Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-06-14
REV. JAS. CANNON, JR.
Preached at Epworth Methodist
Church Sunday.
His Subject AT Night Was How to be Good
Christians in the world"-An Able and
Practical Discourse.

The pulpit of Epworth church was
filled on Sunday at both services by
Rev. james Cannon. Jr.. Principal Of
Blackstone Female Institute. The eve
ming sermon was based on two tex,s:
Mark 5: -; Go home to thy friends
and tell them what great things the
Lord hath done for thee" and John Il:
10. Il pray not that Thou shouldest
keep them from the evil The subject
OF the discourse was How 10 be
good Christian in the world" The re
marks were IN part:
There is much talk among truly good
people that The pew can not be ex-
pected TO be as good as the pulpit;
mat business men cannot be as good
as monks. ana nuns. and persons VIII Sc
time is altogether given up TO the min
istrat!on of the church and its organ
.zed societies. And the question is
honestly asked. Can Il man be Il first
class business man and live in the
stormy centcrs of business life and ycl
DC as earnest. faithful and devoted a
Chiistian as the pastor OF the church
TO which he belongs?
To all such questions there can be
but one answer: He certainly can.
The Bible gives no different standard
Lord speaks on this matter with no
uncertain sound The Man Of Gadara
had been a Vile. wicked creature; he
had been saved by Christ: he was
Master: he besought Him that he
might do so. The people among whom
he lived were so wicked that despite
the wondrous miracle they begged
Christ 10 leave this country. They
loved swine more than Christ. Surely
Lot !,
suffered him not. Go home to thy
friends and tell them what great
things tho Lord ha6h done for thee"
and also with the disciples.
They expected TO be with Him, but He
left them in the world and prayed the
Father not that they should be taken
out OF the world. but kept from the
evil. This action of Christ shows that
lie did not think that there was any
Disadvantage from being obliged 10
live in this sinful world. There Is
nothing in the teachings of Christ
which urges people To live in converts
or nunnerieS. or u ccords special sane
tity to such Il life. There is nothing
in His teaching which intinates that
1t is necessary for n man to be n poor
business man, or woman u Poor
house keeper in order to be n good
Christian. The same Bible which says
BE We holy" says also, Not slothful
IN business There is no piety III
poverty. or in ignorance, and the Cos
| pei gives no excuse To any man for
shiftlessness Or s.oth in business af-
| fairs.
On the contrary the teaching OF
| Christ is that We are put into the
world and lett in the world purposely
FOR us and for the world may be de-
| veloped.
The great trouble is that we divide
our lives, We have not two lives. but
n life: not Il secular life and u pious
life. but one spiritual life. This spirit
ial life has two PARTS: the practical and
the devotional, and both are necessary
to develop The well-rounded man. An
act may be practical. it may be devo-
tional. but In either case it must be
spiritual To the real Christian the
spiritual life includes every action of
the life. There are, therefore. two
reasons why we are left in the world:
ID. That we may develop character
by contact with trial. From Adam and
Eve down this has been Gods method.
Trial is necessary for a. holy charac-
ter. No man can be created holy lie
may be created innoncent and pure.
but holiness must be the result of
trial. the result of the Practice OF
goodness or virtue. Shall we COM
plain then at the hardness of our lot.
or compare our trials with those OF
others? DO We have frcts and wor-
ries and tempta tons and responsible
tiles. ana burdens and Affections? Shall
we therefore say we can not be cX-
pected to do right always because OF
these things? Surely not These very
things are our opportunities to win
glorious victories. God expects us 10
overcome. and after the heat Of the fire
is over to be the purest gold by our
contact with the world we are to de-
Velop character.
90. Our practical life is our point
of contact with the world. ahd there
we must win The world for Christ But
here the same strange idea. My prac-
tlcal business life is one thing. and
there | follow out the laws OF the bus
mess world I can not win the world
by my business life. TO do this |
must go to church and pray and sing
No spiritual result from every day
practical business life. but great re-
suits from the church going. singing
and praying There IS as much reason
to say that life-action will not in
iluence men. but dreams will. How
are we TO bring the world To Christ?
Vague ideas because vague ideas of
the word. We must convert the world
man by man. not by the mass. and
our point of contact wiki the part next
us is our practical every day life
Men know of our spirituality only bv
contact. and whatever We obtain by
our deVoiions must be given to men
practically. Here are merchants. shoe
makers. clerks, etc. Practical life is
merchandising, shoe-making. etc
Christ says, the world needs shoes and
clothes. etc. Have YOU these To fur
rish them? Your point OF contac. with
mon IS Your business. Are you like
the world there?' no you practice the
tricks Of the trade. drive sharp bar
gains etc? Are YOU frctful. high
tempered docei,fui lacking in moral
courage there? You need not talk re-
ligion; YOU need not sing and pray aud