The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-01-04
Y. M. G.. A. NOTES.
Two Interesting Services---The
Reception and Entertainment
q Groaf S11oooso

Great Success.
The meeting conducted by Mr. George
Harrell Sunday, December Oath, was we'll
attended and interesting. His subject |
was Faith" and George handled it ad- |
mirably.
DR.. Morton's address Sunday, Deem
Der 31st, was beautiful thing and made |
a fine impression. A large crowd greeted |
the Doctor, and the address was listened |
to throughout with close attention. The |
following is an abstract:
FIDELITY OR THE WAY TO HAVE HAPPY |
NEW YEAR.
He that is faithful in that which is least |
is faithful also in much and he that is un-
just in the least is unjust also in much |
Luke 1910.
All that we do in this world is prepara- |
tory for further advances in good or
evil, for better or for worse The steward |
who is faithful in using a small sum mer-
its the confidence which entrusts him |
with larger, and the negligence which |
betrays a trust is punished by reducing
the rank of the agent and lowering his
place. The obedient child becomes the |
faithful school boy, the successful stu
dent, the trusted agent. then the hon
ored business leader. Those habits of
faithful obedience reversed, the course is
downward. Mistrust furnishes infidelity,
then follows degradation, shame and
want. We not only have this secular
side OF the operation of the principle, but
there is higher, a divine side; all gifts
of any kind, time, talents, wealth and
trusts for which God the great distribu-
tor requires an account and of which he
demands faithful use in time as prep
aration for the promotion and the hap
piness of eternity. Then there lies in the
human soul the basis of this principle.
A love of truth and fidelity admires JUS
pleases the soul as light the eye There
is a pleasing correspondence of right
with the habits of his soul and he ad-
mires that which is true whether in large
or small things. His moral nature rises
to the trusts which God improves and he
grows in favor both with God and man.
Life involves both a development and
formation OF character. The lines of
character that are deep and strong for
the right will dictate a strong, clear cut
trustworthy life. Let us never underrate
the little acts and influences and decis-
ions of early life. The little trusts which
God has given us, faithfully executed
serve to prepare us for larger, while the
love OF honesty SO weak as to allow of
betraying "a small trust will make the
steward unsafe as the fiduciary of a great
one. The little boy who faithfully waited
through long hours at the end OF Lon
don bridge Obeying his father until the
shadows of evening reminded his for
getful parent OF the promise he had
made to go for him, was in fidel-
ity and obedience preparatory to the
Lord Nelson who nailed his colors to
the mast and crying, " England expects
every man to do his duty to-day" won
the glorious battle of Trafalgar Then
to be the steward of great things be
faithful in the little. When a noble trust
is imposed hold on, cling to it. To do
this be faithful in the little things of life.
The lessons cOnned at school, the dreary
tasks at home, the monotonous details
OF business in the office and store and
counting room; do them faithfully and
then larger trusts will open. 1t was well
expressed by David Hogg, of Blantyre,
the cody old Sunday-school teacher of
David Livingstone, who on his death
bed said to the boy, "Now, lad, make re-
ligion the everyday business Of your life,
and not by fits and starts, for if you do
temptation and other things will get the
better of you" And it was this same fl
deity in little things which made the boy
the grand man that he became. Faith
full in the cotton factory mending the
broken threads and faithful to work out
the great problems of mission service
and African exploration in the Dark Con-
tinent, which made him beyond all others
the hero Of Africa Turning from his visit
home with Stanley to go back to his
work in darkest Africa, when even his
patrons and friends would say he had
done enough to surrender that visit
home after five years separation from his
| dear children, to turn from going when
warm welcomes and high plaudits and
ovations and honors awaited him, to go
back for Christ's sake and to take up his
work, when steaming swamps and
| treacherOus natives and soaking jun
giles and racking pains and burn
ing fever, yea, even death itself
awaited him. This, all this, he did for
faith and duty's sake. To stand firm,
makes life grand and heroic. The great
end in life is to receive our trust from
God and to keep it. This is the ground
from which the Great King will advance
a servant to greater things. To take and
keep it amid scorn and persecution and
pain, yea, death itself. This was the
herOlsm OF the great apostle. Going
on back to meet the prejudiced and enfu-
rated enemies of Gods truth at Jerusa-
lem and bearing witness to the Ephesian
elders that the Holy Ghost witnessed to
him in every city saying that bonds and
Affections awaited him. But, said he,
"None OF these things move me, neither
count my life dear to myself so that
might finish my course with Joy and the
ministry which [ have received of the
Lord Jesus to testify the gospel by the
grace Of Cod And beyond all this,
above all, the fidelity OF the great Son of
God to his father who saw the dark
clouds rolling on to invest his soul and
to sweep over him with their weight of
anguish. Yet would never say Father
save me from this hour. Nay, He who
| rather declared "For this cause came l
unto this hour. Father glorify thy name.
Let the baptism OF sorrow comet" Now,
what shall we learn in view of such an in
SEPARATION and such life as this? Q) Let
us take up every duty as a trust from
God. Thus He will make our lives beau
tiful. (2) Let us do each work thor
oughly and faithfully for His sake When
done in His name our tolls are eased and
our labor is sweetened for the love we
bear Him. Jacob served for Rachel seven
years, yet they seemed unto him but a
few days for the love he bore her. Then
would you make your future sweet and
happy, look fully and earnestly at the
love and the wounds of your Lord and
work to praise and honor His holy name.
The association observed " open house.
from 3 to 5 p. m, Monday the first 1t
was delightfully."- pleasant affair, large
number OF gentlemen calling between the
| hours named The rooms were bpauti.
fully decorated with evergreen and ivy
by the delft fingers of ladies, and looked
inviting and bewitching. The following
is a list of the ladies who were present
and received: Misses Massenburg, Ste
phens, Bum, Boshamer, Gussie Black.
: nall, Faucette, Mary Hood, Barnes
Pinkston, Sallie Wyche, Stallings, Hor
ton, J. Smith, Mary Lou Thomas, Lewis,
Halle Young, the Misses Manning
Cheatham, Judd, Roberts, Cheek, and
Madams F. R. Harris, Z. G. Davis, G. A