Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-06-20
BAPTIST CHURCH.
Rev. a. u. Boone breaches a
Forcible Sermon.
A Good Congregation Gave The Minister
Undivided Attention Through
out The Discourse.

The pastor, Rev. Arthur Boone
spoke to closely interested audience
yesterday morning from this text
"When l was child, | spake as a
child, | understood as a child, |
thought as a child; but when | be.
came a man l put away childish
things. l Cor. 10, IL.
The apostle means in tn IS simple
statement that there have been neces-
sary, natural changes in his life and
character. He is the same person
with the same life, but he has grown
to "put away childish things.' The
same is true of ever progressive life.
The busy, whirling world has taken
the place of the spinning top; the re-
alities are now fulfilling the prophe-
cies of other days, the shadows have
vanished, the substance has come.
That which is true naturally is true
spiritually. There was a period of
childhood in the history of Gods
people. The Jews had their play
things Figures of the true" -
Shadows of good things to come"
The law was a schoolmaster God
gave them toys for their entertain
ment. These things were valuable,
because they held the truth in sign
and symbol until the dawning of a
better day. Jesus Christ came to lift
the nation from the infant religion to
matured state of truth and life.
He came tG fulfill the law, God took
away the pIaythings and put his
law into their minds and wrote it in
their hearts. The images have been
destroyed.
There is child period in every
christian life. He is first a babe with
his milk, afterwards a man with his
strong meat. He has the same life,
the same faith, but at first it is lit
tie, narrow, weak, and needs to be
developed. His childish idea of
christianity gives place to a lofty con-
ception his first love is magnified by
dcvout contemplation, strengthened
by soul-suffering, purified by trials,
established through knowledge and
exercise; his capacity increases, his
desire become s more earnest, his tai
ents multiply, his convictions be-
come more distinct, and the outlines
of character are better defined. The
most important period of christians
life is the day of his conversion, but
that is not the only day Of importance.
They arc all full of opportunities.
Every hillside has its gold, and he
must dig it out; every field has its
rich harvest, and he must thrust in
his sickle and reap; every vineyard
has its fruit, and he must gather;
every sorrow has its honey, and he
must extract the sweetness; every
burden has its lessons, and he must
learn them; every effort has its re.
ward, and he must seize it; every
gift has its reflex of pleasure, and ne
must enjoy it; every Sunday-school
has its sunshine, aud he must catch
it; every sermon has its truths, and
he must remember them.
The child says: Nov l lay me
down to sleep" No one can put
more appropriate prayer into the
mind and mouth of a child than this
little formula of faith. 1t is simple
and appropriate, but it is about all the
child can understand. As he grows
older his prayer increases. The young
convert is the same way. lie prays,
in the beginning, for but few things,
within the circle of his earlier mcdi-
tations /; but after awhile, as he grows
in knowledge and in grace, his petit
tions have wider scope. He has
laid away the formula of his earlier
days, and follows the freedom CT the
spirits liberty. The same is true OF
all his dntits and privileges. The
young convert should be lost in the
f..