Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-02-25
THINGS THAT ARE LOVELY"

Rev. Frank Minnick, pastor of the
Christ.an church, at the corner of Sixth
ana Oak streets, preached an interest
ing sermon Yesterday morning, using as
his text. Phil. iv. 8, subject, Things
That Are Lovely"
The word of God is seed that must
be planted. Jesus makes this plain in
the parable of the sower He also SAYS
the soil into which this seed must come
is 1.-THE human heart, and it mast also be
watered, cultivated and surrounded by
that temperature that it's nature de-
mands Where these conditions prevail
the result is a plant of our. Heavenly
Fathers own planting bringing forth
fruit after it's kind
Whenever the result is different upon
a human life there is cause particu>
larry human that produces it. Is there
a disposition to disparage the beauty
and efficiency of the Divine instruction.
the church? 1t may be the fault all lies
Within self. We are very apt to despise
the person to whom we are indebted
provided we do not meet CUT Self-as-
sumed obligation. We avoid his COM
pany, shun the possibility of meeting
him, and put from us the sense of re-
sponsibl.ty. So with the church. If we
have debts to pay it that remain unpaid;
If we are indolent when We should be
diligent; if we are in back-l.,tdden con-
dition. We are very apt TO EXCUSE CUR
selves by creating a dust against the
church in general, Or our own congrega-
item in northumberland which dust
we may hide our failures and short
comings. Is these enmity between our
selves and some individual member-its
root, may be envy-envy of success,
talent ar STANDING VIC u
not possess. And so with all either
causes in our lives that hinder the word
of God from bringing forth the fruitage
in our lives that we anticipated it would
and which God expects.
The infalilble cure for these ills is to
remove our thoughts from the midst Of
the Channels that cause them. Pause
and think, brother. You are far from
home. You are dependent upon God and
your fellowman for help along the jour-
ney to the goal of Just men made per-
feet" You are as dependent upon the
fellowship of the church and comforting
companionship of Gods children-imper-
feet though they be-as upon the hand
of God himself. Indeed, these same falM-
bic creatures are his servants to help
you. How foolish then. to shun the very
means your Heavenly Father has or
dained to be your help and stay.
The supreme effort of Christis life was
to cause men to think" Lack of
thought proper Thought, has always
been the kor,ds snare and pitfa.l. A
failure to digest properly the supreme
question What Think Ye of Christi
caused the world to reject Him. The
failure TO think, properly, upon the words
of Jesus in reference to His mission to
earth caused the people of Jerusalem to
change their hozannas to "Cruc.fy. CRU
cify!' A failure to think properly Of the
claims of the great institution-thc
church--and the absolute necessity of
the communion and fellowship of it's pros
fessors, fallble and erring though they
be, has caused many poor, stumbling
human beings to turn away from its fell
low ship and communion to their ever>
lasting undo.ng. Our Saviour depends
upon our ability to think" to reach us
with His teachings. A failure at this
point is fatal.
Paul also makes use of the same great
fact in the text. Thoughts and deeds
go hand in hand. AS you think so you
will be. Your thoughts are the true
index to your character. Christ is the
model. He asks you through his apostle
to think upon Whatsoever things are
true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of
good report. The thing that is worthy
our supreme effort is to place ourselves