Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1898-12-16

went through severe and continuous
course of preparation for such work
They were put upon such diet a
would best develop their muscle. A.
Paul says: Every man that strivetl
for the mastery is temperate in al
things" The wrcstlers we're put un
der complete discipline - bathing
gymnastics, struggle in sport witt
each other to develop strength ant
give quickness to dodge Of head anC
trip of foot; stopping Ii lift each othel
err off the ground; suddenly rushing
forwards; suddenly pulling backward
putting the left foot behind the 9th
er's right foot, and getting his oppo
nent off his balance; hard training fol
days and weeks and months, so tina
when they met it was giant clutchins
giant. And, my friends, If we do no
want ourselves to be thrown in thi!
wrestle with the sin and error of tn,
world, we had better get ready b.
Christian discipline, by holy self-de
NAL, by constant practice, by submit
ting to Divine supervisal and direc
ton. DO not begrudge the time ant
money for that young man who is il
preparation for the ministry, spending
two years in grammar school and foui
years in college, and three years il
theological seminary. l know thai
nine years are a big slice to take off {
mans active life, but if you realized
the height and strength of the archan
gels of evil in our time with which
that young man is going to wrestle
you would not think nine years o.
preparation were too much. An un
educated ministry was excusable il
other days, but not in this time, load
ed with schools and colleges. A mar
who wrote me rhe other day letter
asking advice, as he felt called to
preach the Gospel, began the wore
Cod with small ''g." That kind OF
man is not cnsled to preach the Cos
pei. llliterate men, preaching the
Gospel, quote for their own encourage
ment the Scriptural passage: "Oper
thy mouth wide and l will fill it,
Yes! He will fill il with wind. Prepa.
ration for this wrestling is absolutely
necessary. Many years ago DR.. New
man and DR.. Sunderland, on the plat
form of Brigham Young's tabernacle
at Salt Lake City, Utah, gained the
victory because they had so long beer
skillful wrestlers for God. Otherwise
brigham Young, who was himself q
giant in some things, would have
thrown them out of the window. Get
ready in Bible classes. Get ready in
Christian Endeavor meetings. Get
ready by giving testimony in obscure
places, before giving testimony in con,
spicuous places.
Tour gong around with Bagster's
Bible with flaps at the edges, under
your arm, does not qualify you for the
work of an evangelists. In this day OF
profuse CAB, remember that it is not
merely capacity TO talk, but the fact
that you have something to say, that
is going to fit you for the struggle
into which you are to go with smile
on your face and illumination on your
brow, but out of which you will
not come until your physical
and mental and moral and re.
ligious energies have been taxed
TO the utmost, and you have not q
nerve left, or thought unexpended
or a prayer unsaid, or sympathy un.
wept. In this struggle between right
and wrong accept no challenge on
platform or in newspaper unless you
are prepared. Do not misapply the
story of Goliath the Great, and David
the Little. David had been practicine
with n sling on dogs and wolves and
bandits, and 1000 times had he swirled
a stone around his head before he
aimed at the forehead of the giant and
tumbled him backward. Otherwise
the big foot of Goliath would almost
have covered up the crushed form OF
the son of Jesse.
Aye! you have been thrown twice:
but that does not mean, oh! worsted
soul, that you are thrown forever.
have no authority for saying how
many times man may sin and be for.
given, or how many times he may fail
and yet rise again; but | have author.
ity for saying that he may fall 400
times, and 400 times get up. The
Bible declares that God will forgive
seventy times seven, and if you will
employ the rule of multiplication you
finds that seventy times seven is 400
Blessed be God for such Gospel OF
high hope and thrilling encourage
ment and magnificent rescue! A Cos.
pei of lost sheep brought home on
shepherds shoulder, and the prodigals
who got into the low work of putting
husks into swine's troughs brought
home to jewelry and banqueting and
hilarity that made the rafters ring.
Three sketches of the same man: A
happy home, of which he and lassie
taken from neighbours house are the
united head. Years of happiness roll
on after years of happiness. Stars
pointing down to nativities. And
whether announced in greeting OF
not, every morning was Good morn.
ing" and every night "A Good night
Christmas trees and May queens, and
birthday festivities and Thanksgiving
gatherings around loaded tables. But
that husband and father forms an un.
fortunate acquaintance who leads him
in circles too convivial, too late.
houred, too scandaous. After awhile
his money gone and not able to bea,
his part of the expense, he is gradu.
ally showed out and ignored and
pushed away. Now, what a dilapdat.
ed home is his! A dissipated life al.
ways shows itself in faded window
curtains and impoverished wardrobe
and detected surroundings, and in
broken palings of the garden fence
and the unhinged gate, and the dislo.
Gated door hell and tha dicannao,,n,o