas of service and self-will are opposed the one to the other4 ,self-will always means rebellion against ,god's will4 ,therefore if a person chooses what he will do1 and leaves undone what he finds distasteful1 he1 and not ,god1 is the master4 ,this self-willed disposition is very noticeable among nominal professors of religion4 ,they profess to be ,god's servants1 and yet they set their wills not to do certain things that they ought to do1 or else to do certain things that they ought not to do4 ,they have their minds and hearts set in the matter4 ,when they hear the ,word of ,god preached on matters predetermined by them1 it falls on unhearing ears4 ,there is no response of the heart4 ,another reason is love of ease--indolence4 ,people hear the voice of duty1 but they do not respond to it because they do not wish to make the necessary effort4 ,they do not let their hearts be pressed by a sense of duty on that particular point1 because to obey they must arouse themselves from their indolent attitude4 ,one symptom showing that the heart does not hear is unbelief4 ,one reason why the ,jews did not believe ,christ was because their hearts were so hard1 and that is one reason why people do not hear the gospel in these days4 ,this is not confined to non-professing sinners2 it is a very common thing among church-members4 ,reader1 how is it with you8 ,are you one of those who have the connection broken between the ears and the heart8 or have you listening ears and a feeling heart8 ,when you hear the ,word of ,god preached on certain subjects1 can you slight it8 or does it sink deep into your conscience and take hold there and produce fruit in your life8 ,are you ready to live by every word of ,god8 ,or do you want to take only that which suits your views8 ,if the latter is true in your case1 you are in a dangerous condition4 ,god has the word preached1 not simply to entertain people1 but that they may obey it4 ,the soul who delights in ,god's will does not have to be compelled to listen1 nor does he have to be compelled to obey2 he is ready both to hear and to obey4 ,if there is something wrong with the connection between your ears and your heart1 you had better get one of ,god's 8trouble men0 to look after it at once2 or1 better still1 go direct to ,god and have the connection remade4 ,get your heart taught to feel as it ought to feel1 and to respond as it ought to respond4 ,be not a hearer only1 but be a doer of ,god's ,word4 ,,talk ,,thirty4 ,,fret ,,not ,,thyself ,to fret means to chafe1 to be irritated1 to be uneasy1 to be troubled and bothered4 ,it is just the opposite of peaceful1 trustful rest4 ,jesus has promised us rest to our souls1 and we may have this rest4 ,we can not have it1 however1 if we give place to worrying and fretting4 ,god's purpose for us is that we shall have calmness and soul-quietness1 even in the midst of tribulation4 ,he has said1 8,my peace ,i give unto you40 ,he followed this by saying1 8,let not your heart be troubled1 neither let it be fearful0 7,john #ad3 #bg74 7,these and all following quotations are from the ,american ,standard ,version47 ,it is not ,god's will that we be continually worrying4 ,this world is full of things that are not as they ought to be1 and if we are to be happy and peaceful we must adjust ourselves to circumstances and learn to be happy in spite of the things that are displeasing to us1 that are not as they ought to be4 ,we can never be amidst ideal conditions in this world4 ,fretting is like sand in a bearing2 it is likely to make all sorts of trouble4 ,it will use up the energy that we ought to be using for something else2 it will keep our physical and spiritual nerves on edge2 it will spoil the tranquility of our lives2 it will mar our peace and take the sweetness out of our devotions4 ,some people are always worrying about the wrongdoings of others4 ,they fret and grieve1 and can not remove the subject from their minds nor the burden from their hearts4 ,the ,bible says1 8,fret not thyself because of evil-doers0 7,psa4 #cg3 #a74 ,many people choose to do wrong2 many people do wrong to themselves and to others1 including ,god's people4 ,of course1 we can not rejoice over this1 but we should not let it spoil our own lives4 ,we should not fret about it4 ,we should have a proper concern for the welfare of their souls1 so that we shall earnestly pray for them and do all in our power to cause them to do better1 but this is very different from being fretful1 from worrying and bothering ourselves continually4 ,if we keep our eyes on the wickedness of others and continually grieve over it1 we shall have no time to be joyful ourselves1 we shall have no time to live our life with ,god4 ,psalm #cg further says1 8,fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way1 because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass0 7v4 #g74 ,what all of us need to learn is to let ,god bear his own responsibilities4 ,he tells us what to do in the first part of the verse--8,rest in ,jehovah1 and wait patiently for him40 ,if evil-doers prosper1 if they seem even more prosperous than the righteous1 if they seem to get along without trouble1 we should not be bothered over that4 ,that is ,god's business4 ,we see a great many evil things going on1 and we should like to stop them4 ,they grieve us in spirit1 and this is but natural4 ,but we ought not to fret ourselves over them4 ,there is a vast difference between godly concern and human worry1 and we need to learn this difference clearly4 ,to be concerned about such things1 and to pray earnestly for ,god to overcome them and put a stop to them1 is all very well2 but when it comes to fretting over them and worrying and being bothered1 this is quite another thing4 ,we should never let these things mar the peace of our souls4 ,god means for us to have peace and be thankful right here in the midst of all this wickedness4 ,he tells us why we should not fret4 8,fret not thyself2 it tendeth only to evil-doing0 7v4 #h74 ,fretfulness has a tendency to make us doubt ,god and his wisdom3 how natural for us to think that if we had the power that he has we would put a stop to such things4 ,it has a tendency to make us murmur and to be dissatisfied4 ,it is likely to discourage us2 and when we are discouraged1 we are likely to murmur against the way things appear to be going4 ,fretfulness is almost certain to take the sweetness out of our hearts and out of our communion with ,god4 ,it will lead to a loss of spirituality4 ,it will rob us of spiritual tone4 ,when we are fretting we may think that we are doing the best we can1 but we are not4 ,we may think that we can not help fretting1 but we can4 ,there is a way in which we may possess control of ourselves and cast the burden of the responsibility upon ,god1 and he will bear it if we do thus4 ,we have to decide that we will be happy no matter what happens1 no matter what the conduct of others may be1 no matter what obstacles they place in our way1 no matter what burdens they may throw upon us4 ,we will be happy anyway1 because ,god has willed that we should be happy4 ,if we see things going wrong we should take the burden to the ,lord1 saying3 8,lord1 thou must bear the responsibility of these things4 ,my shoulders were not made to bear these burdens4 ,they are thine4 ,i give them over to thee4 ,if anything is to be accomplished1 thou must do it40 ,then we must take our hands off4 ,we must let the thing go1 treat it as something that is none of our business1 and let ,god handle the situation4 ,again1 he said1 8,neither be thou envious against them that work unrighteousness40 ,it is so easy to look upon those who are rich and who are not using their money for ,god1 and think1 8,i wish ,i had their money2 how much good ,i might do with it60 ,or perhaps when we see talented people of the world1 we might say1 8,oh1 if ,i had the ability they have1 ,i would use it for the ,lord60 ,god does not want us to do this2 that is1 to envy them their riches or their talents4 ,it is all right for us to wish that we had more money or greater talents to use for the ,lord1 but it is not right to be envious of others4 ,even wishing that we had more is a waste of time4 ,the thing that is important is that we use what we do have4 ,if we are given to letting ourselves worry and fret over things that others do toward us1 it is often an incentive to them to try to make us trouble4 ,we see a good illustration of this in the life of ,hannah4 ,elkanah had two wives4 ,peninnah had a number of children1 but ,hannah was childless4 ,peninnah took advantage of this to reproach ,hannah1 and it is said she 8provoked her sore1 to make her fret0 7#a ,sam4 #a3 #f74 ,there are some people who delight in twitting others about some fault or physical defect1 or because of lack of ability or something of that sort4 ,if they see that this causes us to fret1 it only increases their desire to provoke us4 ,then again1 some people like to make sport of others1 and tease them2 and if they see that some one can not hear it well1 if it frets him and worries him1 this only increases their delight4 ,i have heard such people say1 8,i just like to tease ,so-and-so2 he can not stand it at all40 ,saints1 of course1 should never do such a thing as that2 they should have more regard for the feelings of others4 ,but sinners will do such things4 ,we may expect it4 ,therefore1 the thing to do is to learn not to fret over it1 but to submit our ways to ,god and bear it patiently4 ,never allow yourself to fret over anything4 ,fretting never helps4 ,it always hinders4 ,learn to commit these things to ,god4 ,cast your burdens upon him--and do not try to bear his burdens4 ,learn to be happy in spite of your difficulties4 ,keep your own soul-life separated from these troublesome things4 ,god will help you1 and you can make a success4 ,he commands you not to fret1 and he will give you grace to keep from doing it4 ,,talk ,,thirty-,,one4 ,,being ,,easily ,,entreated ,not long since ,i saw in the report of a meeting a statement something like this3 8,the brethren were easily entreated1 and so all personal difficulties were easily settled40 ,one of the greatest problems that ministers meet and one that requires the most patience and wisdom is the problem of settling personal difficulties4 ,these difficulties are often found existing between those professing to be ,christians4 ,and sometimes they are very hard to get settled4 ,there is just one reason for this3 those involved are not 8easy to be entreated40 ,james tells us that this is a quality of that 8wisdom that is from above40 ,the quality of being easily entreated is a mark of true piety and of a ,christlike spirit4 ,where it is wanting1 spirituality is always below normal4 ,it is not hard to settle troubles if people want to have them settled2 for if they really want them settled1 they are willing to settle them the right way4 ,peace and harmony mean more to them than any other consideration1 except truth4 ,division and discord can not exist unless people are willing to have it so2 that is1 unless one or both parties place a higher value upon something else than they do upon peace and harmony4 ,abraham is an example of a man who is easily entreated4 ,when strife arose between his herdmen and those of ,lot1 it grieved him1 and he said to ,lot1 8,let there be no strife1 ,i pray thee1 between me and thee1 and between my herdmen and thy herdmen2 for we be brethren0 7,gen4 #ac3 #h74 ,he therefore proposed to give ,lot his choice of all the land and to take what was left4 ,what does it mean to be easily entreated8 ,it means to be kind and just and reasonable and self-sacrificing in one's attitude toward others4 ,the man who possesses this quality habitually manifests this temper in his life4 ,there are those who are very tenacious of their rights4 ,they feel that people do not respect those rights as they should2 so when any question involving them arises1 they feel as though they must 8stand up for their rights40 ,they often lose sight of everything else2 kindness1 mercy1 forbearance1 patience1 ,christlikeness--in fact1 nothing counts but their rights4 ,their rights they will defend2 and very often their rights prove to be wrongs1 or in insisting on their rights they do that which wrongs others4 ,really spiritual people are not so particular and insistent concerning their rights4 ,they would far rather sacrifice their rights than to contend for them1 unless something vital is involved1 which is rarely the case4 ,when a spiritual man is compelled to defend his rights1 he will do it in a meek and quiet way1 a way that has in it nothing offensive or self-assertive4 ,when they were about to scourge ,paul unlawfully1 his only assertion of his rights was to quietly ask1 8,is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a ,roman1 and uncondemned80 7,acts #bb3 #be74 ,but there are those who will not yield in the least2 they know their rights1 and they will not yield to anyone6 ,very often their rights would look quite different if such persons possessed more of the spirit of ,christ4 ,things sometimes look very different to different people1 and no amount of talking and arguing will make them see alike2 and the more of such there is1 the further apart people drift4 ,that is the reason so many church troubles are always being settled but are never really settled4 ,the trouble is in the hearts4 ,the members are not willing to be entreated4 ,let them get their hearts warm toward each other1 and be filled with the spirit of brotherly kindness4 ,until such is the condition1 one might as well try to weld two pieces of cold iron4 ,as before stated1 when people desire unity and harmony they can have it4 ,but they must desire it enough to be willing to sacrifice for it all those things that prevent it4 ,another thing that hinders is self-will4 ,so many people like to have their own way4 ,if others will do their way1 such persons can be very gracious and kind2 but if they do not have their way1 they manifest a very different disposition4 ,they are ready to 8balk02 their kindness is gone2 they become stubborn2 if there is trouble1 they are very slow to yield4 ,it is very hard for them to submit even when they are convinced that they should do so4 ,when they do seem to yield1 it is often only an outward yielding1 the heart remaining the same4 ,how much trouble this self-will makes1 and how different it is in spirit from him who said1 8,not my will1 but thine1 be done06 ,we are commanded to submit ourselves one to another4 ,when we demand that all the submission be on the part of the other person1 it shows that we are self-willed1 that we care more about having things go our way than we do about having them go right1 or than we care to manifest a ,christlike disposition4 ,still another thing that prevents our being easily entreated is pride4 ,a lady was recently talking with me about a conversation she had just had with some other ladies4 ,she had been advocating a certain doctrine which they did not receive4 ,in speaking of it she said3 8,i grew a little warm in the discussion of it4 ,i did not mean to let them best me40 ,so many people have this disposition4 ,they will not be 8bested40 ,they will hold to their position even when they are in the wrong1 and know it4 ,if they did not take such a position1 they might acknowledge the other to be right2 but when they have taken the stand1 they will not yield4 ,what is the trouble8 ,pride in the heart is the secret4 ,this disposition always has its root in pride2 humility never acts in this way4 ,pride keeps people from acknowledging truth2 it keeps them from changing their attitude4 ,pride of opinion keeps them from being willing to listen patiently to others who differ with them4 ,pride is at the root of many church and personal troubles2 pride is what they feed on1 and the only way to cure them is to get rid of the pride4 ,the minister who would settle such troubles has need to look for one or more of these three things4 ,he may expect a search to disclose either selfishness1 self-will1 or pride2 for if the trouble is not easily settled1 he may be assured that some or all of them are in the way4 ,his task1 then1 is not so much to get at what seems to be the trouble1 as to give attention to these underlying things which are the life of the trouble4 ,no trouble is truly settled till these elements are purged out of the heart4 ,o brethren6 what we need in all the churches and in every heart is that 8wisdom that is from above0 7,jas4 #c3 #ag74 ,we are told that it is 8first pure40 ,by wisdom ,james does not here mean what we usually mean by that term1 but in it he includes the whole of the gift of ,god that comes to us in our salvation4 ,it is 8first pure10 then as a natural consequence of that purity it is 8peaceable40 ,it loves peace2 it seeks to be at peace with all4 ,it is 8gentle40 ,that gentleness which was manifested in the life of ,jesus reveals itself anew in the hearts of those who are 8first pure40 ,love has no harsh words1 no harsh feelings4 ,it is full of mercy and easy to be entreated4 ,where this heavenly wisdom abides1 there will not be a disposition to assert one's own rights1 to be self-willed1 or to hold fast to one's own ways2 on the contrary1 if its blessed presence fills our souls1 we shall be merciful1 kind1 forgiving1 long-suffering1 pitiful1 and we shall have the same tender feeling for our brother who has done us wrong as the father had for the prodigal4 ,we shall be ready to run to meet him4 ,we shall be ready to forget all the past4 ,our hearts will be filled with joyfulness at the expected reconciliation4 ,o brethren there is nothing needed quite so much today and every day as that heart-quality that makes people 8easy to be entreated40 ,,talk ,,thirty-,,two4 ,,following 8,,whithersoever0 ,one day as ,jesus was passing along the highway1 a man said to him1 8,i will follow thee whithersoever thou goest0 7,luke #i3 #eg74 ,this man no doubt was greatly impressed by the wonderful works and noble character of ,christ4 ,he thought that companionship with such a man would be full of blessing and richness4 ,just to see and hear would be worth any man's time and effort--to hear the gracious words that came from ,his lips would enrich mind and heart2 to see the mighty works done would inspire4 ,to him it seemed to be one of the most desirable of all things4 ,christ's answer to him1 however1 showed that following ,him might well mean something more than this man had ever considered4 ,his way did not always lead through pleasant places2 ,his path was not always to be rose-strewn2 not always would the multitude look on ,him with favor4 ,whether this man followed ,jesus we are not told1 but following evidently meant more to him now than it had meant before4 ,there are many today who1 like that man of old1 say1 8,lord1 ,i will follow thee10 with no clear idea of what it means4 ,it was not hard to follow him when the multitude shouted1 8,hosanna60 and threw palm-branches before him4 ,it is easy for us to follow him today when his cause is popular1 when people are proclaiming the truth of what we teach and approving of our service4 ,it is no task to follow when it brings praise and admiration4 ,it is no task to follow in the calm after his 8,peace1 be still10 on ,gennesaret4 ,who would not follow gladly to the mount of transfiguration to behold his glory8 ,but to follow him 8whithersoever0 means more than this4 ,it is our privilege to share in his glory1 his triumph1 and his exaltation2 but if we have a part in these1 as true followers we must also follow him in his humiliation4 ,are we willing to follow him when the multitude laughs and mocks at him8 when his cause is unpopular8 when for praise we have reproaches8 when for smiles we have sneers8 ,then comes the test whether we will follow him all the way4 ,on one occasion1 after he had preached1 the multitude forsook him and only the ,twelve were stedfast4 ,in these days many are offended at the ,word4 ,are we willing to accept it all8 ,are we willing to listen to it all8 ,are we willing to obey it all8 ,god wants 8whithersoever0 men and women1 who will hear the whole ,word1 believe the whole ,word1 and obey the whole ,word4 ,if we shrink from obedience to any part1 we lack just that much of being 8whithersoever0 disciples4 ,christ lived a dedicated life2 he was dedicated to his ,father's will and accomplished his work2 he gave himself solely to this4 ,he allowed nothing to come between him and the fulfilment of ,god's purpose4 ,with him nothing counted except that he should finish his work4 ,there is a purpose1 a moving purpose1 in every life4 ,there is one thing above all other things that is the chief purpose of our life4 ,in many cases that purpose is to please self1 to follow out a course of our own choosing4 ,the dominant purpose in the heart of every true follower is the same as it was in the life of ,christ--to do the will and work of the ,father4 ,he who shrinks from either may hesitate to call himself a true follower4 ,christ sacrificed all1 even his life4 ,a 8whithersoever0 follower has the same spirit of sacrifice2 he will not withhold himself nor that which is his4 ,the early church rejoiced 8that they were counted worthy to suffer0 for ,christ4 ,let us today look into our own hearts and see if we are animated by the same spirit4 ,that spirit is a very different spirit from that which is seen in those who are offended by a word or a look and who are ready to resent the slightest act that encroaches upon their rights4 ,how empty the claim of many who profess to be real followers6 ,they follow where it pleases them1 but as soon as something happens not to their liking1 they are ready to draw back4 ,christ had not where to lay his head4 ,we have no record that he ever owned anything save the clothes he wore4 ,a 8whithersoever0 follower is not ashamed of the poor2 and if he himself is poor1 he is not ashamed of his poverty4 ,but ,christ was not always poor4 ,we read that 8he became poor40 ,he sacrificed that others might be enriched4 ,the same spirit of sacrifice will make us willing to sacrifice what we have for the enrichment of others4 ,if there were more 8whithersoevers0 among us1 we should not hear of ministers' being kept out of the work through lack of support or a lack of funds to carry on the ,lord's work4 ,think of a stingy 8whithersoever06 ,can you imagine such a combination8 ,yet many professed followers fail in their duty to give to the