The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-09
NOBLE INCENTIVES TO
ALlFE OF HOLINESS

The Reverend Baxter Waters. pastor OF
Central Christian Church. preached yester-
day on The Incentives To a Holy Life He
took his text from Hebrew xii. I, ?: There
fore. let us also. seeing We are encon1passed
with so great cloud of witnesses, lay aside
every weight and the sin which doth so
easily beset ms. srd let run with patience
the race that 10 set before us, looking unto
Jesus"
In part he said
This is the summary OF a long list OF men
Of faith-their daring deeds and lives of
sturdy endurance and soldiery obedience. He
calls these in as witnesses to incite them TO
earnest lives of steaGfast devotion. The
onsoing heroes from the unseen. the am
phitheater in the skies filled with anxious
spectators. great clcuds of witnesses sur
rounding, these made strong men rejoice 10
run the race. THESE witnesses inspired
them 10 coura ceously set their hearts on
success.
If these witnesses were present, then
they surround US. too. Many men share
the feeling that in some mysterious way
our departed dead view us from above and
this feeling often withholds the hand from
sin and drives from the mind evil intentions,
and as Moses they endure as seeing one who
Is Invisible.
but whether that motive be strong or
weak we are all Influenced by the world OF
living spectators about us. IL we are con-
srious that the world expects something of
US We are eager 10 save them from disap-
pointmeut- There was an incentive 10 valor
man 10 do his duty. one country expects
him 10 be loyal citizen: his church is
looking to him to sustain a character and
TO save her from disgrace: his friends look
for fidelity.
Tea :hers look to their pupils. masters to
their disciples. colleges to thcir athletes,
parents TO their children. These are the
witnesses that incite the young. and disap-
pointment brings anguish ard shamefaced-
ness. These arouse enough self-respect TO
put one TO his best.
Jesus looked to his disciples for a repro
dl.Tftpn Gf he "a
To die when he saw his own spirit lodged
and embslmed I'm such hearts as Mary's
nesses are around you. spies in your
camp. others looking TO you for succor and
heaven and on earth. and angels in heaven
his evil way
Put there is a conspicuous hindrance In
the attainment Of this life of holiness. The
race has its conditions: sin must be put
away. 1t hesets, impedes and weakeus So
comes the struggle whose reward is u
pure life and the heart Of Christ TO crown
H. with power and purity. So II is an ap-
sought out. fought out and salvation
wrought out with much patience.
10 I'm INTO your NE as YOU stand to-
Of hearts, and see what sins so easily be-
set you. entrap you. ensnare you and drag
YOU into their awful tolls. Many of these
sins you hate. and you fes from them as
from burning wreck. Many of them are
httie induleences and small vices, and you
are 1oath to give them up
1T may he just feeding your revenge
some day. only giving way to a fitful tenn
when you should have been cheerful or
Just slight deviation from honcsty's rig
orous line, Just a little vanity pulled up
by f1attery or Just an unkindly criticism
when you should have exercised patience
and sweetened your life with charity: only
some besetting sin. hut these are the little
foxes, sly and cunning, that spoil the
vines. They are the insects which COW
cred the lighthouse lamp till ships went
<7<u- a. NV do v,aA zaal rI,n-- nr.s
only the riffs In the Lutte for that beau
tiful idyl Of Tennyson is to show how one
n From n the third ' noble "G Inspiration sug
gested Is this looking unto Jesus. the au-
thor and fnisher of our faith He is the
GOAL which invites and inspires. He is the
end toward which the human race is NOV
Ing. He has realized and given substance
10 the highest ideals and fondest hopes Of
He met the conditions and requirements OF
songship. He is just what God would have
O.. nil sons to be to enter into that life of
communion with him and joyous service
among men. But II was not mere sinless-
ness he sought.putting away sin,but a
son OF God. with power. according TO the
spirit Of holiness. by the resurrection Of
hand Of Cod says our text. To sit on
thrones means to have power, and his pow
delegated to him. but given because he
overcame and was conqueror,
My brethren. If strength of mind and
child, personality can be impaired from
teacher to pupil; II men are endowed with
new strength in presence OF a friend or
aroused to new life by striking personali-
ty; II soldiers can do superhuman deeds
when the Captain speaks. can we doubt
that the Great Heart over all can and will
grant power? Think you not that he will
give unto US his holy spirit2 Jesus received
hts power from God 1 can do nothing with
out the father. All things have been de-
livered unto me of my father. and no one
knoweth the son of the father. My teach
ing fs not mine, but his that sent me- God
was SO wrought into the fiber of his very
being he dwelt so far and so deep in the
bosom OF the father, his life SO filled
with the freest first-hand breathings of the
father that he dared not speak his own,
lest II be for HIS own glory. His self-renun-
citation was not only toward the world to
giving 1t up, but II was toward God in the
surrender OF his own soul to him. He SO re-
nounced himself that God spoke through
him. He purged his Utmost being from ev-
cry sin that God might shine through him
in all his radiant beauty and crystal clear
ness He SO lost his own life that he was
swallowed up OF God and became God. But
= he emptied himself. laid down his life-eGual
with God, yet IL found its deepest, truest
expression in the life of a servant, and his
real glory was found IN the cross; and the
way of true atonement In the heart of God
and humanity lay in the cross. 1t was a
Wild fierce Joy for him. that cross wasr'
RtBl LONE CAN OiSPEI