El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-07-19
The Best Part.

Rev. Mr.. Irwin, pastor of the Cum
berland Presbyterian church at Tyler,
Texas, pre- ached in Trinity church last
night, To large hOuS5, from the text,
But one thing is needful, and Mary
hath chosen that good part which shall
not be taken away from her. Luke
Mp. The speaker said there is pro-
oably not another character in the
bible more beautiful than that OF Mary,
the sister of Martha and Lazarus
They We're ever ready to entertain our
Lord, and we might entertain Jesus in
our homes, if We were as ready ID well
come him as that family of Bethany.
In an enlarged sense Christ may abide
N our hearts today. There were sew
eral things rem arHable about Mary.
There was her liberality. She
of the Savior that was
worth 300 pencs-It was all she had:
the best and first fruits of he, posses
5ions she gave to the Lord Your
children are your best possessions:
bring them to Gods altar, and rear
them in the nurture and admOnlt1On of
the Lord. Mary's name viii be known
through all time for her liberality.
Give unto Christ your most cherished
possessions, give him your soul, for ii
you do not do this, it is lost forever.
What shall it profit Il man if he gain
the whole world aud lose his Own soul
or what shall 3 man give in exchange
for his soul?
Marys humility was another great
trait in her character. She sat at the
feet OF the master to learn of him and
the wOrus of eternal life. SO must we
in order to rise. Until we practice
humility we can not expect to GIT
near to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The humble in heart can draw
near to God, but the proud he knOweJh
afar off. This is illustrated by the
parable of the publican and the phari-
see: and then our Lord said that it was
the publican who went down to his
house the more justified of the two.
The lesson to be drawn from that para
BILE is as true today as IL was then.
Then, Mary was religious. She chose
the good part that was not to be taken
away from her. How lamentable it is
to have many fine qualities, and yet
lack the one thing needful. Seek
ye first the kingdom of God and mis-
righ teOusness, and then ali these
things sb all be added unto you. We
make a great mistake in trying to
gather in first the things of this
world before seeking the kingdom of
God. Gods promises hold good, and
all the machine OF the universe would
be reversed before any one OF the prom
ises of God can fail IL is tbs CHRIS
tian religion that has lifted us up into
the realms of the higher cIviliz Ltion,
and among the best ana most advanced
people of the earth the Christian relig-
ion Is practiced. 1t is relig that
gives to Us our sweetest pleasures while
we live. The hspplest people on earth
ought to be Gods people. Religion
was never designed 10 make our Joys
the less. The Christian faith is perm
anent, abiding, substantial. 1t is the
good part that was not to be taken
away from Mary. Religion is a mat
ter of choice. Choose, therefore, the
good part that shall not De taken away
from you, as it was not to be taken
away from Mary.
You can not get into heaven on any
other Christians, account. You have
a personal responsibility that can not
be shared by Others. a man who
thought he had no time to give to re-
ig Gus things told his wife to go to
church for himself as well as her on
sunday, as he had no time to leave his
business affairs. She went and he
fell asleep IN his chair. He dreamed
it was the judgement day land ST. Peter
was on guard at the gates of paradise.
He saw his wife go up to the gate,
where the guard told her she might
enter for herself and her husband.
But when the husband showed up, be
was cody informed that as his wife
had lived the Christian faith for her
self and him she had entered into
: Tory also for herself and him, and he
might stay out. On awake ming the
man thought the situation over, and
concluded I'D turn about and enter in at
the strait and narrow gate.
The christian relig ion is natural,
reasonable, intelligent thing. [ urge
that you accept It ana make your soul
secure before God. Accept the Savior's
offers of salvation aud be saved.
In the absence of Miss Florence
Beall, Miss Emma Hoffman officia5ed
at the organ.