cause4 ,let us bring the question home to ourselves4 ,let us examine our hearts and lives4 ,are we willing to follow ,christ all the way1 even when we are rejected by our friends and relatives1 through sneers and revilings8 ,we might be willing to walk on the waters with him1 but how about ,gethsemane8 ,we may be willing to eat of the loaves and fishes1 but are we willing to go with him to the palace of the high priest8 ,we might drink of the wine of ,cana1 but will we wear the thorns8 ,we would gladly sit with him on his throne1 but will we bear the cross with him to ,calvary8 ,we can easily follow him where the way is easy and when our emotions are exalted and our hearts full of praise1 but will we follow him when the skies grow dark1 when we are troubled1 when bitter trials come1 when it takes courage to face what is before us8 ,let us decide to be true when the way is strewn with stones or hedged with thorns1 when the clouds hang low as well as when all is bright and encouraging4 ,let us cast away all shrinking1 and say from our hearts and by our lives1 8,i will follow whithersoever thou goest40 ,,talk ,,thirty-,,three4 ,,paul',s ,,persuasion ,paul uses the term 8persuaded0 in the sense of assurance4 ,when he said that he was persuaded of a thing involving ,god's attitude1 he meant that he was fully convinced that it was as it was stated to be4 ,he meant that to him it stood out as a reality4 ,it was a thing that he no longer questioned4 ,in ,rom4 #h3 #ch and #ci1 he speaks of one of the things of which he was persuaded4 ,he did not seem to feel about it as some feel2 and when they read what he says1 they realize that they do not feel just as he did4 ,he says1 8,for ,i am persuaded1 that neither death1 nor life1 nor angels1 nor principalities1 nor powers1 nor things present1 nor things to come1 nor height1 nor depth1 nor any other creature1 shall be able to separate us from the love of ,god1 which is in ,christ ,jesus our ,lord40 ,some people are all the time worrying lest they should be separated from that love1 lest ,god's love should be turned into hatred against them4 ,they walk before him with fear and trembling4 ,they are all the time questioning whether their conduct merits his approval4 ,they are ever fearful lest they might do something that would bring his wrath upon them4 ,their life is a life of fear and of bondage4 ,paul had no such fears and no such feelings4 ,he knew that the great heart of ,god is a heart of love1 a heart of tender pity1 compassion1 and sympathy4 ,he knew that ,god is tender toward his earthly children4 ,why1 even when we were sinners1 ,christ died for us6 and the ,father so loved us that he gave his only begotten ,son4 ,this love was for rebels4 ,how much greater his affection for his sons6 ,instead of thinking that he might be easily separated from the love of ,god1 and that he should have to be exceedingly careful lest he should be1 ,paul cries out1 8,who shall separate us from the love of ,christ80 7v4 #ce74 ,by this he means1 ,who or what shall be able to separate us8 ,paul knew something of the strength of earthly love4 ,he knew mother-love--how tenderly it holds to its own4 ,he knew that no matter where the son wanders1 mother-love goes with him2 mother-love calls him back2 mother-love yearns over him4 ,he knew love in other forms--how tenaciously it clings to its objects4 ,but the love of ,christ1 or the love of ,god in ,christ1 is above and beyond all this human love4 ,and so he cried out1 8,who shall separate us from the love of ,christ80 ,then he named some things and asked if they should separate us from ,god's love1 and when he looked at them all1 he was still persuaded that nothing should be able4 ,paul says1 8,neither death nor life40 ,if death should lay his icy fingers upon us1 it would be but the ushering into the more immediate presence of that great love4 ,but if we must continue to live on in our earthly circumstances and surroundings1 that very life can not separate us from the love of ,christ1 for he will love us through it all4 ,through various changes1 through all the trying situations that may face us1 that love will hold us fast4 ,time and change can not make that love grow cold4 ,again1 he says1 8,nor angels40 ,god is in heaven1 surrounded by the angels1 but he wants us to understand that those angels can not take up so much of his time and attention that he will forget us4 ,nor can those evil angels that hate ,god and hate us separate between us and his love4 ,even ,satan himself1 their leader and master1 has not power to come between us and the love of ,god4 ,ah1 soul1 do not be afraid4 ,satan has no knife sharp enough to cut that love4 ,he has no strength to tear its tendrils out of our hearts4 ,he can not burn those cords that hold us4 ,even all his legions can not touch that love1 if we trust it and trust ourselves in ,god's keeping4 ,then he says1 8,nor things present40 ,o my brother1 sister1 do you believe that8 ,do you believe that the things of this hour1 whatever they may be1 can not separate you from the love of ,god8 8,things present40 ,how many things there are present4 ,how many things there are that press in upon us6 ,how many discouragements there are in life6 ,how many perplexities6 ,how many things that trouble6 ,how many things that would draw us away6 ,yet1 if we keep our trust in ,god1 none of these things will be able to separate us from his love4 ,none of these things will make him turn his back upon us4 8,nor things to come40 ,do you look into the future with dread8 ,do you see with forebodings the things that appear there8 ,do you think1 8,how shall ,i ever pass through it8 ,how shall ,i ever overcome80 ,ah1 those things that are ahead of you can not separate you from ,god's love4 ,that love is going to securely hold you through them all4 ,that love is going to be your strength and your safeguard1 your hope and your all4 ,cast away your forebodings4 ,look to ,god with confidence until the confidence of ,paul enters your soul and you can say with the same assurance that he did1 8,i am persuaded40 ,again1 he says1 8,nor height1 nor depth40 ,it matters not if ,god is in heaven1 high above us4 ,it matters not if he is so great1 so majestic1 so powerful4 ,his height above us shall not prevent his love from reaching us and holding us up4 8,nor depth40 ,it matters not to what depth we sink1 whether it be depths of discouragement or depths of fear or depths in the feeling of our own helplessness4 ,it matters not if ,god is very high and we are very low1 if he is very great and we are very small2 our depth shall not separate us from his height4 ,his love will bridge the gulf4 ,o soul1 trust in that love4 ,rely upon it4 ,it will never fail you4 ,it will securely hold you in the gales of life4 ,tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or perils or storms--none of these things shall be able to separate you from him4 ,and the apostle continues to say1 8,nay1 in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us0 7v4 #cg74 ,love will bear us up as with eagles' wings4 ,it will make smooth the rough paths4 ,it will give strength to the fainting heart4 ,it will preserve us while in the midst of temptation2 and even when we have come short of our expectations1 when we realize that we have in a measure failed1 that love will not cast us off1 but will hold us safe and secure until the end4 ,let us look to that love1 and be confident1 and rest in full assurance of faith1 knowing that ,when the storm-winds rage1 and the rain falls fast1 ,and the clouds hang low above1 ,i shall be secure till the storm is past1 ,for ,i trust my ,savior's love1 ,and he knows the way1 and he holds my hand1 ,and he will not let it go2 ,he will lead me home to that better land ,just because he loves me so4 ,i will trust his love1 for it e'er will last2 ,it is rich and warm and free2 ,through the years of life it will hold me fast1 ,and my help and comfort be4 ,to my waiting heart all its treasures rare1 ,as a sparkling stream shall flow2 ,in the joy of ,god ,i shall ever share1 ,just because he loves me so4 ,,talk ,,thirty-,,four4 ,,in ,,christ ,,and ,,in ,,ephesus ,paul addressed his ,ephesian epistle1 8,to the saints which are at ,ephesus1 and to the faithful in ,christ ,jesus40 ,the people addressed were in ,ephesus1 and they were likewise in ,christ4 ,what did it mean to be in ,ephesus8 ,ephesus was one of the great centers of paganism4 ,it was adorned with costly and magnificent temples4 ,it was rich and voluptuous4 ,both private and public life were utterly corrupt4 ,even the religious practises of the ,ephesians were unspeakably vile4 ,this city was a moral bog1 a sink of pollution1 filled with all corruption1 and reeking with vileness4 ,it was a second ,sodom4 ,vice stalked abroad everywhere and was honored and worshiped4 ,we might therefore well say1 8,can any good thing come out of ,ephesus8 ,can ,christianity flourish in such surroundings80 ,but there were saints in ,ephesus1 and faithful ones1 too4 ,they were such in their lives and characters as to win the commendation of that great apostle to the ,gentiles4 ,out of that obnoxious mud of iniquity were growing the pure white lilies of ,christian character4 ,that is the glory of ,christianity and of ,christ4 ,those who were now ,christians were not superior to the other ,ephesians2 they were not by nature different4 ,in fact1 ,paul tells them that they had been the children of wrath1 even as others1 and that they had been such by nature4 ,what a triumph of divine grace that raised these people up out of such unspeakable filth and made them faithful saints6 ,and yet that is the power of our great ,christ4 ,some persons look around at the present condition of things in this world1 at sin abounding on every hand1 and say1 8,there is no use for me to try to be a ,christian or to be different from the others40 ,there are many who look at things in this way4 ,they think it useless to try to be righteous under present conditions4 ,once while walking down the street of a certain city1 ,i came upon a policeman standing on the street-corner4 ,i engaged him in conversation1 which ,i quickly turned into religious channels1 and began inquiring about his own standing4 ,he said to me in a hopeless voice1 8,oh1 there is no use talking2 there is no chance for a policeman40 ,i tried to tell him of the power of ,god and of what salvation would do for him4 ,but it seemed as an idle tale to him1 and he could only reply1 8,there is no hope for a policeman40 ,there are many other people today in various situations who say3 8,there is no hope for me4 ,there is no use for me to try40 ,those ,ephesians might have talked the same way4 ,they had just as much reason to do so as any one else4 ,probably some of them did talk like that and were lost2 who can tell8 ,there were a great many1 however1 who turned from idols to serve the true and living ,god1 received ,christ into their hearts1 and found the power of salvation in the gospel4 ,they found power in the blood of ,christ to cleanse them from their impurities1 and not only so1 but also to raise them so far from the mire of sin and wickedness abounding around them as to keep them faithful in ,christ ,jesus while still dwelling in ,ephesus4 ,it is not so much a change of environment that people need as a change of heart and of character4 ,diamonds are often found embedded in volcanic mud2 mud surrounds them on every side1 and yet they have lain there for centuries and are still diamonds4 ,what is the secret of it8 ,why have they not become contaminated8 ,it is because the mud never entered the diamond2 and that was the reason that the ,ephesian saints could be faithful and still live in ,ephesus4 ,they were left amidst the foul mud of corruption1 but the mud was taken out of them1 and the grace of ,christ kept it from getting back in again4 ,we can not get away from the mud and defilement of sin in this world4 ,sin will ever be all about us4 ,its stench will be in our nostrils from day to day4 ,our eyes will be offended by it1 and our ears will be shocked4 ,but so long as we keep it all on the outside1 we can be saints and faithful in ,christ ,jesus4 ,we are told that one of the chief things for us to do is to keep ourselves 8unspotted from the world40 ,phil4 #b3 #ae says1 8,that ye may be blameless and harmless1 the sons of ,god1 without rebuke1 in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation1 among whom ye shine as lights in the world40 ,again ,paul says1 8,neither be partakers of other men's sins3 keep thyself pure0 7#a ,tim4 #e3 #bb74 ,we are not only to keep free from committing any sins of our own1 but also to avoid partaking of the sins of others4 ,that is very important4 ,now1 we are1 as it were1 in ,ephesus4 ,there is sin abounding all about us4 ,god wants us so to abhor the sins of others that we shall not follow them1 nor find pleasure in those who do sinful things4 ,there are two ways in which we can partake of other people's sins4 ,one way is to approve of their evil works4 ,it may be that we ourselves would not do those things1 but if we approve of some one else's doing them1 it is just about as bad4 ,never allow yourself to approve of another's sins4 ,you can not keep clean and do it4 ,again1 we may be partakers of other men's sins by partaking of the results of them4 ,if a man cheats another in business1 and then ,i share in his ill-gotten gain1 ,i am partaking of his sin4 ,it may be that ,i would not steal my neighbor's melons2 but if another steals them1 and ,i1 knowing his theft1 eat of them with him1 do ,i not partake of his sins8 ,and so it is with all the affairs of life4 ,we must keep ourselves separate from sin4 ,we can not help being in ,ephesus4 ,we must live in this corrupt and sinful world4 ,so the important thing is that we attend to keeping ourselves in ,christ--unspotted from the world4 ,if the ,ephesians could do this1 so can we4 ,but to do it1 we must walk uprightly4 ,we must not stoop down into the mire of sin1 but keep ourselves erect1 and keep our spiritual nostrils above the poisonous gases of sin4 ,lot was a man of ,god4 ,he dwelt in ,sodom1 and we are told that his righteous soul was vexed from day to day because of the wicked conduct of the ,sodomites4 ,but he kept himself clear2 he had no part with them2 he hated their sins4 ,when we reach a place where we do not hate sin1 where we can see it and hear and know of it and find no vexation in our souls1 it causes us no uneasiness1 we have no particular repugnance for it1 it is time that we were becoming awakened4 ,we are commanded to abhor that which is evil1 and it is only by so doing and by keeping ourselves clean from it that we can be safe in ,christ ,jesus and dwell in this wicked world4 ,there was a bit of heaven in every ,christian heart in ,ephesus4 ,that bit of heaven was just as pure as the celestial realms above4 ,we too have that heavenly element in our hearts2 and in that transplanted bit of ,god's holiness will flourish all the plants of righteousness that bloom in the courts eternal4 ,but we must guard these plants by keeping the gates of our hearts closed night and day against evil4 ,only thus can we keep pure and acceptable to ,god4 ,this we can do and be holy and faithful in the worst 8,ephesus0 that exists today1 if it be our lot to abide there4 ,,talk ,,thirty-,,five4 ,,the ,,practical ,,side ,,of ,,religion ,the sun was slowly sinking toward the western horizon while ,i wended my way up the rugged hillside4 ,as ,i ascended the winding path ever higher and higher1 my horizon broadened4 ,when at length ,i reached the summit and turned to gaze back over the valley1 the city lay spread out like a great picture at my feet4 ,the winding river1 with a steamer slowly moving along on its bosom1 shimmered in the evening sunlight4 ,the sounds from the city were softened and blended until they rose to me like the musical strain of far-away melodies4 ,the low-hanging sun glorified the drifting clouds with the hues of the autumn mountain-side4 ,crimson and orange and gold1 they burned in that western expanse4 ,i gazed upon the scene1 and its influence seemed to exalt and enrapture my spirit4 ,there stole into my being a sense of rest and peace and joy that lifted me out of the monotony of ordinary things4 ,i sat there and drank in the beauties of the scene until the sun sank out of sight behind the hills and the stars began to twinkle overhead4 ,the lights flashed out in the city beneath4 ,the quiet hush of the evening seemed to settle down over me1 and it seemed good to be alive and to be there4 ,the mountain-top is a delightful plate4 ,there the soul reaches heights and depths such as it reaches at no other time4 ,preachers love to preach and poets love to sing of the mountain-tops of life4 ,how delightful are these times in our spiritual life1 and how naturally we long for these seasons6 ,how often they are pictured up till one would suppose that they are the principal things in the ,christian life6 ,some people have fancied that when they became ,christians the mountain-top experience would be their constant portion4 ,they may have been led to expect this from hearing preaching that exalted the emotional side of religion4 ,it may be that when they were converted their new-born joys seemed to be unending4 ,they thought that this exaltation of spirit was the normal state of a ,christian4 ,they gloried in it as the days passed by4 ,the time came1 however1 when this emotional glow subsided4 ,as the barometer of their feelings fell1 they began to question themselves thus3 8,what is the matter with me8 ,have ,i done something wrong8 ,am ,i mistaken in thinking that ,i was saved80 ,thus1 their faith fell with their emotions4 ,after a while their emotions rose again1 and their faith rose with their emotions4 ,now they knew that they were all right4 ,there are times when we seem to draw near to ,god in prayer1 when the sight and sound of the world is shut out4 ,an inexpressible sweetness and joy and satisfaction come into the heart4 ,how near ,god seems6 ,how calm and precious is the hour6 ,how our spirits drink in of the water of life6 ,how we seem to talk face to face with our ,lord1 and how the curtain seems drawn back till our eyes behold the secrets of the ,eternal6 ,we give ourselves over to the supreme enjoyment of the hour4 ,but alas6 in a short time we find ourselves no longer on the mountain1 but out in the broad plain of life1 and how tame and monotonous is that plain when we think of the mountain6 ,in this the natural and the spiritual are alike4 ,what would you think of the man who would build a store upon the mountain-top1 apart from the throng of purchasers whose business he desired8 ,would you think that wisdom was displayed8 ,do business men do this way8 ,no1 they seek the busy street that is trodden by a multitude1 where flows the constant stream of traffic2 and there1 amid the noise and dust and hurry1 they ply their trade with little thought of the mountain-top4 ,the mountain-top is a very good place to which to make an excursion now and then4 ,it is the place to spend our holidays1 but it is not the place for the real accomplishments of life4 ,when we wish to make a living1 we must leave the mountain-top with its far-flung panorama of beauty4 ,we must roll up our sleeves and take up the rugged toil and1 mid sweat and grime and noise and discord1 produce the real results that feed and clothe and shelter us4 ,the real accomplishments of life are not on the mountain-top1 but in the monotonous1 soul-trying daily grind of business4 ,if you imagine that you are to live in the idealism of a mountain-top experience you will find yourself coming short of it most of the time4 ,you will be continually lamenting over your failure to make your experience measure to your ideal4 ,so long as you are reaching toward this ideal and are conscious of your failure to reach it1 your attention will be absorbed by this1 and you will be of little use to ,god4 ,the sooner you come down to the place where you stop condemning yourself because your emotions are not always joyous or because you can not always pray with that full outpouring of soul1 the better it will be for you4 ,you will never become a practical ,christian till you learn that the ,christian life1 like the natural life1 is largely made up of a monotonous round of duties4 ,there is little of glamor or brilliancy in labor or ordinary things4 ,that is reserved for the special things in life4 ,it is true that there is joy in the toil and in the hardness1 yea1 even in the bitterness1 if there is a consciousness of duty well done4 ,it is the daily grind that tests the faithfulness4 ,god wants people who will be true in the daily toil of life1 who will do well the little1 uninteresting things4 ,he wants practical ,christians1 people who are willing to do the work even if it means weariness1 even if it means little of emotion1 even if it means sacrifice4 ,if you lived on the mountain-top always1 the scene would soon lose its beauty1 and you would soon forget its loveliness4 ,when1 after the days of toil1 after the months of the prosaic1 you lay aside your tools and turn from your labors1 it is then that you can go out and enjoy the beauties of nature4 ,it is then that you can enter into her moods and be her comrade4 ,you can enjoy her then and be refreshed by her as you could not be without those weary days of toil4 ,many people are willing to enjoy1 but they shun the work4 ,in natural things we call such persons lazy4 ,idealism has its place in life1 but it must not close our eyes to the practical side of life4 ,enjoy what of the mountain-top ,god may give to you1 but do not count this the ordinary1 usual thing of ,christian life4 ,learn to enjoy the toil4 ,learn to find the sweetness that is in it4 ,learn to find the beauty in the common things of life1 for some of the most common things are among the most beautiful when our eyes are taught to see their beauty4 ,the ,christian life is preeminently a life of service4 ,that is its highest and broadest purpose4 ,to try to be a ,christian merely for the joy that is to be found in it is often to render ourselves miserable4 ,to seek happiness for ourselves as the chief end of life is a very unworthy purpose1 and is one that can but end in disappointment4 ,see that you do your part in life in the every-day things1 and ,god will permit you to live on the mountain as he sees best4 ,appreciate the mountain experiences