St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-01-08

not any special anxiety rs to whether
they come or not We may get them
and may not get them. Instead OF at
4 o'clock in the morning saying. .Have
got that blessing?" ut u o'clock
asking, "IIave l got that
at Z o'clock in, the evening
saying: "Have received that bless
ing?' and not getting it pleading.
pleading-begginR. begRing-asking.
asking until you get it. Now. my
is not that common sense?
II we ask thing from God. who has
sworn by Ills eternal throne that He
will do that which we ask. is it not
common sense that we should watch
aud wait until we get il?
When l was lad was one day in
village store. and there was a largo
group Of young men there full OF roll
licking and fun. and Christian man
came in, very cool 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 wisdomf"
George looked up and said: Every
man to mind his own businessw Well.
it was q very rough answer, but it was
provoked. Religion had been hurled
in there rs though it was bombshell.
We must be natural in the presenta-
ton OF religion to the world. Do you
suppose that Mary. in her convcrsa-
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 rs
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 vinc-dresser about the idler
in the vineyard. aud talked with those
newly affianced 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, aud talked with the
shepherd about the lost sheep.
Oh, we might gather even the stars
of the sky aud 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 saffron of floating cloud. the
tangled surf of the tossing sea, the
bursting thunder guns of the storms
bombardment Yes. every star must
point down to Him, every helitrope
must breathe Ills praise, every drop IN
the summer shower must Hash Ills
glory. all the tree branches of the
forest must thrum their music in the
grand march which shall celebrate .
world redeemed.
Now, oil 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 ~ prove that we are
sinners. Any man who is not willing
to acknowledge himself an imperfect
and . sinful being is simply y fool, and
not t. be argued with. We all feel
that sin has disorganized our entire
nature.
That is one fact. Another fact is
that Christ came to reconstruct, To re-
store, to revive, lo correct to redeem.
That is u secoad fact. The third fact
is that the only time we are sure Christ
will pardon US is the present Now,
what is the comnon-sense thing for us
to do in view of these three facts? You
will ail agree with IN. ID quit sin;
take Christ and take him now.
Suppos. in Venice there is y Raphael,
| u faded picture, great in its time, bear
ing some marks Of it's greatness His.
tory describes that picture. II is nearIy ]
faded away. You say, oh. what q
pity that So wonderful u picture by
Raphael should b. nearly defaced!
After awhile q man comes up, very un-
skillful in art, aud he proposes TO re-
touch it. YOU say: Stand off.
would rather have it just as il is; you
will only make it WORSE
After awhile there comes an artis
who was the equal of Raphael. IL.
says: Il will retouch that picture an.
bring out all its original power. You
have full confidence in hts ability. Ii.
touches it here aud there. Feature af
ter feature COMES forth. and when ht
is donc with the picture it is complet<
in all its original power.
Now, God impresses Ills images or
our race. but that Image has been de
faced for hundreds and for thousand.
OF years, getting fainter and fainter
Here comes up divine Raphael.
shall call him y divine Raphael. II,
says: Il can restore that picture.
He has all power in Heaven and Oh
earth. lie is the equal OF the ON,
who made the picture, the equal U
the one who drew the imag,
of Col in our soul. lie Loucl,e.
this sin and it is gone. that traass sre !.
sion and it is gone, and oil the deiace
nent disappears. and "whcrc sill
abounded grace doth much NOR
abound" Will you have the teface
nent, or will you have the restoration
am we'll pei suade.i that il | could b.
q touch of heavenly pathos in tw,
minutes put before you what has beel
done to save your soll, there would b
an emotioual tide overwhelming.
Il