The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1897-03-27
THE BEGINNING OF THINGS.
Emphasis Rightly Laid ON That Point
That Calls for Decision.


That Calls for Decision.
The homely wisdom of all nations
makes much of right beginning of any
undertaking and tells us that il il is
well begun it Is half done. Religion
does the same; and the Jewish Scrip
lures over and over again tell US that
the fear of the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom; as much as TO say that when
man first made up his mind to fear
God he then began TO be wise. II is, so
the old Jewish sages tell us, n good be-
ginning, a wise beginning, when a
youth-for il is to those in the begin
dresscd-takes the fear of God as the
rule of his conduct.
What else do we mean when, as Chris
tians, we make so much of conversion?
1t is the beginning Of a new life. 1t is
what Jesus meant when lie said "Ye
must be born anew" for If we translate
IL born again" even so the emphasis
remains on the beginning Of the Chris
tian life since the word born" alone
means a beginning. Whether born
again." or born anew" IL is n fresh be-
ginning which our Divine Lord says we
must make IL we would see the kingdom
of God. If one has made this beginning
he is in fair way to see the kingdom,
otherwise never. 1t is the right begin
ming which Jesus tells Nicodemus is
OF the first Importance. IL is a wise be-
ginning, a beginning of wisdom.
We then do not, i'm our instruction,
v,,o1ra too rnnch of ,opvoretnn q ,ut I'm.
possible to make too much of il. Itwas
we'll that Jesus began His own ministry
by saying: Follow me-" and getting
disciples 10 begin. And when He left
them to take up His work His last in
structions were that they should be
fishers OF men and evangelze the world;
which means nothing else than that
they should persuade men TO begin the
Divine life by accepting His Gospel.
Conversion is beginning; it is being
born anew; it is doing what must be
daily repeated in successive consecra-
tons of the life TO God. IL Is OF SUI
preme value, because what is thus be-
gun is likely TO become rule of con-
duet, the habit of a holy life. The first
determination TO serve and love God and
man will be so sweet, so precious and
so accompanied by the indwelling of
the Spirit OF God that such an expert
ence will be valued and continued. The
beginning OF wisdom will become the
continuance of wisdom until character
shall be established and at last per-
fected in sanctification.
And the beginning of wisdom will be
the beginning of peace and joy. What
else does our Lord mean when. in His
pearl OF all PARALLELS after telling the
story of the conversion Of the prodigal
son-that is, the conversion of any sim
ner-He tells OF the feast, and that
"they began to be merry" The Divine
life and the Divine Joy begin together
The Divine life and the Divine Joy con-
tinue and increase TO the end-nay, eter-
nally, for there Ia no end. AS soon as
the soul is born anew, il found after IL
Is lost, the angels of Heaven rejoice and
the saved soul rests in sweet delight in
it's Saviour, even as the sheep that was
found rests in the shepherds arms. We
are only told that "they began to be
merry" because that is feast that
never ends.
Yet all depends on the beginning. The
subsequent Divine life may be richer
and nobler; but the soul redeemed,
whether on earth or in Heaven, will re-
call no moment so sweet as that mo-
ment OF first surrender TO the will of
God. That was the choice made. That
was tie fateful, the blessed day in the
valley OF decision From TINT fountain
the river began TO flow certainly into
the ocean of amending bliss. What can
be more blessed than such beginning;
what privilege greater than that OF per-
suading men TO make such beginning?
IN. Y. Independent.