when they come1 but do not let them make you despise the common things4 ,,talk ,,thirty-,,six4 ,,do ,,you ,,need ,,patience8 ,have you not often heard people say1 8,my greatest need is more patience08 ,possibly you feel just that way yourself4 ,there is probably no lack that so quickly and persistently manifests itself as this lack1 which can not exist without revealing itself1 for in order to possess patience one must employ it in his every-day life4 ,many people who do not understand its real nature nor how to come into possession of it realize their need of it4 ,much of the teaching on the subject of patience proves to be ineffectual because the teacher himself does not understand his subject4 ,sometimes it is taught that all impatience comes from sin in the heart1 and that if one manifests a lack of patience he is not sanctified4 ,such teaching can come only from a misapprehension of the facts4 ,sanctification is a wonderful thing1 and it does wonderful things for us4 ,it purifies1 softens1 and refines our whole nature2 but it does not perfect our natural faculties1 and patience is one of these natural faculties1 or qualities4 ,there is an impatience1 however1 that has its root in sin1 and which is itself sinful4 ,the blood-cure reaches and eradicates this type4 ,there is also a natural impatience4 ,how much we have of this depends largely upon our general make-up4 ,a lack of discrimination between these two kinds of impatience often causes souls great distress4 ,before we teach on the subject1 we ought to be sure we have the distinction clearly drawn in our own minds4 ,patience is a matter of temperament1 of grace1 and of cultivation4 ,some people are patient by nature4 ,they can take almost anything patiently4 ,sometimes this is from natural calmness of disposition2 sometimes it is the result of lack of spirit4 ,but in any case1 such a person will be more naturally patient when saved than will others who are of a different temperament4 ,salvation does not destroy our natural temperaments4 ,grace goes far towards supplying us with patience1 but grace alone will not always be sufficient2 therefore patience must also be a thing of cultivation4 ,we are told to 8add patience40 ,this means that not all our patience comes by grace1 but that some of it comes by works4 ,in our sinful lives we cultivate impatience by acting out our feelings of impatience4 ,the more we put our feelings into action1 the more impatient we become4 ,when we are saved1 we begin to act out patience1 and the more we act it out1 the more patient we become in our nature4 ,patience is largely a matter of the proper use of the will4 ,the ,bible does not say1 8,feel patient10 for our feelings are largely involuntary2 but it says1 8,be patient10 that is1 act patiently1 for our actions are voluntary4 ,there are those who1 when waiting for a train1 can not sit still4 ,such an individual walks up and down the platform and looks at his watch again and again4 ,he sits down and rises again1 and turns this way and that way4 ,another sits quietly and is unperturbed4 ,it matters not to him if he does have to wait a while4 ,it is no task for him to be patient4 ,he is of a patient temperament4 ,the other is quite the opposite4 ,because of this1 however1 we can not say that one has more salvation than the other4 ,both are feeling naturally4 ,the difference is in their natures1 in their temperaments1 and not in their hearts4 ,the fact that we are exhorted again and again to be patient signifies that the acting out of patience is a matter of our wills4 ,no matter how pure our hearts are1 we have tests of patience4 ,a pure heart is not an automatic heart1 working out things independently of the will4 ,when we have a pure heart1 our will is fully set to do right1 and through our will we regulate our actions so that they are right4 ,our feelings are influenced by the will1 but are not controlled by it4 ,we can not help feeling sad or joyous when there is an occasion that influences our feelings4 ,so we can not but feel impatient sometimes2 that is1 things will try our patience1 and we find that our feelings respond1 in some degree at least1 to those circumstances4 ,the degree of response will depend upon our temperament1 and the amount of grace we have1 and how much we have cultivated patience4 ,do not forget that we are not told to feel patient1 but to 8be patient10 though we should be careful to control our feelings so far as is possible by the force of will4 ,when an impatient feeling comes1 we do one of two things3 we either yield to it and act it out1 or we resist it and act patiently4 ,the latter is what we should always do4 ,when we are full of joy and everything is going smoothly1 it is easy to believe that we have plenty of patience2 but in time of stress1 of trial1 when we are weak or suffering in body1 when we are weary or feel discouraged1 then it is that we most readily feel impatient4 ,it is not that we have less patience at such times1 but that impatience more easily manifests itself4 ,we should at all times resist every feeling of impatience1 yet we should not condemn ourselves for feeling what we can not help feeling4 ,we should not think that we are not sanctified simply because we are not so patient as we desire to be4 ,it is natural for a saved person to long for greater patience to endure and suffer4 ,we should do all in our power to grow in patience4 8,but how shall ,i add patience80 you may ask4 ,there are two things to do4 ,first1 pray2 and second1 cultivate patience4 ,make it a practise day by day never to yield to an impatient feeling4 ,let this attitude be manifested by word and act4 ,reflect upon the patience of ,jesus and study to know what is the ,scriptural ideal4 ,when your patience is tried1 deliberately take hold of yourself by your will-power and make yourself act and speak as you know you should4 ,by following this rule you will become more and more patient4 ,this is the only possible way of adding patience4 ,we become in nature the reflection of our acts4 ,good acts repeated become good habits4 ,good habits followed out make good character4 ,not that good habits will save or take the place of grace1 but they are equally necessary in the formation of ,christian character4 8,let patience have her perfect work1 that ye may be perfect and entire1 wanting nothing40 ,,talk ,,thirty-,,seven4 ,,stumbling-,,stones1 ,,or ,,stepping-,,stones8 ,things may be stumbling-stones or stepping-stones to us4 ,they may be hindrances or helps--trials or blessings4 ,what they prove to be depends not so much on their nature as upon our attitude toward them4 ,it is not our opportunities that count1 but the use that we make of them4 ,it is not how much money we possess1 but the wisdom we display in its expenditure4 ,it is not how many obstacles we meet in life1 but the manner in which we meet them4 ,it is not the soul who has the fewest trials and difficulties that prospers most1 but the one who meets them with courage and confident trust4 ,some are crushed down and made to despair by the very things that stir others to renewed effort and courage4 ,what our trials are to us depends on what we are to them4 ,this is well illustrated in ,elijah's experience4 ,the king and queen were his bitter enemies4 ,he feared them and fled away and lived in hiding47#b7 ,he was afraid1 lest he should be betrayed to them4 ,he looked to his enemies2 he saw their power2 he looked at himself and saw his own impotence4 ,and so he dwelt in fear4 ,but the time came when ,god spoke to him1 and as he looked to ,god he began to see ,his greatness and his soul was lifted up with courage4 ,his own weakness and the might of his enemies faded away from his gaze4 ,he came out boldly and challenged the idolatrous party to a test of strength4 ,single-handed and alone1 we see him walk out before the assembled multitude1 superior to them all4 ,there is no fear in his heart now4 ,he is not in the least daunted by his adversaries4 ,he can look them squarely in the eyes without shrinking4 ,his heart is full of confidence4 ,he knows whom he is trusting4 ,throughout the long day while the priests of ,baal are calling so earnestly upon their powerless god1 the prophet is the calmest man of all the many witnesses4 ,he is looking on ,god's side now1 and he is conscious master of the whole situation4 ,he even grows ironical toward his enemies4 ,the outcome does not surprize us1 for we know the ,god he served4 ,he was victorious now1 but let us look at him a few days later4 ,under a juniper-tree in the wilderness sits a man1 weary and dejected4 ,he has fled for his life1 but now even his life has lost its value1 and he says1 8,it is enough3 now1 ,o ,lord1 take away my life40 ,elijah has fallen from the summit of victory to the depths of despair4 ,what occasioned this great change8 ,things did not turn out as he had expected them to4 ,instead of the queen being humbled by the display of ,god's power1 she was only made harder and her anger became more fierce4 ,and when ,elijah heard her threat to kill him1 he lost sight of ,god and saw only the anger of the queen and his own weakness and danger2 so his heart was filled with fear1 and he fled as does a hunted animal to the depths of the wilderness4 ,so long as he looked to ,god1 he was victorious over his enemies and fearless as a lion2 they could not harm him4 ,but when he looked upon the strength of his foes and his own weakness and lost sight of ,god1 he was overcome with fear and fled terror-stricken4 ,what made the difference in his conduct8 ,were not his enemies the same8 ,was not their wrath to be feared as much one time as another8 ,was not ,god protecting and keeping him all the time8 ,had he need to fear them more at one time than at another8 ,the secret of his different behavior was his attitude toward them4 ,when he feared them1 they were stumbling-stones to him4 ,when he feared them not1 their enmity became the stepping-stone by which he was raised to the lofty height of victory4 ,the same principle is true in our lives4 ,if we approach a conflict or trial with fear and trembling and shrinking1 it will very likely prove a stumbling-stone to us2 but if we approach it with calm confidence in ,god and a settled determination to overcome1 we may make it a stepping-stone upon which we may mount to higher and better things4 ,sometimes things that are at first very discouraging to us afterwards become sources of help and encouragement2 not that the things themselves change1 but because we see them from a different angle4 ,this is well illustrated by the effect of my long affliction4 ,one of the worst things that ,i had to face in the first two or three years was the consciousness of the depressing and discouraging influence that it was having upon others1 not only upon those about me1 but upon many persons here and there1 as evidenced by numerous letters showing that the effect was wide-spread4 ,it seemed to be a hindrance to the faith of many people4 ,but in the last two or three years ,i have received many letters telling me how greatly the writers had been encouraged and helped by my affliction4 ,the affliction itself was the same2 the change was in them2 for that which was once a source of discouragement would have continued so had they continued to look at it as they had formerly done4 ,the fact that the changed point of view1 or changed attitude1 changed the effect shows that it is not so much the thing itself as our attitude toward it that affects us4 ,it is so in regard to all things4 ,we have need to learn the lesson that one sister learned4 ,speaking of the early months of my affliction1 she writes1 8,at that time it was a hindrance to my faith2 but it has ceased to be so1 for ,i have learned not to ask why1 but to have faith in ,god and wait and trust40 ,learning to wait and trust is the secret4 ,this gives ,god the opportunity to bring out that which is best4 ,how could we know the virtue of patience if no one had a trial of his patience8 ,if we looked only at the trial1 where would be the blessing8 ,we often must look beyond the things that first appear4 ,we must often look at 8the things which are not seen0 that we may have courage to meet the things that are seen4 ,it is when we do this that our trials become blessings2 our stumbling-stones1 stepping-stones4 ,when we face things courageously and hold to our course steadily through the storm1 or when we bear opposition and trials patiently and hold fast our integrity through temptation1 it is then that we mount up by means of these very things to a loftier height and a broader outlook4 ,when we try to lift up ourselves by expending our forces upon ourselves1 we make but little progress4 ,how hard it is to keep good resolutions6 ,how hard it is to make ourselves better or stronger by the study of abstract goodness or by wishing ourselves something else than we are6 ,we may look to the heights above us and long to be there2 we may think of the noble outlook were we there1 but there is but one way to attain those heights--by the slow1 laborious1 and wearisome process of climbing2 and the things upon which we must set our feet are the difficulties that we have overcome4 ,it is easy to go down toward the valley of discouragement4 ,it takes no effort to let a thing weigh us down4 ,we can easily let our courage and our confidence slip if we will4 ,it is sometimes easier to go down-hill than it is to stop in our going4 ,but in life it is the up-hill going that counts4 ,every time you overcome or trust clear through to victory1 you have made progress upward4 ,if you see a trial coming1 do not shrink and do not fear4 ,do not say1 8,oh1 how shall ,i bear it60 ,god designs that your trials shall help you1 not hinder you4 ,he could keep you from having them if it were wise2 but he sees that you need them1 yes1 that you must have them1 or you will never rise above your present level4 ,look for the good in them2 count them blessings4 ,meet them bravely1 and you will find them in truth stepping-stones1 not stumbling-stones4 ,,talk ,,thirty-,,eight4 ,,use ,,what ,,you ,,have ,few people really are and do their best4 ,nature has blessed a few with great talents and abilities4 ,these persons often become proud1 self-centered1 and feel themselves to be superior1 and for that reason many times they fail to make the proper use of their abilities4 ,how often are they used in a bad or foolish way1 so that what might be a blessing to the world fails to be such6 ,there are many others who realize they do not possess these natural gifts4 ,they look upon those who have them1 and envy them4 ,they bemoan their own lack1 and say1 8,if ,i only had the talents that person has10 and meanwhile they sit in idleness1 making no use of what they have4 8,if ,i could preach like ,so-and-so1 what ,i would accomplish for the ,lord60 another says2 or1 8,if ,i had the money ,so-and-so has1 what ,i could accomplish for the kingdom60 8,if my circumstances were different1 ,i might hope to do something10 comes from another4 ,but all these are like the dreamer who says1 8,tomorrow ,i will do great things10 and yet today he does nothing4 ,make the ,best of ,yourself4 ,you will always be yourself4 ,you can never be any one else4 ,if you ever accomplish anything1 it will be through those powers and abilities you now possess4 ,it is of no use to lament that you are not as somebody else is2 it is of no use to envy another's talents4 ,you are only yourself4 ,you might as well face that fact1 and endeavor to make the best possible use of the gifts you have4 ,they may look very small compared with those of some others1 but they are all you have4 ,time spent in troubling yourself because you are not greater is worse than wasted4 ,the question is1 ,shall ,i improve and make use of what ,i have8 ,man is capable of great development4 ,eye1 hand1 strength1 mind1 will--in fact1 the whole man may1 by proper efforts1 be taught and developed1 and expanded until he becomes something very different from what he was at first4 ,the blessing of ,god will help us much1 but that will not take the place of our own determined and persevering efforts4 ,have you ever attempted to develop yourself8 ,do not think that because your abilities now seem small they never can be greater4 ,you were only a child once4 ,you did not think that you never would be larger4 ,you looked eagerly forward to the time when you would be as large as grown-up people4 ,each day you ate and drank and breathed and exercised--the very things that would produce the growth that you desired4 ,you used what you had of energy and strength1 and thus increased them4 ,we ought to be as wise in spiritual things as in natural things4 ,paul said to ,timothy1 8,neglect not the gift that is in thee40 ,you must make use of what you have1 then ,god will bestow more4 ,but he can not bestow more until you use with your might what you have4 ,you are1 so to speak1 the raw material of what you may be4 ,what you will be depends on the use you make of this material4 ,the responsibility for the final product lies with you4 ,develop your mind1 develop your soul1 develop patience1 courage1 faith1 loyalty1 justice1 benevolence1 endurance1 cheerfulness1 determination1 diligence1 industry1 and all those other qualities that make up real ,christian manhood and that are the foundation of success in life4 ,if you lack the will to try and keep trying1 you will see yourself always a failure4 ,decide to be your best and do your best4 ,if you will do this by ,god's help1 you will not fail4 ,use ,wisely ,what ,you ,have4 ,israel was oppressed4 ,the ,philistines had taken the ,israelites' swords and spears1 in fact1 swept the country bare of armor4 ,shamgar had not much to fight with4 ,he had no sword nor spear1 no shield1 no helmet4 ,the ,philistines were coming2 something must be done4 ,there was the ox-goad1 but what would that amount to against swords and spears8 ,it was all the weapon he had4 ,but he had something else2 he had courage1 determination1 and faith4 ,so he started straight for the host of enemies1 and we are told that he slew 8six hundred men with an ox-goad3 and he also delivered ,israel0 7,judges #c3 #ca74 ,he had only an ox-goad1 but he used it manfully4 ,had he not done so1 ,israel would not have been delivered4 ,david1 when he went against ,goliath1 had only his home-made sling and a few stones from the brook4 ,but he went up to battle with unshaken faith in ,god4 ,he had not much to start with in the way of weapons1 but he had the courage to use what he did have4 ,and he is famous to this day as ,israel's deliverer4 ,samson had only a jaw-bone1 but he did not stop a moment to lament that fact4 ,he did have the three things necessary in himself--courage1 determination1 and faith4 ,and we are told that the ,spirit of the ,lord came mightily upon him4 ,the result was he slew a thousand of his enemies1 and put the rest to flight4 ,have you not as much equipment as any of these men had8 ,but the results of their efforts were glorious4 ,if you think you have but little to use for ,god1 just add to it courage1 determination1 and faith1 and go ahead4 ,you will find that the ,spirit of the ,lord will make you mighty4 ,do not worry because you have so little to give2 just be sure you give what you can4 ,do not worry because you seem to have so little ability1 or so little time1 or so little opportunity2 but do not fail to use what you have4 ,make the best of them4 ,use ,your ,environment4 ,it is of no use to say1 8,if my surroundings were different10 or 8,if ,i were in some other place1 then ,i could do better40 ,possibly you could1 but that is not the question4 ,are you doing what you can in your present environment8 ,if you can change your environment for the better1 do it4 ,if you can not1 then decide to do your best where you are4 ,you may dream of ideal conditions1 but you will not find them in this world4 ,whether you succeed or fail depends less on your environment than it does on yourself4 ,if you will be true to the best that is in you1 your environment will not have the influence that you imagine it will4 ,favorable circumstances never take the place of soul-qualities4 ,develop your soul-qualities1 and you will be master of your environment4 ,you need not let it master you4 ,be your best1 and do your best1 in your place4 ,make the best of your situation4 ,there is a way for you to succeed1 no matter what is against you4 ,god will help you find that way if you are determined to find it4 ,never permit yourself to spend time in lamentation over yourself or your circumstances4 ,keep the following thought and determination ever before you3 8,i will make the best of myself and my circumstances40 ,this is the true and only road to success4 ,,talk ,,thirty-,,nine4 ,,where ,,the ,,joy ,,is ,a sister wrote to me recently desiring me to tell her how she might find sweetness and joy in her trials4 ,she seemed to have in her mind an ideal experience in which she could be joyous and calm and sweetly contented while undergoing trials1 and she was struggling to attain to her ideal4 ,this sister is not alone in her reaching out after such an experience4 ,people often chide and condemn themselves because they have not attained to such heights4 ,when they suffer and are distressed in their trials1 they think there is something wrong with their experience1 and they become discouraged4 ,the ,bible lifts the standard just to the place where it ought to be2 and if we have a higher ideal1 we are sure to be constantly coming short of it4 ,my answer to the sister was that she was looking in the wrong place for the sweetness and joy4 ,jesus is our example1 and we can expect trials to have the same effect upon us as they had upon him4 ,in that dark hour of trial in ,gethsemane1 with the heavy weight of the cross already upon his spirit1 did he say to his disciples1 8,behold1 how joyful ,i am in such awful circumstances08 ,ah1 no6 his state was very different1 and we hear him say1 8,my soul is exceeding sorrowful1 even unto death40 ,he was 8a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief40 ,when he hung upon the cross1 he cried out in agony1 8,my ,god1 my ,god1 why hast thou forsaken me80 ,do you think there was joy or sweetness in that8 ,such feelings had no place in his emotions that day4 ,but there was joy connected with these trials4 ,we read that 8for the joy that was set before him1 he endured the cross0 7,heb4 #ab3 #b74 ,here we have endurance and