The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1892-05-11
How to Maintain the Christian
Life.

Lilo.
The first source of spiritual life
is good food for the soul. The more
nourishing the food and the better
the digestion the stronger do we
become. Some Christians die of
starvation. They surfeit the inner
man with secular stimulants of all
sorts-with spiced books of fiction,
with Light reading" that is mere
sillabub. Many swallow little else
than their daily newspaper. The
moral faculties become debilitated
on this fimsy diet. Now all the
athletic Christians-al those who
can carry heavy loads, do thorough
work, and stand a long pull-are
hungry feeders on Gods book.
Nothing will impart sinew and
muscle to your piety like the
thorough study and digestion of
your Bible. A good sermon must
be digested or it will be of little use
to you, and your daily bread of the
Bible must go through the same
process in order that it may be as
simulated and taken into your
spiritual fiber. "Thy words were
found, and l did eat them, and they
were the JOY of mine heart" said
the old-time saint. One strong BIZ
BILE text lodged in the memory, and
turned over and over and we'll di-
gested, will be breakfast for your
soul, and in the strength of it you
may 60 through the whole day. A
soldier is never in so good trim for
battle as after a sound sleep and a
square morning meal it is not easy
to fight or to march on an empty
stomach. In like manner every
servant of Jesus Christ must recruit
his or her spiritual strength by
reading Christ's words, and think
ing about them by meditation, by
prayer, and soul converse with God.
1 have always observed that the
light readers and light thinkers
make light Christians. and those
who neglect their Bibles and their
closets soon dwindle into dwarfs.
Having no depth of root, their re-
ligion withers away.
A second promoter of spiritual
life is good air for your soul to
breathe. A soul requires oxygen
as much as the body. Have you
not noticed how an audience will
drop off into listlessness, and some
of them into slumber, when the
oxygen has became exhausted in
the room? The fetid air of some
railway cars is poison to the lungs.
Our souls have lungs also, and you
cannot keep them in health while
ou are in the atmosphere of a bust
hess that has trick or gambling in
It, or III the atmosphere of amuse-
ment which stimulate sensual pas
sions, or in any sort of atmosphere
which puts conscience to sleep and
benumbs your moral sensibilities.
Orange-trees do not thrive in La
brador, or tuberoses bloom in snow
banks. Just as soon expect to make
your graces thrive by talking your
soul out of fellowship with Christ,
and stepping it into the hot air of
selfish schemings or in the poison
Gus air of social frivolities. I have
noticed that when young converts
begin to exchange their prayer
meetings for social clubs, parties,
the theatre, etc, they soon wither
away. Bad atmosphere stunts their
religion, sometimes kills it. Chris
tians have got to mingle with the
world IN a thousand ways, and yet
they must "keep unspotted from the
world"
Never venture a single inch into
any business, however lucrative, or
any speculation, however attractive,
or any social circles, however fasci-
mating, if your cannot carry Christ
with you and q clean conscience.
Remember that Christ is your life,
and without Him "no man can keep
alive his own soul"
Exercise, Of course, is as essential
to- spiritual as it is to physical
health. There is great pith in the
apostles injunction Exercise
myself unto godliness." God has
intrusted to you (not given them to
you Gin fee simple certain powers,
faculties, possessions, and capaci-
ties for his service. For want of
use these limbs of the soul may be-
come as powerless as the legs of a
fever patient three weeks in a hos
pital. Inactivity is the "dry rot"
of thousand of church members.
You will never gain a good appetite
of Gods word, or flush of 10y on
your countenance, until you lay
hold Of some earnest, self-denying
work and keep at ii. Nothing will