El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-12-06
BAPTIST CHURCH
"Needless Anxiety Over Lies
What"

NCVuEVSS ItlAiS -
What
Rev. w. o. Millican, pastor of the
First Baptist church of this city, had
for his text Sunday morning the words
of sJesus found at Matt. VI:32, "For
your heavenly Father knoweth that ye
have need of all these things.
He speaker said in part:
Mans chief physical need is food and
raiment, his mental need knowledge,
his spiritual and greatest need God.
To large majority of people, the
physical iced constitutes the chief an
xiety and care of life. About this need
most people are over anxious. L know
of more than one wealthy man who has
lived in constant anxiety lest he and
his family should literally starve to
death. The burden of our text Is to
show that such overanxiety Is unneces-
sary, unreasonable and wrong.
First, this anxiety is usually not
about what we really need, but what
we think we need. Take b matter
of food. Many are In a constant worry
lest they be unable to secure sufficient
food for lies ~sustenance. And at the
same time this very class of people are
throwing away as mSch as it would
take for others to live on. With few
exceptions men do not die because they
have no food to eat, but because they
eat too much food. God has put plenty
of fOod within the reach of all; the
proper effort with a temperate use will
| insure every mar and that without over
anxiety, plenty to eat.
The same is true in regard to dress.
The e and tear of family life; the
clotbesless people in our country; the
ruined fortunes and blighted Sspira-
tions in business life are not because
God has not given enough of raiment,
but because men have used it ex-
trsvagsntly according to their desires
and not according to their needs.
There is often a vast difference be-
tween mans desires aud his needs.
Tue one is often fixed by man and the
devil, the other by nature and God.
Let him who fixes our legitimate
needs supply them at his own good
time.
Second, this over auxiouspess adds
naught To our real needs. Which of
you by being anxious can add one cubit
unto his ~stature?" said Jesus. A Ken
lucky mOuntaineer took a trip through
the blue grass section and became
dissatisfied with the lot that providence
had assigned to him, sold out and
moved TO the coveted section. In about
ten months he was seen on his way
back t his IL home. Some one in
CURED the reason for the speedy re-
turn. His reply was, in the
mountains I was king among dogs, but
in the blue grass 1 was dog among
kings" His over anxiety brought him
naught but sorrow q for q time des-
troyed his power of being useful to his
fellow.
Third, such anxiety is heathenish.
For after all these things do the Cen
tiles seek" ssid Jesus. The Gentiles
had no God. They were heather.
Thar c0pcantiOp of Cod uaS hoi,nd nm
in wood and stone or some far distant
planet. Trua they tried to worship
these: but never for once though
ike the prophets of Baal the heather
called loud and long. did these gods
come to their help or answer their
prayers. They had no godly lie and
witness to the supernatural within.
They had no consciousness of an om-
niscient, omnipotent, bene6cent Fa-
ther in heaven. No wonder that they
were anxious about these things, aud
sought to get all of earth possible.
But we have more tn n they. We are
the children of q king, even the king
of heaven.
Do you owe your child? Would you
supply all of its needs If you knew them
and were able? Jesus tells US thai God
loves you more and is more willing to
give good gifts to you than you are to
your children. You are limited in
your gifts by sin, by lack of knowledge
and power. But God is pure; he knows
that o have need of these
things; he is able to give you
all at the proper time: and the Psalm
list tells that we will give to all "who
walk uprightly before him." To strive
and be over anxious is to deny prac-
ticslly this belief; this relation to, and
this dependence on, God. This in the
very nature is heathenish, dishonoring
to God, and therefore wrong. Let us
then "oe anxious for nothing, but in
everything, by prayer and supplica-
ton with thanksgiving, let our re
quests be made to Cod" Knowing
that he who gives life to the
grass of the field; who clothes the
lilies with beauty: who stamps the
blush On the roses cheek; who feedeth
the sparrow; who created all the
worlds and holds the universe in the
hollow Of his hand; even God, ''our
Father in heaven, knoweth hat we
have need of all these things"
Robbed TheGrave.
A startling incident, of which Mr..
John Oliver of Philadelphia, was the
subject, is narrated BY him as blows