The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-01-07

L BOt ludb Dicssluks ~ - OSAVSh
MONDAY. asking, ''Have ! got that
blessingw at 7 o'clock in the evening
saying: "Have received that bless
ing?" and not getting 1t, pleading,
pleading-begging, begging--asking,
asking until you get it. Now. my
brethren, is not that common sense?
II we ask thing from God, who has
| sworn by His eternal throne that He
will do that which we ask, is it not
common sense that we should watch
and wait until we get it?
| When ! was a lad was one day in
village store, and there was large
group of young men there full OF roll
| licking and fun, and Christian man
came in, very good Christian man,
and without any introduction OF the
subject, and while they were in great
hilarity, said to one Of them: George
what is the first step to wisdom"
George looked up and said: Every
man to mind his own business!" Well.
it was very rough answer, but it was
provoked. Religion had been hurled
in there as though it was bombshell.
We must be natural in the presenta-
ton Of religion to the world. Do you
suppose that Mary, in her CONVERSE
tions with Christ, lost her simplicity?
or that Paul, laundering from Mars Hill,
took the pulpit tone? Why is it people
can not talk as naturally in prayer
meetings and on religious subjects as
they do in worldly circles? For no one
ever succeeds in any kind Of Christian
work unless he works naturally. We
want to initiate the Lord Jesus Christ,
who plucked poem from the grass OF
the field. We all want to initiate Him
who talked with farmers about the
man who went forth to SOW, and
talked with the fishermen about
the drawn net that brought
in fish of all sorts, and talked
with the vine-dresser about the idler
in the vineyard, and talked with those
newly atlianced about the marriage
supper, and talked with the man
cramped in money matters about the
two debtors, and talked with the
woman about the yeast that leavened
the whole lump, and talked with the
shepherd about the lost sheep.
Oh, we might gather even the stars
of the sky and twist them like forget
me-nots in the garland of Jesus. We
must bring everything to Him-the
wealth OF language, the tenderness of
sentiment, the delicacy OF morning
dew, the SAT- IN Of floating cloud, the
tangled surf OF the tossing sea, the
bursting thunder guns of the storms
bombardment Yes, every Il scar must
point down to Hin, every helitrope
Lust breathe His praise, every drop in
the summer shower must fash His
glory, all the tree branches of the
forest must thrum their music in the
grand march which shall celebrate Q
world redeemed.
| Now, all this being SO. what is the
common-sense thing for you and for me
to do? What we do | think will de.
pend upon three facts-three great
facts:
The first fact, that sin has ruined us.
1t has blasted body, mind and soul
We want no Bible to prove that we are
sinners. Any man who is not willing
to acknowledge himself an imperfect
and sinful being is simply fool, and
not to be argued with. We all fee
that sin has disorganized our entire
nature.
That is one fact. Another fact i,
that Christ came to reconstruct, to re
store, to revive, to correct, to redeem
That is a second fact. The third fact
is that the only time weare sure Christ
will pardon us is the present. Now
what is the common-sense thing for u.
to do in view of these three facts? You
will all agree with me to quit sin,
take Christ and take him now.
Suppose in Venice there is Raphael
IL faded picture, great in its time, bear
ing some marks of its greatness. His
tory describes that picture. 1t is nearl,
faded away. You say, "Oh, what i
pity that 50 wonderful a picture b,
Raphael should be nearly defacedI'
After awhile man comes up, very un
slillful i'll art, and he proposes to re-
touch it. You say: Stand off!
would rather have it just as it is; you
will only make it WORSE"
After awhile there comes an artist
who was the equal Of Raphael. H.
says: Il will retouch that picture an
bring out all its original power" Yo,
have full confidence in his ability. H.
| fnuphaN ~ hara nd -
ter feature comes forth, and when he
is done with the picture it is complete
in all its original power.
Now, God impresses His images or
. our race, but that image has been de
faced for hundreds and for thousand.
OF years, getting fainter and fain ter
!. Here comes up a divine Raphael.
shall call him divine Raphael. Ii,
says: Il can restore that picture.
He has all power in Heaven and OF
earth. He is the equal of the on,
who made the picture, the equal o
the one who drew the imag,
, of God in our soul. He touche,
, this sin and it is gone, that transgres
. sion and it is gone, aud all the deface
! ment disappears, and where 81,
,. abounded grace doth much NOR
abound" Will you have the deface
ment, or will you have the restoration
: | am we'll persuaded that II could b,
!, a touch Of heavenly pathos In twt
!. minutes put before you what has bee
done to save your soul, there would b,
an emotional tide overwhelming.
Mamma" said u little child to he
mother when she was being put to be,
at night, mamma, what makes you
!, hand SO SCARED and twisted and unlik,
other peoples hands?" swell, y said tn
mother. my child, when you wer,
younger than you are now, years ago
one night after had put you to bed,
: heard cry, q Shrek upstairs. cam
up and found the bed was ON fire