joy1 but we do not find them together3 the endurance is present2 the joy is 8set before him40 ,this is the order in which such things come to us4 ,christ's joy came1 not from his sufferings1 but from the result of these sufferings4 ,his joy is in the redeemed souls that have been saved through his sufferings4 ,our own trials will of necessity mean suffering1 and there can be little joy in suffering4 ,joy never has its direct origin in suffering2 but it does often come out of suffering1 or as a result of enduring suffering4 ,the order in which it works is clearly seen in ,heb4 #ab3 #aa--8,now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous1 but grievous3 nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness40 ,this is what you may expect--grievousness in time of trial and chastening1 and afterward the reaping of joy4 ,the ,bible speaks of our being 8in heaviness through manifold temptations10 and also says1 8,we count them happy which endure40 ,enduring implies suffering2 and suffering1 of itself1 can never be joyful4 ,we might1 in a figure1 say that suffering is the soil in which the tree of patient endurance grows1 and that joy is the ripened fruit of the tree4 ,there are many different kinds of trials1 and they have different effects4 ,sometimes they are like a great storm that sweeps over the soul1 when the dashing rain obscures all view of the distant landscape and its beauties1 when the howling of the wind1 the flashing of the lightning1 and the rolling of the thunder shuts out everything else and holds our entire attention4 ,it is only when the storm is over and the calm has come1 that we can look out again upon the broad and peaceful landscape4 ,there are other trials that remind one of a nail in one's shoe3 everywhere one goes1 it is present1 irritating1 annoying1 torturing4 ,it hinders and detracts from all the common pleasures of life4 ,when trials come1 there is just one proper way to meet them2 that is1 with determination to overcome them and to keep our integrity during the time that we are suffering under them4 ,it was the joy set before ,jesus that made him strong to suffer4 ,and so we1 if we would be strong for our trials1 must look beyond them to the joy that is set before us4 ,it is what is coming out of the trials that is the source of our rejoicing4 ,if you have endured some trial--something that took real courage and fortitude--and you look back upon it and realize that you stood true1 that you did not yield nor falter1 is it not a source of great joy to your soul8 ,when you see the grace that ,god gave you1 does it not strengthen and encourage you8 ,you desire the peaceful fruit of righteousness in your life2 you want joy1 peace1 victory2 but remember that these are the 8afterwards0 of patient endurance through the trial or chastening4 ,you must wait for the fruit to ripen4 ,if you try to enjoy it before it is ripe1 you may find it works like eating a green persimmon--you not only will spoil the fruit1 but will find some unpleasant consequences4 ,there are certain kinds of trials that bring forth joy quickly if they are met in the right spirit4 ,we read that the early ,christians 8took joyfully the spoiling of their goods10 and again that they 8rejoiced that they were counted worthy0 to suffer for the name of ,christ4 ,this was persecution4 ,often we can 8rejoice and leap for joy10 not because of the persecution1 but because of the fact that great is our reward in heaven4 ,the joy comes from the contemplation of that reward4 ,we suffer the persecution2 we rejoice in the reward of our patient endurance4 ,if we walk close to ,god1 we shall find that in the midst of our trials1 even when they are bitter1 there is an undercurrent of sweet joyfulness away down in the depths of our souls4 ,the consciousness that we are the ,lord's1 that he loves us1 and that he is our helper will be sweet in the midst of all our woes4 ,this may sometimes be obscured by doubts and fears for a time1 but if we hide away under his wings and trust securely1 the harp of joy will sound in our souls though in the tumult of emotions4 ,we may sometimes have to listen carefully1 however1 to hear the soft1 sweet strains of its melody4 ,be patient in your trials2 endure hardness as a good soldier2 keep up the shield of faith2 fight the good fight2 and in due season your soul will sing triumphant songs of victory1 and the joy-bells1 pealing out their merry music1 will summon ,god's people to rejoice with you in your ,lord and ,savior4 ,,talk ,,forty4 ,,blowing ,,the ,,clouds ,,away ,i had been passing through a period of sore conflict4 ,for several days ,i had had gloomy and distressing feelings4 ,i had struggled with all my might against them4 ,i had tried to draw near the ,lord and to get special help from him4 ,it was hard to pray1 and it seemed that when ,i prayed no answer came4 ,discouragement pressed in upon me4 ,i had no idea of giving up the fight1 but ,i knew not what to do next4 ,it seemed that my strength was exhausted by the conflict4 ,as ,i lay there meditating2 it seemed that all at once a quiet voice said to me3 8,do not try to blow away the clouds with your feeble breath4 ,if you will be content to wait1 the same wind that brought them will carry them away again40 ,as the voice spoke ,i seemed to see myself in a little ravine where ,i had often been1 with a great mass of thick clouds overhead moving slowly along4 ,the lesson that ,god would get to me illuminated my mind4 ,i saw how foolish it would be to try to blow away those great clouds4 ,all my blowing could not move them an inch4 ,i might strain and struggle1 and try until my strength was all gone1 but the clouds would not pass away1 nor would the sunshine come a moment sooner for all my efforts4 ,so those spiritual clouds that were hanging so low above me and wrapping me in their somber shadows could not be blown away by my feeble breath4 ,i had nearly worn myself out by my efforts1 but had gained nothing at all4 ,i had worried myself1 and it was all to no purpose4 ,as ,i looked back at the beginning of that season of heaviness and darkness1 ,i could not see anything that ,i had done to bring it2 it had just settled down upon me without any apparent reason1 just as the clouds in the heavens come over the face of the sky without relation to any act of yours or mine4 ,brother1 sister1 have you not had such experiences in your ,christian life8 ,have not darkness and gloom1 heaviness and depression1 come over your soul and you could not tell why8 ,you began to question yourself1 thinking that surely there must be something wrong4 ,you doubted and wondered2 you could not tell why you felt so4 ,perhaps for several days these feelings persisted4 ,you resisted them4 ,you prayed1 you struggled4 ,you searched yourself1 but to no avail4 ,the darkness still covered you2 the heaviness still pressed you down4 ,possibly ,satan also came with powers of accusation against your soul4 ,you blew with all your might at the clouds1 but still they lingered1 and your heart was sorely troubled4 ,by and by the clouds passed away1 the sunshine came1 and your heart sang again4 ,you knew not what carried the clouds away nor what brought the sunshine2 nevertheless there it was illuminating1 warming1 and refreshing you again4 ,there are many times in our lives when the clouds come through no fault of ours4 ,nothing that we can do will keep them from coming4 ,no matter how close we live to ,god1 they will sometimes come4 ,we can not hope that our sky will always be clear1 but ,i hope you will get the lesson that ,god gave me that day1 years ago4 ,the same wind that brought that cloud over you will carry it away again4 ,do not waste your strength struggling against your feelings2 be patient and wait4 ,do not accuse yourself of having done wrong or of being wrong4 ,do not take these gloomy feelings as evidence against yourself1 any more than you would take the literal shadows of a cloudy day to prove you were not right4 ,if you have done wrong1 ,god will show you just what the wrong has been1 and he will also show you the way out4 ,when the clouds come1 then is the time to trust4 ,if in your heart you mean to serve ,god1 you know it1 and he knows it4 ,no matter how dark it may become1 look up into his face and tell him that you mean to serve him no matter how things look1 no matter how you feel4 ,our emotions are not governed by our wills--we can not feel as we please to feel2 but we can be true when we will to be true1 and we can wait and trust4 ,we can not control circumstances2 we can not help being affected by surrounding influences4 ,these in a great measure rule our feelings4 ,we can keep the citadel of our soul and not allow sin to enter4 ,remember this one thing1 that all your struggling is only blowing at the clouds4 ,it is easier to struggle than to be quiet and trust1 but it profits nothing4 ,in a few days your gloomy feelings and heaviness and darkness will pass away without any effort on your part4 ,it may be longer in passing if you struggle against it4 ,just trust and wait2 don't try to take the wind's task2 let it do its own work4 ,then1 when the sunshine comes again1 you will not be worn out1 but will be fresh and vigorous for the tasks that lie before you4 ,,talk ,,forty-,,one4 ,,how ,,to ,,fertilize ,,love ,love is the greatest thing in earth or heaven4 ,out of it flows most of the things that are worth while in life4 ,love of relatives1 love of friends1 and love of the brethren 7#a ,john #c3 #ad7 make life worth living4 ,there is no heart so empty as the heart that is without love4 ,there is no life so joyful as the love-filled life4 ,love puts a song in the heart1 a sparkle in the eye1 a smile on the lips1 and makes the whole being glad4 ,and ,god's love is greater than all else4 ,he who has ,god's love has a continual feast4 ,there may be sorrow and care and suffering in the life2 but if there is love1 it lightens all these4 ,sometimes there is not the love for the relatives that there ought to be4 ,sometimes there is not the love for the brethren that should characterize us4 ,when we realize this and feel our lack1 the question naturally arises1 8,how can my love for them be increased80 ,plants can not grow without fertility2 that is1 the soil must contain the elements necessary to growth4 ,if these are absent1 they must be supplied1 or there can be no harvest4 ,this is equally true of love2 it must be fertilized if it is to grow4 ,do you realize that you are lacking in love for some one8 ,do you manifest as much affection toward your conjugal companion as you did in days gone by8 ,there are very many things that may choke out love in the home4 ,one of these is the lack of kindness4 ,if you have grown less kind in your feelings1 in your actions1 and in your words1 love can not thrive4 ,kindness is one of the best fertilizers for love4 ,do you show the same consideration for the feelings and tastes of your companion as you used to show8 ,there are so many people who have two sets of tones in which to speak1 and two sets of manners in which they act4 ,they have their company manners and their family manners4 ,when they have company1 the voice is soft and pleasant1 the manners are agreeable and kindly4 ,they treat their friends with the greatest consideration2 but as soon as their friends are gone1 the pleasant voice changes into crossness or harshness and faultfinding1 and the pleasantness of manner disappears4 ,in how many homes is this true6 ,the greater consideration1 the greater kindness1 is due the home folks4 ,otherwise1 love can not flourish4 ,if you wish to have love for your home folks1 you must show them the consideration that is due them4 ,some professors of religion are like the catbird4 ,when it is away from its nest1 it is one of the sweetest of the northern warblers1 and so it is often called the northern mocking-bird2 but when it is close to its nest1 you will hear only a harsh1 discordant note4 ,it has no sweetness in its voice while at its nest4 ,some people reserve all their kindness1 tenderness1 and sweetness for those outside the family circle4 ,is it any wonder that love dies in such a home8 ,if you realize you do not love some one enough1 begin to consider his desires4 ,begin to show a special interest in him4 ,watch for opportunities to be kind to him4 ,try especially to be agreeable1 and you will soon find that this reacts upon yourself2 in a short time you will find your love increasing2 and the more you follow this course1 the more your love will increase4 ,i have been asked if we should love all saints the same4 ,some have even taught that if we were right in our souls we would love one of ,god's children as much as another4 ,this1 however1 is not possible4 ,even ,jesus loved some of his disciples more than others4 ,there were three--,james1 ,peter1 and ,john--who were closer to him than the others2 and of these1 ,john was most beloved4 ,he calls himself 8that disciple whom ,jesus loved40 ,if love for the brethren depended solely on spiritual things1 then1 possibly we might love all the same2 but it depends to a great extent on other things as well4 ,jesus loved ,john much because of ,john's loving nature4 ,we love those most who seem to us most lovable4 ,we are drawn most to those whose dispositions and characters and interests appeal most strongly to us4 ,there are those who are saved1 who1 because of their faults or unlovely dispositions1 repel us rather than attract us4 ,we will not find ourselves drawn into the same close relations with them as with the others4 ,there is danger of a twofold nature4 ,on the one hand1 we are liable to love some so much that we become partial towards them to such an extent that others will feel that we do not value them as we should4 ,on the other hand1 there is danger of looking at the unlovely qualities in another until we lose sight of the good that is in him1 and grow prejudiced against him until it becomes hard to feel the proper love for him4 ,if we realize we do not love some of the brethren as we should1 let us cease looking at the unlovely things1 and look for the good things1 the noble qualities4 ,seek out these things1 keep them before the mind1 overlook the faults and failings and unlovely traits4 ,begin to show special kindness1 make it a point to speak to these brethren kindly2 show an interest in them4 ,watch for a chance to do something helpful2 go out of your way to do them favors4 ,possibly your own coldness has much to do with their attitude and feelings4 ,be as genial and sunshiny toward them as you are toward your closest friends4 ,some reserved natures need sunshine to open them up1 just as do some flowers4 ,have you not seen flowers open up in the sunshine and throw their fragrance upon the breezes1 and then1 as a heavy cloud suddenly overspread the sky and the dark shadows fell1 quickly close up8 ,it is just that way with some natures4 ,if we radiate sunshine1 they unfold their beauties to us2 but if we are cold and distant1 we are permitted to see only the rough exterior4 ,love begets love4 ,if we so act that love in us may grow and develop1 we shall be loved in return4 ,love can not survive carelessness1 indifference1 and neglect4 ,these things are poison to the tender plant4 ,we can easily kill the love in our hearts1 or we can cultivate and increase it till its blossoms and fragrance are the delight of our lives4 ,if your love is not what it ought to be1 try fertilizing it with kindness1 gentleness1 and self-sacrifice1 and take away the weeds of selfishness1 carelessness1 and indifference4 ,you will find that love will grow and increase1 and become sweeter and more tender with the passing days4 ,,talk ,,forty-,,two4 ,,how ,,to ,,overcome ,,disappointment ,you have been disappointed1 haven't you8 ,of course you have1 again and again4 ,does it hurt very much when things do not go as you have planned and hoped8 ,does it seem as if you 8just can't stand it08 ,some people can bear disappointment2 they seem to have learned the secret of taking off the keen edge so that it does not hurt so much4 ,have you learned that secret yet8 ,i fancy ,i hear some one say1 8,oh6 ,i wish ,i knew the secret40 ,there is more than one part to the secret4 ,you may learn it if you will2 you may get where you can bear disappointment and keep sweet all the time4 ,many people prepare themselves to be disappointed2 they arrange things so that they are certain to be disappointed4 ,they set their heart so fully upon the thing they wish to have or do1 whatever it may be1 that they make no provision whatever1 except to carry out their plans exactly as they have devised them4 ,they do not provide for any contingencies that may arise4 ,their plans fill their whole horizon4 ,they can see nothing else2 they can think of nothing else2 they want it just that way and no other way4 ,thus they prepare themselves to suffer keen disappointment should anything happen different from what they expect4 ,this is what puts the sting in disappointment4 ,always make provision in your plans for whatever may happen4 ,always make your promises to yourself with the proviso1 8,if nothing prevents40 ,if you are going on a journey1 say1 8,if it does not rain1 or if ,i am well1 or if this or that does not prevent40 ,keep the thought in your mind that something may prevent1 and do not get it too much settled as a fact that you will do what you have planned4 ,take into consideration that you are a servant1 not the master2 do not forget to put in1 8,if the ,lord wills40 ,if disappointment comes1 it may be necessary for us to repress our feelings of dissatisfaction4 ,if we begin pitying ourselves and saying1 8,oh1 it is too bad6 it is just too bad60 we shall only feel the more keenly the hurt2 and the more we cultivate the habit of self-pity1 the more power it exercises over us4 ,some people have so yielded to the power of self-pity that whole days are darkened by little trifling disappointments that they ought to throw off in a few minutes4 ,nine tenths of the suffering that comes from disappointment has its root in self-pity4 ,you have better qualities in you2 use them4 ,when you are disappointed1 take hold of yourself and say1 8,here1 you can not afford to be miserable all day because of this40 ,repress those feelings of self-pity1 lift up your head1 get your eyes on something else1 begin making some new plans4 ,your old plans are like a broken dish and you can not use them any longer4 ,all your fretting and brooding over them will not make them work out right4 ,take a new start1 smile whether you feel like it or not4 ,you have many other things to enjoy2 do not let this one thing spoil them all4 ,refuse to think of your unpleasant feelings2 resolutely shut the door against them4 ,god will help you if you try4 ,another thing to learn is to submit the will and desires to ,god4 ,when our plans fail1 we must submit to circumstances1 whether we want to or not4 ,if we rebel1 that will not change the circumstances1 but it will change our feelings4 ,the more we rebel1 the more we shall suffer4 ,the way to get rid of the suffering is to get rid of the rebellion4 ,we must submit2 therefore1 why not do it gracefully8 ,many times we can not change circumstances1 no matter how much we dislike them4 ,resentment will not hurt circumstances1 but it will hurt us4 ,we need to learn the lesson of submission without rebellion--submission to circumstances and to ,god4 ,the ,lord is our ,master4 ,it is right for him to order our lives as he sees best4 ,sometimes it is he who changes our plans for his own purpose2 and when he does this1 the outcome is always better than the thing of our own choosing4 ,if we rebel1 we are rebelling against ,god1 and right there lies the danger4 ,if we are so determined to have our own way that we do not willingly submit to ,god's way1 he may have to let us suffer4 ,but when we submit and commit our ways to him1 then we shall have the consolation and comfort of his ,holy ,spirit4 ,if we will just learn to change a single letter in disappointment1 and spell it with an 8h0 instead of a 8d10 it will help take the sting out4 ,try it once4 ,this is what we have3 ,his appointment4 ,now1 does not that make it quite different8 ,,talk ,,forty-,,three4 ,,the ,,big ,,end ,,of ,,trouble ,i once saw in a paper some verses the first lines of which were something like the following3 8,trouble has a way of coming ,big end first2 ,and when seen at its appearing1 ,looks its very worst40 ,many people are always seeing trouble4 ,they are 8troubled on every side40 ,when they talk1 it is generally to tell of their trouble4 ,there are others who1 though they have troubles1 seem able to put them in the background1 and say but little about them4 ,they talk of victory1 of the ,lord's help1 and of the joys of salvation4 ,we all have our troubles2 for man is 8of few days1 and full of trouble10 but the greatest troubles any of us have1 ,i think1 are the ones that never come4 ,how truly the poet has spoken in the above-quoted lines6 ,just as he says1 trouble comes big end first and fills us with forebodings4 ,how easy it is to worry over the troubles that loom up in the future4 8,oh1 how shall we meet them60 we exclaim4 8,oh1 ,i do not see what ,i shall do60 and we fear and tremble before them4 ,nearly all the joy is excluded from some people's lives by the shadow of coming troubles2 but when those troubles come upon us1 we someway1 somehow1 pass through them4 ,many of them1 and sometimes very threatening ones1 disappear entirely before we reach them2 and the others1 when they do come1 are usually not nearly so bad as we had thought they were going to be4 ,we always find a way through them4 ,many times we are surprized at the ease with which we overcome them4 ,one brother who had been troubled all his life was finally enabled to see that the ,lord always made a way through for him1 and in speaking of it he said1 8,things nearly always turn out better than ,i think they are going to40 ,a young brother and ,i once had an experience that well illustrates how trouble works4 ,we were going to meeting one night4 ,there was such a heavy fog1 that we could see only a few feet ahead of us4 ,suddenly there loomed before us what appeared to be a great giant4 ,he came striding toward us through the fog with legs twenty feet long and body towering up out of sight4 ,it was an awe-inspiring spectacle and at first sight startled us4 ,there it was1 coming right toward us in a most threatening manner4 ,if we had been frightened and had run away1 we might have had a great story to tell2 but we continued walking on toward it1 when suddenly we came face to face with one of our neighbors4 ,he was only an ordinary-sized man1 and there was nothing terrible about him2 but he was carrying a lantern1 which swung partly behind him1 and as he walked threw that gigantic shadow forward into the fog4 ,the giant that we saw was not the real man2 it was only his shadow4 ,that is just the way trouble comes4 ,the thing we see is not really the approaching trouble in its true size and shape2 it is only the shadow of it that we see4 ,our imagination pictures it as something terrible1 and we worry and live in its shadow for days and weeks1 only to find at last that we have been scared by a shadow and that the real trouble is only a fraction of what we supposed it would be4 ,when ,alexander the ,great was a youth1 his father had a war-horse that no one could ride4 ,the youthful prince made up his mind to conquer the animal4 ,when he tried it1 he discovered that the horse was afraid of its shadow2 so he turned its head toward the sun and soon had it conquered4 ,let us learn a lesson from this1 and when we become afraid of the shadows of trouble1 let us turn our faces toward the ,sun of ,righteousness1 thus leaving the shadows behind us4 ,the ,scripture says3 8,the ,lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed1 a refuge in times of trouble4 ,and they that know thy name will put their trust in thee3 for thou1 ,lord1 hast not forsaken them that seek thee0 7,psa4 #i3 #i1 #aj74 ,david said3 8,though an host should encamp against me1 my heart shall not fear4 ,for in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavillion3 in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me2 he shall set me up upon a rock4 ,and now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me0 7,psa4 #bg3 #c1 #e1 #f74 ,o troubled soul1 instead of looking at your troubles1 look to ,jesus4 ,the more you look at your troubles1 the worse they will appear1 the more you will be troubled1 and the less you will see of ,god and his help4 ,do you not know that ,god loves you8 do you not know that he sees the trouble8 do you not know that he knows the best way to meet it1 and just exactly how much grace you will need8 ,instead of worrying1 try trusting2 you will find it works much better4 ,cultivate the habit of casting your care upon ,jesus4 ,face your troubles boldly4 ,assert in your soul3 8,the ,lord will make a way4 ,the ,lord will help me through40 ,continue repeating it until it becomes real to you1 and you will be surprized how simple trust will take you through to victory4 ,,talk ,,forty-,,four4 ,,self-,,made ,,barriers ,it seems strange that anyone should build barriers in his own way and lay hindrances in his own path4 ,but that is just what many people are doing4 ,they wish to accomplish something2 they desire to do something for the ,lord2 but some way they find themselves always hindered4 ,they look back upon their lives1 and see that they have done very little4 ,how many times they have desired to be as useful as others6 ,but someway1 somehow1 they were not4 ,the greatest hindrances to our success are often found within ourselves4 ,we build up walls between ourselves and usefulness1 and then lament because we can not surmount them4 ,we look over the wall and long to be there1 while all the time we are placing new stones upon the wall and building it higher and higher4 ,one of the greatest of these barriers is 8,i can't40 ,how many people have built up this wall before themselves6 ,they see work to be done1 they see plenty of opportunities for doing effective service1 but they distrust their ability4 ,or sometimes they are not willing to do their duty1 and they begin at once to build a barrier of 8,i can't0 between themselves and their opportunity4 ,oh yes1 it ought to be done1 and they would like to do it1 but there is that wall in the way4 ,they would gladly do the work if they were over the wall1 but it is too high1 so the work must remain undone4 ,this barrier is very easy to build1 but hard to surmount4 ,the reason it is hard to surmount is because the person is not willing to try4 ,no one knows what he can do until he tries4 8,i can't0 shuts out ,god's help completely4 ,it leaves no room for the operation of faith2 it increases weakness4 ,the more you say1 8,i can't10 the weaker you will feel2 and the weaker you feel1 the less courage you will have to attempt anything4 ,it is certain that we can not do anything if we do not try4 ,it is certain that we can succeed in doing whatever ,god wants us to do4 ,he has said1 8,my grace is sufficient02 has he spoken truly8 ,he says1 8,i will help thee02 does he mean it8 ,if he does1 you will not fail if you do your part4 ,the trouble is1 you do not give him a chance to help4 ,when the opportunity comes and the ,spirit moves you to act1 you draw back behind the wall of 8,i can't10 and do nothing4 ,have you not had many chastisements because of doing thus8 ,have you not missed many blessings8 has not work gone undone1 and have not opportunities remained unused8 ,paul had no place for this barrier in his life4 ,he was a man who did things4 ,he believed that ,god would help him in all he undertook4 8,i can't0 had no place in his life4 ,he said1 8,i can do all things through ,christ1 which strengtheneth me40 ,what you need is to quit saying1 8,i can't10 and begin believing ,god4 ,throw down this self-made barrier2 quit looking at your weakness2 look at ,god's strength4 ,dare to do1 dare to act1 and you will succeed beyond your expectations4 8,i am afraid0 is almost as common a barrier as 8,i can't40 ,how many people shrink from duty1 saying3 8,i am afraid ,i will make a mistake4 ,i am afraid ,i shall not do it right40 ,they let this fear become a great wall before them2 they pile fear upon fear2 and as they look at them1 their fears constantly grow greater4 ,soon they come to a place where these fears hedge them in till they dare not attempt anything4 ,do you remember the man who said1 8,i was afraid10 and went and hid his lord's talent in the earth8 ,read his story in ,matt4 #be3 #bd-cj4 ,see what his lord said to him1 and note the result of his conduct4 ,are you doing the same thing8 ,if so1 what will be the result in your case8 ,fear will tie your hands if you allow it2 it will make you a profitless servant4 8,i don't know how0 is a third barrier4 ,have you hidden from duty behind this wall8 ,is this your answer to ,god when he tells you to do something8 ,the ,bible says that 8,christ is made unto us wisdom40 ,again1 it says1 8,if any man lack wisdom1 let him ask of ,god40 ,if ,god gives you a task to perform1 he will give you the wisdom to do it as he wishes to have it done4 ,possibly you do not know how1 but ,god knows1 and if you try1 understanding will be given you4 ,if you seek wisdom from him1 he will not fail to give it4 ,if we always knew how to do things1 we should not need ,god's help to show us2 but as it is1 we must often dare to undertake what he wants us to do in his wisdom and in his strength1 no matter whether we can see the outcome or not4 ,god wants us to rely on him1 and to go ahead in his strength4 8,i am not sure0 is another barrier4 ,it is well to know ,god's will definitely1 but many times people want to be so very sure that ,god has no way of making them feel sure4 ,they do not take the assurance that he gives2 they want something more4 ,reason and good judgment tell them to go ahead1 but they build up the barrier 8,i am not sure10 and hide from duty behind it4 ,we ought not to decide hastily or rashly1 but we ought to decide1 and then act upon our decision4 ,one may cultivate the habit of indecision until his usefulness is greatly hindered1 and he is constantly tortured wondering what he ought to do4 ,it would be better to make a few mistakes than to let indecision hold us back from everything4 8,they will think0 is still another self-made barrier4 ,the fear of being misunderstood or having remarks made about them is some people's greatest hindrance4 8,they will think ,i want to push myself ahead02 8,they will think some one else ought to do it02 they will think this1 or they will think that1 and so fear of what people will say closes the mouth and ties the hands1 rendering life fruitless4 ,the thing that ought to concern us is1 8,what will ,god think if we do not do it80 ,it is to him we must give account4 ,it is his approval we should seek4 ,if he approves1 what others think is a small matter4 ,are we not willing to be misunderstood for ,jesus' sake8 ,let us cease to build these barriers before us4 ,let us throw down what we have built4 ,let us decide we will not be held back from duty by our fears4 ,let us go forward in the strength that ,god will give4 ,let us trust more in ,god1 and be confident that he will not fail us4 ,have you not read that the 8man of ,god0 was to be thoroughly furnished unto every good work8 ,if you would pay more heed to getting your furnishings than you do to your fears1 you might become far more fruitful4 ,thus1 you would be more happy here and reap a greater reward hereafter4 ,,talk ,,forty-,,five4 ,,how ,,to ,,work ,,god',s ,,joy-,,machine ,it was a bright1 sunny morning as ,brother ,littlejoy walked down the street toward the railway-station4 ,but somehow the brightness of the morning was not reflected in ,brother ,littlejoy's face4 ,he seemed gloomy2 his gaze rested upon the ground4 ,as he entered the waiting-room1 he saw a man with a smiling countenance1 and he said to himself1 8,why1 there is ,brother ,joyful40 ,brother ,joyful1 seeing ,brother ,littlejoy1 hastened to him and shook hands with him warmly and said3 8,good morning1 ,brother ,littlejoy4 ,what a fine morning this is6 ,it seems that all nature is rejoicing in the spring sunshine4 ,but1 ,brother ,littlejoy1 why do you look so gloomy this morning when everything else seems so bright80 8,oh10 said ,brother ,littlejoy1 8,i have so many troubles and worries and perplexities1 so many trials and difficulties1 that it seems ,i have little joy in my life4 ,i never can understand how you are always so joyful4 ,you always have a smile for everybody and never seem to have any of the worries and troubles that other people have4 ,you seem to be1 as ,paul said1 #8always rejoicing4' ,how ,i wish ,i were as you are6 ,it certainly must be a happy life40 8,oh10 replied ,brother ,joyful1 8,i think ,i have my full share of the troubles of life4 ,you know every one must expect them4 ,we all have plenty of them1 but that is not the cause of your trouble4 ,it is not the number of trials and perplexities people have that keep them from being joyful2 for some of the most joyful people whom ,i know have many cares1 sorrows1 and troubles4 ,there is just one thing wrong in your case1 ,brother ,littlejoy--you have not learned how to work ,god's joy-machine40 8,god's joy-machine60 exclaimed ,brother ,littlejoy1 8why1 ,i did not even know that he had one4 ,what do you mean by his #8joy-machine'80 ,brother ,joyful laughed1 and his eyes twinkled as he said1 8,come over here and let me give you an object-lesson40 ,so they walked over to the side of the room where two machines were standing side by side4 8,you see this weighing-machine10 said ,brother ,joyful2 8,i will just step upon it and get weighed40 ,he stepped upon the platform of the machine1 but the indicator remained at zero4 8,why1 it seems it does not work this morning60 8,of course not10 answered ,brother ,littlejoy1 8you have to drop a penny in the slot before it will act40 ,then ,brother ,joyful took a penny from his pocket and dropped it into the slot4 ,the indicator immediately flew around on the dial4 8,one hundred and seventy-two pounds10 said ,brother ,joyful4 8,that is just what ,i weighed two weeks ago4 ,now let us try this one1 and have some music40 ,so saying1 he took a disk from the rack and adjusted it in the machine and pressed the lever1 but nothing moved2 no music came forth4 8,why10 said ,brother ,littlejoy1 8it will not play until you drop a nickel into the slot40 8,oh10 said ,brother ,joyful1 8that's the way60 ,he dropped a nickel into the slot1 and the machine began sounding forth its melody4 ,sitting down on a seat near by1 they listened until the music ceased1 when ,brother ,joyful said3 8,you see ,i might have stood there on the platform of that weighing-machine all day and wished to have known my weight ever so much1 but ,i should not have found it out until ,i had dropped a penny into the slot4 ,we might have stood there by the music-box all day and wished to hear it play2 we might have asked it ever so earnestly to play for us2 but until the nickel was dropped into the slot1 there could be no music4 ,now1 ,god has a joy-machine1 and it works on the plan of the slot-machines4 ,you can see its picture almost anywhere in the ,bible4 ,but there is a real place where you can get the joy--real joy and there is plenty of it4 ,this music-box will play a tune for each nickel dropped into it1 and so ,god's joy-machine will yield you a heartful of joyfulness every time you can get it to work1 and it always works whenever you proceed right4 ,some people merely stand around and look at the box4 ,they see others getting joy out of it and often try to get joy1 but somehow it does not work for them4 ,the trouble is1 they do not put in the coin2 in other words1 they do not do what is necessary to get the machine to work4 ,the joy is there1 plenty of it1 enough for everybody2 there is no reason why people should be without it40 8,well10 sighed ,brother ,littlejoy1 8,i would give almost anything if ,i knew how to get joy like you2 but ,i suppose it is not for me40 8,right there is where you are mistaken10 said ,brother ,joyful4 8,take another lesson from those machines yonder4 ,they are set out in plain sight1 and the public1 everybody who wishes1 may1 by dropping coins into the slots1 get what the machines have to give4 ,the more coins dropped1 the better the owners are pleased4 ,they do not want the weights1 they do not want the music2 these are provided for the public2 and whosoever will may have his full satisfaction on certain conditions4 ,now1 ,god's joy for his children is just the same--the more they have of it1 the better pleased he is4 ,the more joyful they are1 the more joyful he is4 ,you are mistaken in thinking that you are denied joy4 ,you are not denied it any more than you are denied music from the music-box4 ,if you know how to operate the box and are willing to pay the price1 you may have plenty of music4 ,it is equally true that if you are willing to pay the price1 you can work ,god's joy-machine all you please40 8,well10 said ,brother ,littlejoy1 8,i do wish ,i knew how4 ,and what do you mean by the price of joy80 8,it is something many people have not learned yet10 answered ,brother ,joyful2 8but ,i will tell you the secret4 ,i will tell you how ,i get ,god's joy-machine to operate4 ,a specified coin is required to operate these machines1 but there are many different things that will work ,god's machine4 ,sometimes one thing will do it1 sometimes another1 and sometimes it takes several things together4 ,the first thing ,i try is obedience4 ,whole-hearted obedience to the ,lord never fails to bring me a good supply of joy1 but that is a price many people are not willing to pay4 ,they would like to have the joy1 but when it comes to obeying ,god and throwing their whole soul into that obedience1 they draw back4 ,often they obey reluctantly1 with more or less unwillingness in their hearts1 or they want to do it just a little differently from ,god's way4 ,that kind of obedience never makes the joy-machine work4 ,there are others who are willing to obey ,god1 provided he will do so-and-so to suit them4 ,such people wait a long time for their joy4 ,so long as the heart is closed up against ,god's commands1 you can count on ,god keeping a lock on the joy-machine4 8,sometimes1 and very often too1 we have to drop some trust into the slot4 ,if you are doubting ,god and questioning whether he means what he says or whether he will keep his promises1 the machine will not work4 ,when ,i want a feast of joy1 ,i make sure that ,i am obeying ,god1 and then ,i tell him that ,i believe him1 that ,i trust myself and my all completely into his hands1 and that ,i feel perfectly safe in doing so2 that ,i believe his eye is over me and his everlasting arms are beneath me and that he will work out everything for my good and keep me in whatever circumstances ,i am placed4 ,that makes the joy-machine work4 ,often it brings #8joy unspeakable and full of glory4' 8,of course1 there is something else that goes with obedience and trust1 and that is really a part of them4 ,it is submission4 ,unless our hearts say1 #8,thy will be done1' the joy-bells will not ring much4 ,if we get any joy1 it will be only a sort of human enthusiasm4 ,i say the heart must say this4 ,it is not enough for the mouth to say it2 the heart must not say it reluctantly nor hesitatingly1 for the joy will not come until the heart submits unreservedly4 8,praise is another thing that makes the machine work2 that is1 the kind of praise that comes from the depths of the heart--the kind that comes spontaneously from a deep appreciation of ,god's goodness and mercy4 ,only those who obey ,god have this kind4 ,we may shout ,god's praise loud enough to be heard two blocks away2 but if we are not obeying him1 he knows it is a pretense1 and it will not work the machine4 ,one may be ever so enthusiastic1 and seem to be very happy1 but if he is not obeying ,god1 what he gets does not come out of ,god's joy-machine4 ,praise amounts to much when there is obedience back of it1 but is nothing but noise when it is otherwise4 8,sometimes it is patience and long-suffering that make the machine work4 ,sometimes when opposition or accusation come or when railing1 abuse1 scorn1 or similar things must be borne1 the joy-machine does not work immediately4 ,we have to put a good supply of patience into the slot1 and perhaps suffer a while2 but when the proper time comes1 they will make the machine work all right4 8,a smile or a cheery word or a bit of song1 a kindly greeting1 or almost any kindly act put into the slot may fill up our cup with joy when we are not expecting it4 ,sometimes nothing but enduring a hard trial will start the joy flowing4 ,one may not be very joyful during the trial2 for the joy generally comes at the end of the trial4 ,some people think that it would be pleasant if they could put their trials into the slot and make the joy-machine work1 but it does not work that way4 ,it is the endurance that makes it work1 and the endurance will not make it work until it is dropped into the slot2 that is1 until we have endured through to the end of the trial4 8,then1 ,i find things in my pocket-book1 too1 that ,i can drop into the slot to make the machine work4 ,money in the pocket-book will not make ,god's joy-machine work any more than it will make yonder machine play music4 ,when people look into their pocket-books and see only money1 the only joy it can make is a sort of selfish1 human joy4 ,i know of people who can see something besides money in their pocket-books4 ,why1 just the other day ,brother ,sympathy looked into his pocket-book and saw a sack of flour there for the ,widow ,grimes4 ,and last fall one day he looked into it and saw a whole ton of coal for old ,mrs4 ,benson and an overcoat for ,tom ,jones1 and a little later he found a pair of shoes for ,johnnie ,peters4 ,of course1 he took them all out and delivered them to their owners4 ,i suppose you wonder why his face shone so in meeting4 ,it was because these things1 and many more like them1 kept ,god's joy-machine going4 8,now1 ,brother ,littlejoy1 ,i have told you a few of the things that will make the machine work when put into the slot1 and ,i am sure that if you will use them1 your joy-cup will not be empty much of the time40 8,well1 ,brother ,joyful10 said ,brother ,littlejoy1 8you have surely taught me a lesson4 ,if that is the way to get joy and if ,i can have it as well as anybody1 ,i think ,i shall try to get my share in the future4 ,but how am ,i to get rid of all my troubles and worries and heavy burdens80 8,why10 answered ,brother ,joyful1 8you are working the wrong machine2 you do not get such things from the ,lord40 8,what do you mean80 asked ,brother ,littlejoy4 8,why1 ,satan has a slot-machine also1 and many people are working it overtime4 ,some good people are working it1 but they do not know they are using ,satan's machine40 8,please explain yourself10 said ,brother ,littlejoy2 8,i do not know what you mean40 8,it is this way10 replied ,brother ,joyful2 8,satan has a great machine1 or ,i might say several different ones1 and there are many different things that can be dropped into the slots to make them work4 ,but none of the things that work ,god's machine will work ,satan's4 ,now1 you have1 you say1 trouble and gloom and such things4 ,these come from ,satan's machine4 ,this is the way it works3 ,you drop some unbelief into the slot1 and you get darkness and fear2 doubts1 and you get gloom and despondency2 disobedience1 and you get condemnation2 fear1 and you get weakness2 murmuring1 and you get discouragement4 ,oh1 there are many things you can get out of ,satan's machine2 and he is very glad to have you get them4 ,drop in some cross words1 some fretfulness1 some self-will1 a little pride1 a little suspicion of the brethren1 a little envy1 or anything of that sort1 and you will get a large return from ,satan4 8,now1 as ,i said1 ,brother ,littlejoy1 you have been working the wrong machine1 and if you will just think a while1 you may be able to tell what you have been putting into the slot to get these things that you would like to be rid of4 ,perhaps it is a little disobedience or self-will or unbelief4 ,make a good prayerful search and find out2 then stop dropping things into the devil's slot-machine1 turn your attention to learning how to operate ,god's joy machine1 and ,i am sure you will soon see a gratifying change40 ,as ,brother ,littlejoy walked out of the door1 he said to himself1 8,i think ,brother ,joyful is right2 ,i will begin working the other machine40 ,,talk ,,forty-,,six4 ,,be ,,brave ,be brave4 ,only the brave are strong4 ,the coward is a weakling2 if he has strength1 he dares not use it4 ,we must be brave1 for life is a battle4 ,the