The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-08-28
christian Life Column.
TuE PERSONAL CHRISTIAN LIFE.

18th the fruits OF the Spirit (Gal. V.
- Oh in any measure, or if we have
keen desire for them, then the
Uo7r Ghost must be within us. But
20 have a simpler assurance yet.
Cod has promised to give us His
Snirit duke xi. 49,, and if we be-
love God we must know that His
,romise is fulfilled. Tt is only when
We willfully grieve Him and drive
Him away that we r without His
gridance, and then, alas {! we do not
I-nnw or care for our loss. This is
the age of the Holy Spirit" as it is
called. The Spirit is brooding over
humanity to bring order and peace
and beauty, as long ago He brooded
over chaos to bring shape to earthly
matter and forces (Gen. i. p.
Everything good that man does,
every invention, every discovery.
every work of art or science, is
caused directly by the Spirit work
inc upon and through man, so that
every man has the Spirit of God. If
= man recognizes this gift and opens
his heart and life and Obeys all the
noble impulses of the Spirit, then
the Gift becomes richer and greater.
And when he gives himself up
wholly to Gods ruling, then he is
full of the Holy Ghost" as was
Stephen acts vi. 81.
:. Do these evil thoughts which
come to me prove me a sinner? They
come unbidden, and 1 hate them.
Because we are human we are sub
iect to temptations by an evil power
called in the Bible Satan" He
tempted Christ, but Christ did not
Weld. and he was without sin. Hence
we know that the mere tempting
does not prove US sinners. 1t is the
Welding that proves sin. On the
other hand, every time we resist an
evil temptation, no matter in what
shape it may come, we are stronger.
The resistance which we make
proves that we are led by the Spirit,
and Satan cannot stand in His pres
ence. Bunyan's experience, as he
tells US of it in"Pilgrim's Progress,
is an illustration of strength through
the. very temptation. 1t is & great
comfort to know that the more we
resist the weaker Satan's influence
OVer rs becomes. He tries us in
higher ways, but these ways prove
Us on a higher level. By and by he
almost leaves US, finding he has moth
ing in US. That is a magnificent and
deep saying of Jesus: 1.-The prince
of this world cometh and hath moth
ing in me-" 1t means much, but its
great meaning for US is that as we
grow more and more like Christ
there is nothing in US that Satan
finds agreeable, and he let's us alone.
We do not reach this stage at once,
but we gradually get nearer to it.
Blessed be God he holds us tightly
IN his loving arms, and "no man is
able to pluck Us away"
). How can I make myself love my
neighbOr and Danish feelings of
hatred? This is a hard problem, and
yet the methods of cure are simple.
First, pray for him as often and as
earnestly as you can. Second, re-
fuse to think of the sayings or
actions which made you angry with
him. Third, think of his good points,
the worthy things you know of him.
Fourth, consider yourself and see
how you may have been as unkind
to another, in some other way, as he
has been to you. And, fifth, try to
do something for him. Send him
some little token of affection, even
II you find it difficult to do it afec-
honately. Serve him at some time
Of necessity, and do not be disheart-
ened if he rejects your O~vertures.
And then do not be cast down be-
cause you do not at once succeed in
feeling toward him as you would
like TO. We cannot love all men
alike. simply because our love is not
equally received by all. But if we
wish we'll to all men, and would help
them if we could, then we have the
spirit of Christ in a measure, and d
greater power of that spirit will
come to us.-Rev. F. W. TOmpkins,
II Congregationalist.
The measure of a mans real
Christina, c+,+,o - +Lo ovoc+ D,naC