The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-02-09
WITHIN OUR TEMPLE DOORS.
What They Preached About IN Seet-
land Neck Last Sunday.
IN TIE BAPTIST CHURCH.

| u IL ~ CIOCk i'sSIOI diu pIStCue'
from Gen. 40 :l.3-His theme wa
"Common-place Things"
The things mentioned are simpl.
commonplace things about two com
monplace men-servants Of the king
the man who attended to his wine
cups and the man who attended to hi
bread. It was their neglect Of duty
that provoked the kings wrath-per
haps a fly in the wine cup or the
bread scorcbed.
Life Is made up of commonplace
things. Even the Bible with its books
of names and numbers contains many
things meaningless when taken alone
Some of the things told about Sam
son, Moses, Ruth and others are COM
mon-place when taken alone. But
they are all in the book OF God. So in
our lives there may be no very i'm
portant things, but smaller parts link
ed together make up the full rounded
life. This is true OF the greatest men
as we'll as with the humblest. Even
the first thirty years of Christ were SO
uneventful that only one thing is
recorded of Him, and that is He got
lost in the city.
2. Common things are valuable in
G3d's sight.
Abraham Lincoln said that God
loved common people more than He
did other people because there are SO
many more common people. We can
not always tell the difference between
the big and little things OF life because
they stand so closely related to each
other. The story of Ruth was referred
To as only Il pretty story until it Is con-
sidered as linked with David's life and
his in turn with Christ. The butler
and baker of the king were put in
prison where Joseph was and this links
them with a significant fact. Some
cradle in this land rocks to-day the fu-
ture president of this country; but 1t
NAV be com mon-place cradle. From
common place things come the great
things O! life and the world.
There were some washer-women near
London, who simply as washer-women
would never have been known long
but one day John Bunyan passed and
heard them singing and in their song
were the tones Of salvation. Bunyan
became Christian and the world has
learned more OF the divine life through
Pilgrims Progress than through any
other book save the Bible.
8. Commonplace things are nee
eseary. One travels thousands Of miles
to see Pixies Peak, but the unnoticed
low lands are a necessary pathway
over which to travel. We see tie
flash ard beauty OF electric lights, but
never notice the greasy dynamo. Tie
larger part of Christian living and do
ing comes from small things.
Gods plan is for us to work out the
greatest and best of life through a
faithful performance Of duty in the
common place things of every day.
At night the text was Psalms l 90 {:
'For by thee haze I run through a
troop ; and By my God haze 1 leoped
OUer q a0aH."
The text Is battle hymn OF n
old soidlst
l. David reveals part of his strug-
giles He speaks not only as king
David but rs Gods man. Time had
been when lie could not sIeak thus
All battles are far from being pleasant,
but it is refreshing to talk about vic
tory afierward. So with cid soldiers
now as they talk over the conflicts OF
:35 years ago.
we have the same experience that
David had In orr Christian warfare.
God's saints are Gale to face physical
difficulties. When W., think they are
all over they come again.
The speaker here referred to some
difficulties in his first pastorate and
::o:.ed when 1t closed he would never
meet them again but lie has found
them wherever lie has gone. So witt,
us all. We may expect Davia's exne-
r;euce CT struggle and strife and look
to rejoicing after We triumph. But it
is good to remember in every s;ra.y'e
;ta: God has enabled us to triumph
in times past and SO re shall! do again.
9. Day gaye his secret thoughts
in his triumph. He strove hard for
victory personally but ascrited the
glory to God. He never relaxed lis
own effurt but gave God the glory for
his triumph.
Cromwell told bis men to trust III
G,d but keep their powder dry.
God feeds the ravens bit they must
hun. for their iood.
The lesson is, that sc fsi! because
We do not recognize Gods power and