forces of good and evil are in deadly combat4 ,you can not avoid having a part in the conflict4 ,you must fight whether you will to do so or not4 ,there will be obstacles to meet no matter where your path may lie4 ,you must overcome them or they in turn will overcome you4 ,do not dream of a time in this life when all your obstacles will be overcome4 ,there is no day so bright but the darkness follows4 ,there is no ship that sails the sea but must meet the storms4 ,no tree sinks its roots so deeply into the soil but its strength is tested by the gale4 ,upon you will blow the piercing winds of adverse circumstances4 ,things will come that you can not foresee4 ,do not shrink before them when they appear4 ,lift up your head1 throw back your shoulders1 look them squarely in the face1 and with courage born of faith meet them in the strength ,god will give you4 ,sometimes it may seem that to endure is impossible4 ,your strength may fail1 but when you have come to the end of yourself1 ,god will add strength1 and that added strength will mean victory4 ,be brave4 ,it is only when you bravely face the foe that you can know the measure of your strength4 ,there can be no defeat to him who will not be defeated4 ,circumstances may prevail against you for a time1 but if you fight manfully on1 the seeming defeat will end in victory4 ,napoleon once fought a battle and lost4 ,his troops were driven back4 ,one of his marshals1 who with his troops had not arrived in time for the conflict1 came up during the retreat4 ,napoleon said to him1 8,we have lost the battle40 8,it seems so1 sire10 was the reply1 8but there is still time to fight another40 ,encouraged by the words of his marshal1 ,napoleon rallied his troops1 attacked the enemy1 and won a great victory4 ,if defeated1 never count that defeat final4 ,attack the foe again and keep at it till you win4 ,bravery is a quality of mind and soul4 ,you may be weak in body1 you may be timid and shrinking1 but if you will1 your soul may rise above all this and wax strong in ,god4 ,courage is the basis of your strength4 ,it will bring strength from ,god4 ,but should he give you ever so much strength1 only through courage can you make use of it4 ,,talk ,,forty-,,seven4 8,,but ,,jesus ,,sent ,,him ,,away0 7,,luke #h3 #ch7 ,how natural it is for us to desire to be in the presence of the ,master1 to walk with him1 to talk with him1 and to behold his wondrous works6 ,how pleasant to sit at his feet and learn of him6 ,how often we think of those who enjoyed walking with him over the hills of ,judea and wish for ourselves that glorious privilege6 ,it is our privilege1 though our natural eyes can not see him1 to dwell in his presence1 to commune with him1 and to learn the deep things of ,god4 ,in the secret closet we often seem to be very near to him1 and how our souls would love to remain there1 but ofttimes1 like the man out of whom the devils were cast1 we are not permitted to remain with the ,lord2 he sends us away4 ,when we feel ourselves apart from him1 it is not always because we have wandered away1 for often he finds it needful to send us away for some purpose4 ,even those who were privileged to be his closest companions while on earth were sent away from him from time to time on various missions4 ,sometimes he sent them with the message1 8,go and tell40 ,obedience to this took them away from his presence4 ,their eyes no longer saw his mighty works1 nor did their ears hear his gracious words4 ,they did not have the support of his presence1 but found themselves apart from the ,master4 ,so we must often go out from him with a message1 and1 being apart from him in a sense1 we shall ofttimes find ourselves needy and seeming to go on our own strength2 but we must daily bear his message to the people1 and while we are bearing it1 what wonder if we are lonely sometimes8 ,like the disciples1 however1 when we have spoken our message1 we may go back again into his presence4 ,one he sent away for investigation1 saying1 8,go 444 show thyself to the priest40 ,sometimes we must go out among our enemies and be a gazing-stock for them4 ,we must be the object of their criticism1 of their scoffs1 of their mockings1 and all this apart from the ,master4 ,but shall we not bear all these things and rejoice in them1 that when we have returned to the ,master1 and are sitting in the quiet and silence at his feet1 holding sweet converse with him1 we may know we have wrought his will and glorified his name8 ,sometimes he sends us forth to perils4 8,behold1 ,i send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves40 ,but he also gives us the sweet assurance1 8,nothing shall by any means hurt you40 ,his messengers now1 as in the days of old1 must face perils2 and these perils must1 in a sense1 be faced away from the ,master's presence4 ,sometimes he sends to suffering4 ,he said of ,paul1 8,i will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake40 ,even ,christ himself was sent apart from the ,father4 ,he had to leave the glories of heaven and all that those meant1 sacrifice all the honor that he had1 with all his joys in the presence of the ,father1 and go to earth to be despised1 mocked1 hated1 scourged1 and crucified4 ,sometimes his spirit was heavy1 and sorrow weighed him down1 and at last1 in the most trying hour1 he felt his separation from his ,father most keenly and cried out1 8,my ,god1 my ,god1 why hast thou forsaken me80 ,if it was necessary for the ,son of ,god to go apart from the ,father1 to be sad and lonely and heavy-hearted1 and at last feel himself forsaken1 should we think it a strange thing if we sometimes have a similar experience8 ,how sweet to be with him in the secret closet and in the meetings with his saints6 ,how it warms our hearts and fills us with courage and hope6 ,but for our work's sake we must go apart and endure1 sacrifice and suffer4 ,we can not always see his smiling face4 ,but there will be a time when we shall forever be with the ,lord4 ,until the time shall come1 let us be willing to obey him1 even though it takes all the courage and fortitude we have4 ,if we find ourselves apart from him1 let us not accuse ourselves of wandering away1 if we are doing the work of ,god4 ,heaven will be all the sweeter because of our having been1 in this sense1 apart from the ,master here1 and we shall be the better prepared to enjoy his presence when he comes for us4 ,,talk ,,forty-,,eight4 ,,getting ,,the ,,kernel ,one afternoon a mother with her children about her knees sat cracking nuts4 ,the older children picked out the kernels for themselves1 but the mother stopped now and then to pick out some for the smaller children1 who watched with eager eyes and ate the kernels with keen relish4 ,presently a nut fell to the floor4 ,the smallest child picked it up2 and as his mother went on cracking others1 he held it up to her and in his baby language asked to have it cracked4 ,he knew that there was something good inside of it4 ,the shell was dry and hard4 ,he might bite on it all he pleased1 but the delicious kernel he could not get until the shell was broken4 ,the ,scriptures are just like that nut4 ,if we wish to enjoy their richness and sweetness1 we must1 so to speak1 get them cracked1 and thus obtain the kernel1 the inner hidden meaning1 which will enrich the soul4 ,but many are content to know so little of what is really contained in the ,word6 ,how full of meaning1 how rich1 how wonderful1 is a single expression6 ,one single phrase may contain enough1 if you get the 8kernel0 of it1 to make your soul bubble over with joy all day4 ,a single word may give you strength to fight victoriously through a sore conflict4 ,the trouble is1 people do not take the time to get an understanding4 ,they are too ready to think that they can not understand4 ,learn to take a sentence1 a clause1 or a word1 and meditate on it4 ,the more you think of it1 the longer you consider it1 the richer and fuller it will become4 ,to illustrate my meaning ,i will take a text familiar to all and try to show you what ,i mean by getting the kernel out4 8,the ,lord is my shepherd40 ,i have often heard people quote this text when ,i knew it meant little to them4 ,but suppose we study it a little and place emphasis on each part in turn4 ,every word has its 8kernel0 of meaning1 every word is full of richness and soul-satisfaction1 if we can but get it out4 8,the ,lord0--not just any ,lord1 for there are 8lords many40 ,it signifies one definite1 particular ,lord2 not one of a number of equal lords1 but one standing out separate and distinct from all others--the one above all others4 ,this is the ,lord who is 8my shepherd40 ,when rightly considered1 this one little common word as here used contains a world of meaning4 ,we could profitably study it for hours4 ,there is a whole sermon in it4 8,the ,lord is my shepherd40 ,it is not a man nor even an angel who is my shepherd2 it is the ,lord1 the almighty ,one--he who created all things1 who stretched out the heavens1 who upholds all by his might2 the ,lord who speaks and it is done2 the ,lord who wills and it comes to pass2 the ,lord unchangeable1 unfailing1 glorious in strength1 perfect in wisdom and understanding4 ,baal is not my shepherd1 but he who sits upon the throne of the heavens1 whose face is as the lightning and whose words are as the rolling thunders1 whose love is more tender than a mother's1 whose touch is as soft as the kiss of a sunbeam1 whose eye is tender with pity1 and whose heart is a fount of compassion--this is the ,lord1 my shepherd4 8,the ,lord is my shepherd40 ,yes1 he is4 ,there was no questioning with the ,psalmist2 it was to him a positive reality4 ,he did not doubt it in the least4 ,he was as sure of it as he was of his own existence4 ,but he was not any more sure than we can be4 ,repeat the text over a few times with strong emphasis on the 8is40 ,this will help you get the kernel out of it4 ,if you are a little doubtful1 keep going over it until the 8is0 really means is to you4 8,the ,lord is my shepherd40 ,yes1 he is my shepherd4 ,it is ,i for whom he is caring4 ,it is ,i over whom he is watching4 ,it is ,i who can safely trust him4 ,i may see him looking with favor on others1 helping1 blessing1 and strengthening them1 but he is my shepherd1 so ,i may with confidence look for him to give me the same kind of treatment that he gives the other sheep4 ,the shepherd has made promises4 ,he is my shepherd2 therefore ,i belong to him and have all claims upon him that any sheep has4 8,the ,lord is my shepherd40 ,to others he may be a judge1 austere and stern4 ,some see him as a tyrant1 some see him as one to be feared1 but he is my shepherd4 ,being my shepherd and the 8good shepherd10 he will care for me4 ,he will care for my safety4 ,he will keep me in his fold from the ravenous beasts2 he will protect me4 ,into pastures green he will lead me4 ,by the still water ,i shall rest secure4 ,he is 8my shepherd40 ,this brings out only to a small degree the richness of the text1 but it illustrates the manner in which we should study the ,scriptures if we are to get the 8kernel02 but we should carefully avoid every tendency to read into any text what it does not teach4 ,it is all right to read a chapter or a number of chapters2 but you will get more soul-food by taking a little and studying it well4 ,study each word carefully by itself and in relation to the other words of the sentence4 ,follow this method of study until it becomes a habit1 and it will unlock to you rich storehouses of heavenly truth4 ,your soul will find a feast wherever you go in the ,sacred ,book4 ,there is in every scripture a 8kernel40 ,do not be content until you get it out4 ,,talk ,,forty-,,nine4 ,,two ,,sunsets ,we stood on the brow of the hill gazing out over the valley beneath us4 ,in the distant west the sun sank quietly and serenely toward the horizon4 ,the purpling shadows of the hills grew longer in the valley4 ,the clouds overhead1 which scarcely seemed to move1 were in broken1 fluffy masses4 ,as we gazed upon the scene1 the sun as a mighty king in stately majesty and resplendent glory sank to his evening repose4 ,the clouds caught the afterglow1 looking as if a gigantic brush had swept across the sky scattering gold and orange and crimson and purple4 ,the sun had gone1 but the glory of his vanished presence still lingered in the beauty of the clouds4 ,at the close of another day we stood on the same hill-top4 ,the sun was hanging low4 ,the purpling shadows lengthened in the valley4 ,the sun did not sink in glory tonight1 but passed out of sight into a bank of dark and threatening clouds4 ,the voices of the day were stilled4 ,a solemn and foreboding hush seemed over all1 and our spirits felt the general gloom4 ,there was no afterglow4 ,there was no resplendent painting of the sky4 ,all was somber and gloomy2 nature seemed to await what would come1 in expectancy and awe4 ,and as the darkness fell1 we saw a gleam of lightning play across the distant cloud4 ,how like the sunsets of some lives were these two sunsets6 ,in my mind1 unfading while ,i live1 are the memories of two life-sunsets4 ,when but seven summers had passed over my head1 my little sister and ,i were at a neighbor's two or three miles from home4 ,in the early twilight a horseman came galloping down the road bearing the fateful news that ,mother was dying4 ,quickly placing me behind him on the horse and taking my little sister in his arms1 he galloped away through the early night4 ,when we arrived at home1 we found the house filled with neighbors4 ,upon her bed lay ,mother with pallid face4 ,through the hours of the night we watched by her bedside4 ,about three o'clock in the morning she asked them to sing that old song 8,shall ,we ,gather at the ,river80 ,with choking voices and tear-dimmed eyes the little band of neighbors sang the song4 ,the eyes of the sufferer gazed stedfastly above4 ,a heavenly light beamed forth from her countenance4 ,a smile of joy was upon her face4 ,presently she called the sorrowing relatives one by one and bade them a last good-by4 ,i fell upon my knees by her bedside and sobbed out my childish grief4 ,she turned and looked fondly down upon me and1 laying her hand upon my head1 said1 8,charlie1 be a good boy and meet me in heaven40 ,a little while she was quiet4 ,then her life's sun sank to its rest4 ,but the afterglow of that beautiful life still shines in that community4 ,circumstances later took me far away2 but after sixteen years1 ,i again stood upon the scene1 and over and over during my stay the neighbors told me of her beautiful ,christian life4 ,many a time during those years when ,i was tempted to do evil1 ,i would behold that scene again1 and those last words of my sainted mother would ring in my ears2 they stood as a bulwark between my soul and evil4 ,the same afternoon that the message so dreadful came to me grandmother visited a neighbor who was drawing near to his life's sunset4 ,when she came back1 she told what passed while she was there4 ,the man was a skeptic4 ,there was no life beyond the grave for him4 ,there was no hope of reunion around the throne of ,god4 ,grandmother spoke to him of his approaching end and asked him if he was prepared4 ,his answer ,i shall never forget4 ,young as ,i was1 it struck me with terrible force4 ,with a look of deepest melancholy on his face he said1 8,it is taking a leap into the dark40 ,a few days later he passed away1 and he and mother lie there in the little country cemetery waiting till the voice of the ,son of ,god shall call them forth4 ,but ah1 the difference between those two life-sunsets6 ,one left the glorious hope of a ,christian shining forth1 tinting the sky with beauty2 the other's sun sank into a dark cloud of despair1 lighted only with the lurid glare of the lightning of ,god's wrath4 ,reader1 what will be your life's sunset8 ,will it be serene and calm and peaceful1 lighted up with glory from the throne of ,god1 or will it be dark1 without a promise or ray of hope8 ,you are fast hastening to that hour4 ,it may be nearer than you think4 ,if you live without ,god1 you will die without ,god4 ,take a view of yourself now4 ,would you like for your life's sunset to find you as you now are8 ,if not1 what assurance have you that it will be different8 ,good intentions will never change it4 ,good desires will never change it4 ,god only can make you ready for that hour4 ,unless you seek him1 you too will take a 8leap into the dark02 for you there will be only the 8blackness of darkness forever40 8,if ye will hear his voice1 harden not your heart40 ,,talk ,,fifty4 ,,the ,,sculptor',s ,,work ,one day years ago1 as ,i was walking along in the suburbs of a city1 ,i came to a large shed with wide-open doors4 ,my attention was attracted by the sound of blows2 and as ,i came opposite the door1 ,i saw some workmen at the back end of the shed busily at work4 ,near the door on a small platform stood a large irregular piece of stone4 ,standing by it was a man with a large chisel in one hand and a heavy mallet in the other4 ,as ,i looked he walked up to the stone and began to knock great pieces off it with chisel and mallet4 ,i paused to watch him1 my curiosity aroused to know what he was doing in his apparently aimless work4 ,as ,i watched1 he continued breaking large flakes and pieces from the stone2 and so far as ,i could see1 he was just simply breaking it to pieces4 ,i wondered what he wanted such pieces of stone for4 ,but presently he began to kick them out of the way as if he had no use for them1 and so ,i wondered still more what he was doing4 ,after a time he stepped over to his work-box1 took another chisel and a lighter mallet1 and began to knock off more pieces of the stone4 ,for a long time this continued4 ,i could not tell what the outcome would be4 ,so far ,i had seen nothing but destruction4 ,from time to time he changed tools2 but still he cut away pieces of stone in the same seemingly aimless fashion4 ,at length he began to cut depressions into the stone here and there4 ,a long time ,i watched him1 still wondering4 ,at last he made a few quick strokes on one end of the stone1 and ,i saw the outline of a head appear4 ,a few more strokes1 and ,i exclaimed within myself1 8,a lion60 ,i watched until the head became more distinct and life-like4 ,then under the quick strokes of the biting chisel1 one paw appeared1 then another2 and as ,i watched1 the whole figure took outline1 and ,i knew that what seemed to be only an aimless work of destruction was instead the skilled work of a sculptor4 ,i had seen only the block of stone2 but within that block of stone he had seen the beautiful figure of the king of beasts4 ,the work that seemed to me to be without purpose1 now proved to have been full of purpose4 ,the pieces of stone cut off were merely so much waste-material that hid the beautiful statue4 ,i knew now that what would be left of the stone after the sculptor had completed his work would go to adorn some fine building and to be looked upon and admired by many people4 ,no one had admired it in its former state4 ,it was only a block of stone1 unattractive and of little value4 ,but it would now be a thing of beauty to be treasured4 ,yet that change could take place only when the sharp steel had bitten away all useless parts4 ,i went away thoughtful4 ,i realized that that was a great allegory of life4 ,the great ,sculptor sees in every human being1 no matter how rough and irregular1 great possibilities4 ,whereas we can see only the exterior1 he sees within the potential image with which he would adorn his glorious building above4 ,man was created in the image of ,god1 but that image is now obscured by sin and its results4 ,and so the divine ,sculptor must do with us as the sculptor did with the stone4 ,he must bring to bear upon us the sharp chisel of circumstances1 of disappointment1 of trial4 ,it seems that these things will destroy us4 ,it seems that these things are evil1 and we shrink from them4 ,some think that ,god is not just toward them4 ,some cry out in pain4 ,some mourn and lament4 ,some cry to ,god to stay his hand4 ,and many1 oh1 how many6 rebel4 ,they can not see what it means4 ,they feel that it is all wrong4 ,sometimes they murmur against ,god and their hearts grow bitter2 but all the time the ,master ,sculptor with his sharp chisel of pain is only trying to carve in their natures and characters his own image4 ,you want to be in his image1 do you not8 ,you desire the beautiful lines of righteousness1 purity1 truth1 meekness1 faithfulness1 and kindness to appear in you4 ,you want to be a part of the adornment of the heavenly temple4 ,if you would be not a mere block of stone without form or beauty1 but the image of the ,creator1 you must let ,pain do her work in you2 there is only one way4 ,christian character comes only through pain4 ,if you shrink and murmur or if you rebel1 that image may be marred forever4 ,think not that ,god will let your life be ruined4 ,he wants you for the adornment of his palace4 ,so when pain comes--the pain of sorrow1 of bereavement1 of temporal loss1 of being reproached and having your name cast out as evil1 of being wounded by the tongue of slander--in whatever form pain comes to you1 hold still2 bear it patiently2 it will work out in your life ,god's great design4 ,would you have patience8 ,you must have many things to try your patience4 ,would you have meekness8 ,you can obtain it only through endurance4 ,would you have faith8 ,you must meet and overcome many obstacles4 ,god puts in us latent qualities of good1 but these can be brought to view in the solid structure of ,christian character only by long and continued chiseling4 8,beloved1 think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you1 as though some strange thing happened unto you0 7#a ,pet4 #d3 #ab74 8,which is to try you0--did you ever notice that8 ,it does not say which may try you or which probably will try you2 it says1 8,which is to try you40 ,that signifies that it was intended to try you4 ,it was meant for that purpose2 it does not come by accident4 ,trials are necessary4 ,if you are ever to be what ,god wants you to be1 you need trials1 you must have them2 you can never be strong or patient or meek or brave or possess any other virtue ,god wants you to have unless you stand the test4 8,many shall be purified1 made white1 and tried40 ,god will do the purifying2 and he will also see that we get our 8trying40 8,after that ye have suffered a while10 ,peter says1 ,god will 8make you perfect1 stablish1 strengthen1 settle you40 ,the chisel pain must do its work4 ,even ,jesus was 8made perfect through suffering40 ,let us bear it manfully1 yea1 joyfully1 knowing that it will leave its mark upon us1 even the mark of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,it will bring out the beauty and richness of the ,christ-life and fit us to be in ,his presence forever4 ,,talk ,,fifty-,,one4 ,,the ,,helplessness ,,of ,,the ,,gospel ,much has been said about the power of the gospel4 ,it is 8the power of ,god unto salvation40 ,by it millions have been redeemed and cheered and comforted and inspired4 ,others have been warned in tones of thunder to awakened consciences4 ,it has been the greatest civilizer known4 ,but however great its power and influence1 however wonderful its accomplishments1 there are conditions under which it is pitifully helpless1 under which it can do nothing to help the perishing masses4 ,you may take your ,bible into a heathen land or to a race of another language1 and though all its truth1 its promises and warnings1 its light and glory1 are within its lids1 yet it is dumb4 ,it speaks not to them4 ,they perish all around it4 ,they remain in darkness1 when light is there1 heavenly1 glorious light4 ,not a ray reaches them4 ,it is helpless4 ,it is voiceless2 it speaks not to them its story of love4 ,in your own home it may lie closed and silent4 ,visitors come and go1 but it helps them not4 ,your children hear not its voice4 ,your neighbors receive not its counsel1 warnings1 nor promises4 ,how helpless it is6 ,oh the many dumb ,bibles in our land6 ,if they only had tongues1 what messages they would speak to the people6 ,you have a tongue4 ,do you not often use it in a way that is of little profit either to you or to others8 ,the ,bible has no tongue to use4 ,will you lend it yours8 ,will you let it speak its message with your tongue8 ,must your neighbors be lost because your ,bible has no voice8 ,o brother1 sister1 let your ,bible be no longer dumb4 ,give it a tongue4 ,there are hearts all around you needing its truth4 ,will you speak for it8 ,a silent and voiceless ,bible--what can be more helpless8 ,again1 if a tongue be lent it and its message be spoken and repeated again and again1 what can it do if it is not believed8 ,it is the power of ,god in this world only to 8them that believe40 ,if we will not believe it1 it can do us no good4 ,it can not save or comfort or heal unless it is believed4 ,will you give it a believing heart8 ,unless you do1 it is absolutely powerless to help you4 ,oh1 how helpless is an unbelieved ,bible6 ,and though it have a voice and speak ever so clearly1 what can it do if the ears be closed against it8 ,if 8having ears1 we hear not10 but close our minds and hearts against its voice1 it will profit us nothing4 ,it can help not the least4 ,oh1 give it a listening ear and heart6 ,the ,bible has no hands4 ,it can not reach out to the needy nor go about doing good4 ,it can not clothe the naked nor feed the hungry4 ,why not give your hands to the gospel's use1 that it may not be longer helpless8 ,it has no feet4 ,it can not go from place to place1 but must remain supine wherever it is put4 ,it is a poor 8shut-in40 ,who will pity its helplessness and give it feet1 that it may go to the nations8 ,it has no money4 ,it is as poor as a pauper4 ,it can not pay its way to the yearning1 hungry souls that await its coming4 ,it needs its way paid to ,india1 to ,africa1 to ,china4 ,it needs to go to the ends of the earth4 ,you can send some of its messages afar for a few cents1 and perchance thus help it to reach a soul ready and waiting that will otherwise be lost4 ,there are tongues ready to speak for it2 there are feet ready to run with it2 but who will pay its fare8 ,have you money and houses and cattle and lands1 and yet are not helping this helpless gospel on its mission of mercy8 ,must it fail to reach the people1 that you may consume your means for the gratification of the flesh8 ,might not the money you have spent the past year needlessly1 have sent the gospel to a number of lost souls8 ,oh6 pity the poor ,bible1 which has no tongue1 no hands1 no feet1 and no money6 ,how will it reach the lost8 ,give it your hands1 your feet1 your tongue1 your pocketbook4 ,behold the countless throngs going down the broad way4 ,listen to the groans of the lost4 ,behold your own friends and neighbors and perhaps your own kindred on the way to hell4 ,can you longer let the gospel be helpless and voiceless8 ,what would you answer the lost in the judgment were they to say to you1 8,you had the ,bible1 but you did not tell us its truths4 ,you did not carry or send it to us1 and so we perish08 ,what will you do to help the ,bible to save the world8 ,the time is short4 ,the shades of the evening are falling around us4 8,the night cometh1 when no man can work40 ,,talk ,,fifty-,,two4 ,,he ,,careth ,,for ,,you 8,casting all your care upon him2 for he careth for you0 7#a ,pet4 #e3 #g74 ,god cares for us in the sense of having a personal interest in us4 ,we are the work of his hands1 and as such he is interested in our prosperity4 ,he watches over the development of our lives2 he notes every step of progress4 ,the one who plants a flower1 waters it1 cares for it1 and watches the development of each tiny shoot and bud1 cares more for that flower and has a deeper interest in it than has the one who merely stops for a few minutes to admire its full-blown beauty and to enjoy its fragrance4 ,to the one it is only one plant out of many1 but to the other it has a special meaning and attraction and worth1 because its bloom and fragrance are the result of his labor1 care1 and patience4 ,it is his plant4 ,so it is with ,god4 ,he gave us our being2 he has nourished and protected us and watched us develop day by day2 he is interested in us and desires our lives to bloom and send forth a fragrance of trueness and purity all around4 ,let us so live that he will not be disappointed in us4 ,he cares for us because he created us for his glory and to fill a place in his eternal kingdom4 ,he created us1 not merely that we might have an existence1 but for a purpose for himself4 ,he wants us to make a success of our lives1 not simply for our own advantage1 but to fill the place for which he created us for his purpose and glory4 ,and because of this he will use every endeavor to help us succeed in our lives4 ,he cares for us in the sense that he loves us4 8,the ,father himself loveth you40 8,i have loved thee with an everlasting love40 8,god so loved the world40 ,he has a deep and abiding affection for every soul1 and even when we stray away from him into the depth of sin1 his heart yearns over us as a mother over her erring boy1 only his love is stronger than a mother's4 ,he sends his servants out to seek the lost1 and his ,spirit to plead with them4 ,sinner1 he loves you4 ,though you have grieved him and have repelled his ,spirit over and over again1 yet his eye beams with pity1 his heart is tender with love1 and his arms are outstretched toward you to welcome you to his embrace4 ,if he thus cares for the rebellious and neglectful sinner1 how much does he care for his own obedient1 loving children6 ,how tender his love6 ,sometimes in a dark and troublesome hour when his face seems hidden1 we may feel as did the disciples when they cried out in their distress1 8,carest thou not that we perish80 ,ah1 he did care4 ,at once he arose and rebuked the elements and brought the disciples safely to the land4 ,yea1 he does care4 8,he careth for you40 ,his help may sometimes seem delayed1 but it will come and just at the time to be most effective4 ,in your joys and victories and seasons of refreshing he cares for you and also in the time of trial1 of persecution1 of heaviness and longing1 and of bitterness of soul4 ,in it all he cares1 and he will bring you through when he sees the soul refined and fitted for his purpose4 8,he careth for you40 ,believe it4 ,let your soul exult in it and shout it aloud4 ,or if you can in your sorrow only whisper it1 let your heart still say3 8,he loves and he cares4 ,i will trust him and be content40 ,again1 he cares for us in the sense of taking care of us4 ,his care is proved in his making so beautiful a world to be our home4 ,the flowers1 the fruits1 the grains1 the grasses1 the animals1 the sunshine1 the winds1 the rains1 and all were made to minister to man's need1 comfort1 and happiness4 ,for us these exist4 ,that we may be fed1 he causes the earth to bring forth bountifully4 ,that we may be clothed1 he makes the cotton and the flax to grow out of the soil1 the wool upon the sheep1 and causes the silkworm to spin its glossy house4 ,that we might be warmed1 he made the coal1 the gas1 and the forests4 ,that we might be protected1 he made the stone1 the wood1 the iron1 and the clay that we might have houses4 ,he cares also for our bodies1 that we may have health4 ,he gives us pure crystal water to quench our thirst and cool us in fever1 balmy oxygen-laden air to build us up1 and countless other blessings4 ,above all this1 he is himself to us a ,great ,physician whose word heals our suffering bodies and takes us out of the grasp of death4 ,he cares for us spiritually1 giving us his grace to help in every time of need--to shield in temptation1 to strengthen in trial1 to make strong in adversity1 courageous in danger1 and valiant in conflict4 ,truly1 he cares for us4 ,let us doubt and fear no more1 but commit ourselves to him1 knowing that he will 8in no wise fail0 us4 ,,talk ,,fifty-,,three4 ,,three ,,tests ,,of ,,love 8,wherefore show ye to them1 and before the churches1 the proof of your love0 7#b ,cor4 #h3 #bd74 ,love is capable of demonstration4 ,where it really exists1 it will manifest itself4 ,it need not be made known by mere assertion4 ,we are told to love not in word or in tongue1 but in deed and in truth4 ,in these days there are many who1 like some of old1 show much love with their mouths while their hearts are far from ,god4 ,the test of our love is not how much we talk about it1 but how much we manifest it in our lives4 ,there are three tests of love1 which never fail to show exactly just how much we love4 ,let us consider them in order4 ,i4 ,how ,much ,we ,serve4 ,we are told that ,jacob loved ,rachel so much that he served seven years for her1 and that those years seemed to him as only a few days4 ,the amount of our love to ,god is proved by our willingness to serve him4 ,if there is in us a disposition to do only what we please to do1 and if we can1 to disregard any of the known will of ,god1 it is a clear evidence that we do not love him4 ,it matters not what we profess1 if we are not willing to put obedience to ,god's will before everything else1 it is from lack of love4 ,love makes people willing-hearted4 ,there are many things to do2 there are many ways to serve2 and love prompts us to serve wherever possible4 ,if the work of ,god stands first in our love1 our hands will always be ready for service4 ,i have attended many camp-meetings1 where ,i have noticed those on whom the labor of the meeting fell4 ,everybody was willing to sit in the meeting and enjoy the good sermons and take all the blessings they could get2 but when it came to the labor and responsibility connected with the meeting1 willingness suddenly disappeared1 and a greater part of the burden fell upon the ministers and a few consecrated brethren and sisters who loved ,god and the people enough to go to work4 ,i have often had occasion to call for volunteers for service1 and have often found that many people who can say 8,amen0 and 8,praise the ,lord10 and perhaps shout in meeting1 become suddenly silent when it comes to volunteering for work4 ,the test of their love proves that love is wanting4 ,in a certain camp-meeting there was a young man who professed to be saved1 and was saved1 so far as ,i know4 ,i noticed1 however1 that when others were busy at work in some necessary service1 he was always standing back a mere onlooker4 ,one day about the middle of the meeting this young man came to the altar1 and when asked what was the trouble he said that he had backslidden4 ,being asked what he had done1 he said that he did not know4 ,i said to him3 8,i think ,i know your trouble4 ,whenever there has been a meeting1 you have been ready to go and enjoy all you could of it2 whenever a meal is ready1 you are always ready for it2 but when there is any work to be done1 you are never ready4 ,now10 ,i continued1 8when there is need of water at the boarding-house1 you take a bucket and go for it2 when there is wood needed1 get an ax and use it1 or when there is anything to do in which you can help1 be ready for it and do your part40 ,he took my advice1 and from that time on he seemed to be a different man4 ,the reason many people get so few blessings is because they do not love enough to serve4 ,there are duties for all4 ,there are opportunities everywhere4 ,every one of them is a test of love4 ,brother1 sister1 how does your love stand the test8 ,love will not grumble2 it will not complain2 it will not shrink from service4 ,do you love as fervently as you ought8 ,,ii4 ,how ,much ,we ,sacrifice4 ,the mother who loves her child thinks no sacrifice too great for it4 ,even her life will she give for it1 if need be4 ,the man who loves his country will1 if the need should arise1 count no sacrifice too great4 ,he who loves ,god as truly as the mother loves her child or the patriot loves his country is willing to sacrifice for ,god4 ,abraham proved his love by not withholding his son4 ,he offered him freely in obedience to ,god's command4 ,paul loved1 and as a result he counted not his life dear to himself so that he might do the work of ,god4 ,christ so loved the world that he sacrificed everything for our salvation4 ,we say that we love this glorious gospel2 we say we desire to see it spread to the ends of the earth2 but how much do we love it compared with our love of self8 ,do we love it more than self1 or equal with self1 or far less than self8 ,many persons spend willingly and even lavishly for self who give sparingly and reluctantly to ,god4 ,they spend more for their pleasures than they give4 ,some spend more for candy than they give to missions4 ,some spend more for gasoline for pleasure-riding than they give to all causes4 ,in fact1 some spend so much on their own selfish desires that when a need of ,god's work is presented they can truly say1 8,i can not give much40 ,they might feel disposed to give if they had anything to give1 but are they willing to deny themselves of some self-gratification in order to have something to give8 ,there is the test of love that proves its real direction--whether it runs out selfward or ,godward4 ,if we love ,god and souls as much as we love self1 we can spend money for them just as willingly and with as little reluctance or regret to see it go as if it were being spent for ourselves4 ,if we can not spend for ,god and his work more willingly than for self1 it is because we do not love him more than self4 ,if we do not get more pleasure out of giving than we do out of consuming1 we may well question both the amount and quality of our love and its direction4 ,often the work of ,god must go on crutches because of lack of means while professors live in luxury4 ,there is no way to avoid the issue4 ,there is plenty of money so that all the work of the church could be properly financed and no undue burden rest upon any4 ,the fact is1 there are too many whose love is wanting in that quality which draws out their hearts into the work of ,god until they are willing to sacrifice for it4 ,it is true that there are many who do love and who prove it by their sacrifices4 ,but it is just as true that there are many others who do not deny themselves and will not even from a sense of duty1 to say nothing of making willing sacrifices through the prompting of love4 ,it is time that we heard more of the practical side of love preached from the pulpit and that people who profess salvation and at the same time manifest an indifference toward the salvation of souls and the work of the church in general should not be left to drift along in coldness and be lost at last4 ,a sacrificing person or a sacrificing church will be spiritual if the sacrifice is prompted by love4 ,people who are willing to serve and sacrifice rarely backslide4 ,,iii4 ,how ,much ,we ,endure4 ,christ proved his love by enduring the scoffs and ill-treatment of the people and the shame and suffering of the cross4 ,by this he proved his love to be real4 ,if our love is genuine1 as was that of the saints of old1 we can rejoice that we are counted worthy to suffer for ,his name4 ,paul endured all things for the elect's sake1 that they might be saved4 ,if we can not endure the little persecutions1 the unkind words1 the sneering smiles1 the scoffs and jeers1 of the unbelieving world1 is it not because our love lacks fervency8 ,the early church took joyfully the spoiling of their goods because they loved their ,lord far more than they loved their goods4 ,god's ministers in all ages have endured hardships and perils and have suffered in a thousand ways without faltering1 because they loved souls as ,god loves them4 ,sometimes people quote the text1 8,we know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren02 but if these same brethren do something that does not please them1 they are offended and grieved and are full of complaint and murmuring1 and it is hard for them to be reconciled to their brethren4 ,is the love of such people genuine8 ,does it really prove that they have passed from death unto life8 ,many think that the preacher ought to be willing to endure almost anything for the cause 7and so he should71 but they do not consider that the same love in them will give them the same spirit of endurance and willingness to suffer as it gives to the minister4 ,love that can not endure hardness1 misrepresentation1 neglect1 and such things1 and still be sweet and strong1 needs to be increased4 ,love makes service sweet1 sacrifice easy1 and meek endurance possible4 ,love enriches1 ennobles1 and blesses4 ,it sweetens the bitter cup3 it lightens the heavy load4 ,it strengthens the faltering soul4 ,let us1 therefore1 see that we have fervent love toward ,god1 toward each other1 and toward the lost world4 ,,talk ,,fifty-,,four4 ,,two ,,ways ,,of ,,rising ,the human passions are like water3 left unconfined1 their tendency is always downward4 ,you can carry water upward or force it upward with a pump1 but in order to do so you must confine it in a vessel or a pipe4 ,the moment it gains its liberty by breaking through the barrier1 it rushes downward4 ,so the human passions and propensities must be kept confined by the will4 ,when they are not1 they carry the whole man downward4 ,by the power of our wills we may raise ourselves to higher altitudes1 to greater heights of morality2 but the moment the will weakens so that passion breaks through1 the course is immediately downward4 ,water is raised to heights by great labor2 so we reach morality only by the greatest efforts1 and maintain it only by careful watchfulness and stedfast purpose4 ,but the sun1 with its warming rays1 smiles down upon the water1 and the water rises in unseen vapor and floats into the atmosphere4 ,there is no struggle and terrible compulsion and repression1 but only silence1 calmness1 and peace4 ,when it rises from the muddy pool1 the stagnant pond1 or the filthy gutter1 it rises pure and clean1 leaving behind the mud1 the slime1 the offensive odors1 the noxious germs and bacteria4 ,so when the sunshine of ,god's love shines upon and warms our hearts1 it lifts us up from all the slime and filth of sinful habits1 clean and pure1 into heavenly places in ,christ ,jesus4 ,so long as the water is kept warm1 it floats onward2 but when it cools1 it condenses and falls back again1 perhaps into the same slimy pool4 ,likewise1 so long as our hearts are kept warm by the rays of ,god's love shining therein1 our pure moral state is easily maintained2 but when we lose the warmth of that love1 lower things begin to attract us and soon we fall down toward the former level4 ,keep your heart ever turned toward the ,sun of ,righteousness1 cherish its soul-warming rays of love1 and you will float on the atmosphere of heaven far above the things of sin4 ,,talk ,,fifty-,,five4 ,,getting ,,even 8,i'll get even with that fellow if it takes ten years40 ,thus declared a man about another who had wronged him1 as his eyes flashed with passion and his teeth set firmly with resolve4 ,in his heart he determined to do his enemy as great an injury as his enemy had done him4 8,get even10 ,i thought2 8what does it mean to get even80 ,then appeared before my mind's eye a view of the various classes of humanity1 each person in the scale of morality where his life had placed him4 ,i saw the ,christian on ,god's plane of holiness and truth4 ,far below him stood the moral though unchristian man1 and down1 down1 step by step1 my mental eye beheld man to the lowest depth of moral degradation4 ,vile and wrong deeds always degrade man to a lower state4 ,every evil deed1 word1 or thought lowers us in moral being4 ,if some one has done evil toward us1 he has lowered himself by that act2 and for us to decide to 8get even0 by a similar act toward him is for us to decide that we will lower ourselves to his level4 ,to 8get even0 means to get on the same level4 ,it means to abase and degrade ourselves4 ,if we 8get even10 we are as bad as he1 and worthy that others look upon us with the same feelings with which we regard him4 ,if you want to get even with any one1 do not choose some one below you1 but some one above you in moral attainments1 and labor to attain to his height1 instead of the other's depths4 ,this will ennoble you1 make you better1 and be worthy of a reasoning being4 ,the principle of revenge has no part in ,christianity4 ,god refuses to let us avenge ourselves1 no difference what the provocation nor how good the opportunity for vengeance4 ,he says1 8,dearly beloved1 avenge not yourselves1 but rather give place unto wrath3 for it is written1 ,vengeance is mine2 ,i will repay saith the ,lord4 ,therefore if thine enemy hunger1 feed him2 if he thirst1 give him drink2 for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head4 ,be not overcome of evil1 but overcome evil with good0 7,rom4 #ab3 #ai-ba74 8,recompense to no man evil