The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-02-24

The subject for Dr. w. K. Beans
church yesterday morning was "A
Heroic Reply" The text was taken
from Nehimiah 6: 8: Il am doing a
great work. so that 1 cannot come
down; why should the work cease,
whilst leave it and come down to
you"
The above were the words of Nehe-
miah conveyed by his messengers to
the enemies while he was engaged in
constructing the wall of Jerusalem.
Repeatedly Nehemiah's enemies sought
to drive the Workmen away and de-
coy away Nehemiah for the purpose
of killing him, but to all these messen-
gers he replied, Il am doing great
work so that / cannot come down."
The reply was herioc one, just as
any good christian might be expected
to give. The work of Christ is a great
work. The enemies are about us and
as persistent as were the foes of Ne
hemialh, but if we persevere as he did
we shall share the crown OF eternal
glory.
The work Of gaining permanent vic
tories over ourself is great work; to
remove from the heart its stains Of sin;
that of working out our souls saliva
ton without fear or trembling; this is
the supreme great work of every NOR
tai Nothing penetrates so to the very
center of our being, nothing towers so
high or majestic or reaches so far as
the accomplishment Of this work. The
builder builds for a century, but we
build for eternity; the painter throws
his colors on the canvas that will give
him a name for a generation, the
sculptor chisels the marble into forms
that cause his name to be remembered
for ages, but we paint and chisel our
souls into shape for time unceasing.
Years were spent in building the tenn
pie of Solomon, but we are engaged in
a far greater work, that of building
pillars in the house of God.
Devotion is essential to this great
work. Nehemiah realized this when
he undertook the task of rebuilding
the wall around the holy city. A moth
er who realizes the power of first i'm
pressions, who desired to gain control
over her child in order to guide it's
destinies in after years, is intensely de-
voted to her responsible task. She re-
allies that a life is being nodded for
eternity. Il am doing a great work so
that 1 cannot come down."
Look at the devotion of the Apostle
Paul Commissioned to preach the Cos
pei he went forth and met prosecutions
and trials resignedly because he knew
that the word would bring souls to
his master. Look at the savior himself.
how he consecrated his life. His agony
in Gethsemane or his anguish upon
the cross were meekly borne in the
knowledge that q great work was be-
ing accomplished-the salvation of the
world
The only devotion many show now
adays is to so TO church on Sunday,
r-fr, ~ - p a.1T-
They might be compared with an or
gan stop. On Sunday it is pulled out
and there is a little music in their
souls, but when the benediction of the
evening service is sung, it is put back
and not a tone issues forth until the
following sabbath. Many, like the lit
tie girl who moved into new house,
knelt down in the old one and bid
goodbye TO God, leave their homes
in the east and before departing kneel
down and bid goodbye to God, imagin-
ing that they do not need religion in
this wild and woolly west. They come
out here and they are tossed about as
a wreck on the boundless sea.
In contrast to this feature. look upon
the good Christian man or woman who
is devoted to the great work of glorf-
flying the creators name. No change
of scenes or of surroundings can alter
their heart or make an impression on
their souls. They realize the grandeur
of the work and their souls are filled
with satisfaction. Cyrus Field gave
thirteen years of labor to laying the
cable connecting the great continents.
Keppler spent seventeen years in solv-
ing the planetary motions, but perSe-
vered in the conviction that it was
great work. Each one of US, however.
is engaged in a work of far greater i'm
portance-the work of presenting our
souls to God whittier and purer than
the whitest enamel or driven snow.
Peresevere, therefore, and take no
heed to the armies of evil surrouD$-
ing you Send back the heroic reply,
81 am doing a great work, so that 1
cannot come down to you and we
shall finally triumph as Nehemiah did
and enter the gates of eternal glory.