The record-union., 1899-03-06

Henry Drummond in our own day
learned the secret of a holy life, and
walked so close with God and so help
fully toward man that the. beauty of
the Lord was visible upon him, and
men seeing in him the beauty of holi-
ness longed to live that life them
selves. He taught US by his lips but
more by his life that ITO become like
Christ is the only thing worth caring
for, the thing before which every am
bition of man is folly, and all lower
achievement vain Thankful should
we be for. all those who have learned
how to live victorious over self and sin,
and walk through this grimy world
with clean hearts and stainless robes.
Their lives are an incentive and en-
couragement to us. They help us see
that the highest and wisest thing a
| man can do in this world is to seek
first and seek continuously the right
eousness of the kingdom of God. If
we put the kingdom of God in the fore
front of our life, if we give that the
right of way over everything else, then
we will live as God intended we should
things of this life and also of that
which is to come
| AS a nation and people we need many
things. We need higher ideals of bus
mess integrity We need higher stan
| dards of political morality. We need
a keener sense of the awful waste and
ruin that avarice and lust and intern
per'ance are bringing upon US. But
more than all we need a revival of true
religion We need a deeper conscious
ness of God. We need to recognize
that we are in the grip of His mighty
unchanging laws. We need to repent
| and turn to God We need to cultivate
the devout life. We are growing mater
ialistic and atheistic. We are so alb
sorbed in things transitory and trivial
that the eternal world is shut out of
our thoughts and judgment day clean
forgotten. Reform must begin at the
house of God. 1t must begin with
Christians themselves A dead church
will never impart life to a dead world,
but living church will. The true
philosophy of spiritual revival and
moral reforms is given in that passage
in the Bible which says eff Ny people
who are called by My name, shall hum
BILE themselves and pray and seek My
face, and turn from their wicked ways
then will I hear from heaven and for
give their sins and will heal their land .
When saints are consecrated, sinners
will be converted.
How may we make this Lenten season
minister to our growth in grace? Let
me offer some suggestions. In the
first place let us give ourselves anew
to the reading of the Bible. LET the
word of Christ dwell in you richly"
Spend whole evening reading some
book of the Bible Read through at
one sitting the gospel of John. Spend
an evening in the epistle to the Ephe-
slams. Then give more time to prayer
and devout meditation. Turn your
thoughts often to God. Wait on the
Lord. Mediate on the death and sac
rifice of Jesus. Think often of what
He has done for your souls salvation.
Compel your mind to think on things
of eternal value. Pray that the Holy
Spirit may lead you to see your sins
that you may loathe and leave them.
Give yourself anew to the service of
| God. 500
! Make a more religious use of the Sab
bath than you have been in the habit
of doing. If you have been reading
the Sunday paper, put it aside for a
month and give the time to religious
reading. Read and sing the great
hymns of the church, hymns that ex-
press the highest and hungriest aspira-
tons of the soul after God The hymn
| book is treasure house of soul food
which we too much neglect Read
some of the best devotional books as
THE Imitation of Christ "The Still
Hour by Phelps, "a Serious Call to a
Holy Life" by Law Read; the sermons
| of Phillips Brooks, the addresses of
| Henry Drummond and F. B. Meyer
Read In His Steps by Sheldon, and
ask yourself What would Jesus do?"
Resolve to do what He would have you
do. Take an interest in the salvation
of others. Invite them to the house of
God with you. Make it a point to en-
gage in religious conversation with
| those who like you are seeking a re-
| newal of the divine life Call your
neighbors to join you in prayer and
the study of the Bible. If worldlings
give card parties why should not you
give a Bible party, or form prayer
club? When Christians are as Jealous
for Christ and the church as worldlings
are for the world, We will see a revival
outsplendoring Pentecost.
Jesus waits at the door of your
heart and at the door of the church to
come in and revive it. Give Him well
come. Show large and eager hospital
fty to things divine. Enter on a fuller
Christian experience Launch out into
the deeps of Gods grace. Believe
that there is Christian life, which
in comparison with that experienced by
the majority of Christians, is as sum-
mer to winter This higher, deeper,
richer life is for you. 1t is yours to
know not by theory only but much
more by experience that
There are in this loud stunning tide
|, OF human care and crime.
With whom the melodies abide
OF the everlasting chime;
Who carry music in Their heart,
Through dusty lane and wrangling mart
Plying their daily task with buster feet
Because their secret souls a holy strain
repeat.
Solemn and sacred were the days that
Jesus spent in the wilderness fighting
the battle of the flesh and the spirit
This same battle must be fought by
each of US. Therefore let US follow the
example of the Master and spend more
hours in communion with God and with
those who love His name Let us all
unite in the prayer for Lent and say
from our hearts 20 Lord, who for our
sake didst fast forty days and forty
! nights, give US grace to use such absti-
hence, that our flesh being subdued to
| the spirit, we may obey Thy cody
motions in righteousness and true holi-
ness to Thy glory who Invest and reign