for evil0 7verse #ag74 8,see that none render evil for evil unto any man2 but ever follow that which is good1 both among yourselves1 and to all men0 7#a ,thess4 #e3 #ae74 ,when one who is a ,christian so far forgets what is right that he stoops to take vengeance1 he is then upon the level of the sinner who did him evil1 and is himself a sinner1 and is fallen from his high position to the level of sin4 ,god forbids us to threaten to 8get even0 with anyone4 8,say not1 ,i will do so to him as he hath done to me3 ,i will render to the man according to his work0 7,prov4 #bd3 #bi74 ,the spirit of ,christianity is to render good for evil1 blessing for cursing1 love for hatred4 ,the blood of ,christ will wash away the 8get even0 disposition from us2 and until we are thus cleansed1 let us not presume to call ourselves by that holy name of ,him who 8when he was reviled1 reviled not again2 when he suffered1 he threatened not2 but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously40 ,good is stronger than evil4 ,evil used against evil1 begets more evil2 but we may 8overcome evil with good40 ,i once asked a man why he did not become a ,christian4 ,he replied that there were so many in his business who were trying to get the financial advantage of him that he could not do right1 but must do the same with them or he could not 8keep even40 ,but let us see what it really means to be 8even40 ,if a man lies about me1 and to get even ,i lie about him1 then we are even4 ,he is a liar and ,i am a liar--both on the same plane4 ,he is going to the judgment to give account for his lie and so am ,i for mine--even again4 ,if he does not repent1 he will go to hell for lying2 and if ,i do not repent1 ,i shall go1 too4 ,yes1 we may get even1 but ,i would rather not be so4 ,if a man beats me out of ten dollars1 to get even ,i must watch my chance to do likewise to him4 ,if ,i do not try to beat him to get even1 he may have more money in his pocket than ,i2 but if ,i turn the matter over for settlement to ,him who said1 8,vengeance is mine2 ,i will repay10 when the final account is rendered1 ,i shall be ten dollars or more ahead4 ,let us not endeavor to be 8even0 with our enemies by taking vengeance1 but let us do right and win them to the gospel by overcoming evil with good4 ,let us get even by raising others up instead of lowering ourselves to their sinful level4 ,be a blessing to all4 ,set a right example4 ,,talk ,,fifty-,,six4 ,,do ,,you ,,know ,,yourself8 ,everyone desires success1 but not every one succeeds4 ,in any line there are certain things on which success depends4 ,success can be built only on a properly and carefully laid foundation4 ,those who desire to be ,christians desire to be successful in the ,christian life4 ,those who are called to work for ,god desire to be successful workers4 ,jesus said to ,martha1 8,one thing is needful40 ,there is generally one basic principle on which all else must be built4 ,if this is overlooked or neglected1 partial or complete failure is certain4 ,many attempts are failures because of being begun at the wrong place4 ,in mathematics we must master the rudiments before we can compute the orbits of the planets4 ,in music we must learn tones and relations of tones before we can produce the exquisite harmonies of the master4 ,in astronomy we must know something of our little home-planet before we can launch out into the heart-stirring immensities of space4 ,before we can rightly know ,god we must know ourselves4 ,the animal instinctively knows that the gnawing pain in its stomach is a hunger for food1 and immediately seeks to satisfy it4 ,but the man who does not know himself1 who does not stop to consider and analyze1 feels an unrest1 a yearning1 a hungering within his soul1 and knows not why or what it is4 ,he tries worldly pleasures2 but they only partially satisfy1 and at last render the case more serious than before4 ,he tries all the remedies that he can find for his soul-hunger1 but performs no cure1 simply because he has not properly diagnosed his case4 ,it is only when he knows that the cause of his unrest is soul-hunger for ,god and the bread of life1 that he begins to try to satisfy himself properly4 ,women1 and many of them professors1 try to satisfy this craving by decking themselves with gold and gems and fine array1 with the plumage of birds and the skins of beasts4 ,men try to satisfy it in the pool-room1 by plunging into the muddy waters of the political sea1 or by accumulating money and by the follies of life4 ,as food is the only thing that properly satisfies the hunger of the body1 so ,god is the only thing that satisfies the hunger of the soul4 ,when people come to know that this hunger is for ,god1 they begin to search for him if haply they may find him4 ,the trouble is that people look at ,christianity in the abstract1 as a something apart from themselves1 whereas it is a vital part of every spiritually normal man or woman4 ,the saying of the old philosopher1 8,know thyself10 proves his wisdom4 ,true wisdom comes only by first understanding ourselves so as to know our relation to other things4 ,one of the things that must constantly be preached to the sisters is proper modesty and plainness of apparel4 ,how often do we meet with those who once were plain who now dress almost as the world6 ,why is it that these thing's are put on8 ,because there is a longing in the heart4 ,they do not understand what this longing really is nor what will satisfy it4 ,they interpret the unrest of soul as being a desire for these things1 yet when put on they do not satisfy4 ,no1 sister1 it is not the flowers on your hat nor the feathers nor fine dresses1 that you are really desiring4 ,you may think it is1 but only because you can not rightly interpret your soul-cry4 ,no1 brother1 it is not that fine team nor that other eighty acres that your soul really desires4 ,both your souls are crying for more of ,god4 ,give them a chance to get what they are hungering for1 and you will be surprized to find out that you did not really want these other things after all4 ,if you find in you a desire1 or what seems to be a desire1 for anything not in accord with spiritual prosperity1 there is a real desire in your soul which you do not realize4 ,sister1 if you pass the millinery-store and see a display of worldly hats and something seems to say1 8,just to be honest1 ,i should like to have one of those10 your soul is hungry4 ,go home and feed it4 ,go to your closet1 fall upon your knees1 and get a good feast of the 8bread from heaven0 and 8water of life10 and then go back and look in that window again and see if there is any hunger4 ,there is not a bit1 is there8 ,do you not see you were mistaken8 ,your soul wanted more of ,god1 and you did not know yourself any better than to think it was a fine hat you desired4 ,or you1 brother1 if you feel as if you wanted people to notice you more and say nice things about you and tell how talented you are1 you are hungry4 ,go and give your soul a feast of heavenly manna--not just a taste2 eat plenty1 feast on it4 ,now come back in the crowd1 and when that man goes to praising you1 it makes you feel ashamed4 ,you did not really know what you did want1 did you8 ,and you who desire to be a big preacher and stir the world and be like a mighty man of war among the people4 ,you are getting real hungry4 ,it will take a lot to fill you up1 but ,god has plenty1 and you had better get to the table quickly4 ,when you get full1 though1 you will find you do not really want to be a big preacher at all1 have not the least desire to be4 ,why1 you will feel so small1 just as if you wanted to hide behind the cross where nobody would see you at all4 ,after we have a good1 square meal on divine food1 any sort of worldliness will 8go against our stomachs10 and we can not bear it1 sight or smell4 ,and you there1 you want to have your own way in everything1 do you not8 ,your judgment is so good that all the brethren must accept it and act upon it or all the sweetness in your soul turns to vinegar right away4 ,go and eat some of the 8honey out of the rock40 ,do not come back until you get enough4 ,when you get filled up once1 you will wake up in the night and catch yourself saying1 8,not my will1 but thine be done40 ,god is what you want4 ,everything else is husks4 ,you can eat husks all you please and not get satisfied4 ,you may get a bad case of spiritual dyspepsia or die altogether4 ,better find out what you really do want1 and then 8eat in plenty and be satisfied40 ,do not try fine dresses and rings and flowers and feathers and houses and lands and honors for soul-diet4 8,eat ye that which is good40 ,get acquainted with yourself enough to know that all the real desire of your heart is for godliness1 and that these longings for other things are only symptoms of your need of more ,god and that they will disappear at once when the soul is filled with the 8bread of life40 ,,talk ,,fifty-,,seven4 ,,balkers ,no man likes a balky horse4 ,it is a nuisance4 ,it may be fine in appearance1 strong1 and able to do a great amount of work1 and it may pull along very well on good roads2 but when a mud-hole is encountered1 it is likely to stop1 and absolutely refuse to budge1 regardless of the efforts of the driver1 just when it should get down to business4 ,some people are as balky as some horses4 ,when everything goes to please them1 they are 8good ,christians0 and often seem very zealous2 but as soon as something does not go just to suit them1 they draw back in the harness and refuse to pull a pound4 ,what is the matter8 ,they are balkers4 ,others do well when public sentiment is in favor of the truth2 but as soon as it becomes a reproach to walk in the straight way1 they can not bear the little persecution that comes1 and immediately they become balkers4 ,i have seen others who made much noise in meeting and talked a great deal outside about their religion and their doings1 but who1 when it came time for them to make some sacrifice for the cause or to do some work that required consecration on their part1 were ready to balk at once and throw the responsibility on others who were not balky4 ,there are others who will work hard and sacrifice for the cause if they can direct operations2 but as soon as they can not lead in the work1 or if some one questions the wisdom of something they do1 they are ready to throw up everything and quit and have no more to do with it1 no matter how much good they might do if they were content to fill any place in which they could be useful4 ,they are balkers4 ,they will work only when they can have the honor of leadership4 ,like some balky horses1 they will work only so long as they can have everything their own way4 ,there are many ways in which people balk4 ,there are the ones who are always giving up their profession at every little thing2 they are chronic balkers4 ,god can never depend on them4 ,just when he wants something done that they might do if they were in condition for work1 they have a balky spell and are of no use4 ,then there are the ones who can not go to meeting because the sun is too hot or because it looks a little like rain4 ,others balk if the wind blows a little or if they do not feel just as good as they have felt at other times4 ,some go along with a profession till new light comes to them1 but are unwilling to walk in it4 ,they stop attending meeting or quit professing or try to go on with a profession and not measure up4 ,in any of these cases they are balkers4 ,do not be a balker4 ,if there is work to be done1 do it4 ,if there are sacrifices to be made1 make them4 ,if there is persecution to bear1 bear it4 ,if there are difficulties to be overcome1 overcome them4 ,if there are hard places to pull through1 pull through them4 ,if you can fill only a minor place1 fill it well4 ,if you have trials and difficulties and discouragements1 pull through anyway4 ,do not be a balker4 ,if you have acquired the habit already1 quit it4 ,get down to business and pull your share4 ,and do not try to pull independently2 pull with the rest of ,god's people4 ,all pull together4 8,if any man draw back1 my soul shall have no pleasure in him40 ,,talk ,,fifty-,,eight4 ,,sponges ,,and ,,watering-,,cans ,it was ,jesus' custom to draw spiritual lessons from the things surrounding him and by some similitude impress upon his hearers a profitable truth2 so we may get many valuable thoughts from the simple things of every-day life4 ,the articles mentioned in the heading bring to my mind pictures of two classes of people4 ,the most noticeable feature of a sponge is its power of absorbing a liquid and retaining it within itself4 ,if dipped in or placed in contact with a liquid1 it will absorb several times its weight4 ,some people are like sponges4 ,they go to meeting and drink in the truth time after time4 ,they love it4 ,it delights their hearts4 ,they love the singing1 the preaching1 the testimonies1 and the prayers4 ,they absorb and absorb1 but1 like the sponge1 they give out nothing4 ,the sponge gives up what it has taken in only when it is subjected to pressure4 ,so it is with these human sponges4 ,while they love to listen1 they have to be urged to do anything4 ,they testify only when they feel duty-bound to do so or when they are urged by somebody else4 ,they rarely pray in meeting4 ,they are among the last in all such things4 ,to go where a congregation are mostly sponges is to find a few having all to do and to find a dull1 insipid meeting4 ,wet sponges will not burn4 ,neither will the fire of ,god burn in a congregation of sponges4 ,a preacher may be full of fire1 but he can not set sponges burning4 ,do you have to be urged to testify8 ,are you ready to pray or do whatever you can in the meeting8 ,do you love to talk to people about salvation8 or do you speak of it only when some one else starts the conversation8 ,do you have to be constantly urged to do your duty8 ,are you a sponge8 ,a watering-can is different4 ,it too will take in to its full capacity2 but1 as soon as it is turned in the right position1 it freely gives out again4 ,streams of cooling1 refreshing water fall on the thirsty plants4 ,the drooping flowers raise again their heads to blush in beauty1 and their fragrance floats out on the balmy air once more4 ,a delicious coolness surrounds the place1 and we delight to be there4 ,while the sponge represents the selfish class1 the watering-can represents the open-hearted1 cheerful giver--one who is ready to pass on the good things and who in return reaps the promise1 8,he that watereth shall be watered also himself40 ,if the watering-can is emptied1 does not the gardener fill it again1 and with fresh water8 ,so1 if we are pouring out to others1 we shall be filled anew4 ,we shall not be empty1 but fresh and rich in our souls with the water of life4 ,the great ,gardener fills us that we may pour out to others1 not simply that we may be filled ourselves4 ,it is said of ,jesus that he 8emptied himself0 7,revised ,version47 ,he became poor that through his poverty we should be made rich4 ,o beloved1 ,god wants us to be 8ready unto every good work40 ,do not be a sponge4 ,do not have to be pressed into duty4 ,do not live in yourself and for yourself4 ,be no longer content with drinking in4 ,begin to pour out4 ,be ready to do your part in meeting1 yea everywhere4 ,be ready to water others4 ,the world is indeed 8thirsty ground40 ,a sponge1 if left to itself1 gives out by evaporation until it becomes hard and dry2 and in such a state it is useless4 ,many people have drunk in the truth and delighted in it1 but instead of pouring out to others1 that they might be refilled1 they have just given out by evaporation until they have become dry and formal and lifeless4 ,that is the usual result with spiritual sponges4 ,who are those who are fat and flourishing1 those who have showers of blessings8 ,are they the sponges8 ,nay1 verily4 8,give1 and it shall be given40 8,it is more blessed to give to be a watering-can than to receive to be a sponge40 ,now1 face the question squarely4 ,which of these things are you8 ,look over the past year4 ,have you been ready for duty8 ,is your testimony always 8ripe0--ready for the opportunity8 ,are you ready for service of any kind8 ,if you have been a sponge1 quit being one4 ,quit now4 ,get ,god to make something better of you4 ,if we are not now sponges1 we can soon become so by neglect of duty4 ,the only safe way is to keep pouring out4 ,,talk ,,fifty-,,nine4 ,,the ,,final ,,retrospect ,there is a new grave in the cemetery today4 ,an hour ago the sad-hearted mourners1 with fast-falling tears1 looked for the last time upon that familiar face4 ,the light has gone out of the eye1 and the sound of the voice is stilled forever4 8,finis0 has been written at the close of his life's story4 ,he no longer is4 ,a few days ago he realized that the end was drawing nigh4 ,before that he had looked forward1 and it seemed to him that his life might run on for years4 ,but it was not so to be4 ,the death-angel drew near1 and he heard the sound of its coming wings4 ,he then began to look backward1 to see his life as a completed whole4 ,he could now see life in its true light2 for life does not appear the same when we look back upon it from the end as it does when our gaze is turned forward in the busy hurry of the days of health4 ,when one is brought to the brink of the grave1 life takes on a different aspect2 it appears in its true perspective4 ,we are usually so absorbed in the present that the past and the future have little place in our thoughts4 ,most lives are lived1 not according to any plan or purpose1 but according to the fleeting influence of the present moment4 ,reader1 you and ,i are on the path to the cemetery4 ,some day1 and it may not be far off1 we shall look back over our lives from the end4 ,day by day1 often with but little thought1 we are building the structure of our lives4 ,yesterday we laid the foundation of today1 and today we lay the foundation of tomorrow4 ,unless we lay a good foundation and build well thereon1 when we look back upon our lives at the last we shall find much to regret4 ,the wood1 hay1 and stubble of selfish works and selfish purposes will be burned up in the fire that will try every man's work4 ,how much of the selfish element enters into most lives6 ,the ambition1 the labor1 the planning1 is for self4 ,if self prospers1 what else matters8 ,if self has ease and comfort1 what matters it about others8 ,if self is pleased1 is not that enough8 ,self seems to be the mainspring of most lives2 is it so in our own8 ,when we come to look back at the last1 we shall find no pleasure in viewing our own selfishness or its fruits4 ,we shall not desire to retain it in our memories4 ,we shall see that whatever was done through selfish motives was time and energy lost4 ,when we look back1 shall we see bitter words1 unkind deeds1 and unfaithfulness to ,god and man8 ,shall we look back upon broken promises8 on friends who trusted us and were disappointed8 ,shall we look back upon wrongs to our fellow men and sins toward ,god8 ,it seems to me that the keenest regrets that ever come to a soul on earth are the regrets that come to him who1 during his last hours on earth1 has to view a misspent life4 ,how many have said1 8,oh1 if ,i could live my life over60 ,alas6 that can not be4 ,my brother1 my sister1 you can live this day but once4 ,you will look back in time and eternity and see this day just as you lived it4 ,not only today1 but every day1 when it is today1 holds the same momentous responsibility4 ,let us live today as faithful to ,god and man1 as true1 pure1 just1 and kind as we shall in the last day wish we had lived4 ,do not think that tomorrow you will live better1 and be more kind and true and gentle4 ,today is your day2 tomorrow is out of your reach4 ,there was one of old who looked back over his life and summed it all up in these words3 8,vanity of vanities2 all is vanity40 ,he was rich and wise2 he was a mighty king1 and had great honors2 but he lacked that good conscience that comes from a life well spent4 ,he had not held back his heart from the enjoyment of any pleasure4 ,he had given free rein to his desires4 ,he had lived a life of ease and luxury4 ,he had but to speak1 and he was obeyed4 ,but1 alas6 when he looked back1 there was nothing in the scene to give him pleasure4 ,it was only 8vanity and vexation of spirit40 ,there was another man who looked back and who told us what he saw4 ,his circumstances were very different from those of the other4 ,he was a prisoner4 ,in a little while the sword of the executioner would sever the frail bond of life4 ,he knew the time was near1 and these are his words2 8,i am now ready to be offered1 and the time of my departure is at hand4 ,i have fought a good fight1 ,i have finished my course1 ,i have kept the faith40 ,his words are a shout of triumph2 there is in them the exaltation of final victory4 ,there is no tinge of regret1 there is no tear of sorrow4 ,what mattered it if his way had been rugged and thorny8 ,what mattered the thousand perils that had threatened him on every side8 ,what mattered the shipwrecks1 the scourgings1 the stoning1 the opposition of false brethren and of the heathen1 the dungeons1 the cold1 the weariness1 the sorrows8 ,he looked back over them all2 and his soul1 glowing with joy1 burst out in language of supreme satisfaction3 8,i have fought a good fight40 ,not once had he laid down his weapons4 ,not once had he faltered4 ,not for a day had he ceased to be true to his ,lord4 ,therefore he could say1 8,i have kept the faith40 ,though many times he might have avoided trouble had he kept back the message of truth1 yet how glad he was that in every instance he had been true6 ,sometimes you will not find it easy to do right1 sometimes you will have to sacrifice and endure1 sometimes you will be reproached and mocked2 but when you take that last retrospective view1 the fact that you have been true will cause you to be glad1 as was ,paul of old4 ,then1 be true today4 ,fill today with a full measure of faithful service4 ,think not of tomorrow1 but do the right1 in each today1 and thus you may exclaim with ,paul1 8,henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness1 which the ,lord1 the righteous judge1 shall give me at that day0 7#b ,tim4 #d3 #h74 ,,footnotes #a ,arms should be covered with long sleeves4 #b ,elijah was in hiding because ,god instructed him to do so4 ,read #a ,kings #ag3 #c4