Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-07-26

because YOU have not filed full that posi-
ton, and God will never call YOU TO
higher place until You have overiiowed
where YOU are. Mourning and frettIng be-
cause you are not where You want to be
does not make things better. The bonds
are only frightened by the fretfulness. Two
birds in two cages in a room give an Illus
tration. One dashing itself against the bars
because it is imprisoned. injurlng itself
and stopping its song: the other singing
as II it would outsing the lark IN the mead
ows, and moving thereby its mistress 70
open the cage and set il free. He who does
the best he can where God has placed him
has put his foot on the round OF the ladder
that leads up to higher things.
Second-Usefulness is not the primary
object for the Christian We say. "Oh.
that we might be more useful" but first
rather let US desire to be more holy. tor
that is Gods will. There is nothing bet
ter for the most of Us than sorrow or dis
appointment or trial because these things
shape character There is little merit in
being good when everything about us
makes us good, and usefulness is the result
of character, is to character what the ira
not aim first for the fragrance. but
to make the rose perfect. and the fra
GRANGE takes care of itself. Ii you study
the sermons of Whitfield, Wesley, Spur
geon and Moody you may wonder why
these sermons produced such mighty ef-
fects 1t was because the power was IN
the messenger rather than in the message.
To be right with God to be holy, 10 be
like Christ is our first duty, and through
the door of holiness we pass TO usefulness
In the early painting days OF West,
Morse, the philosopher, entered his studio.
He was painting his masterpiece OF Christ
Rejected" when he said to his friend.
Let me tie your hands and paint them IN
the picture" and If you have ever seen
this picture you have seen the hands OF
Morse painted in the stead of Christ. If
you are in bonds for Christ's sake this very.
thought will take from you the sting OF
living possibly out of sight and doing only
common things as You have done IN other
days. yet the time will come when YOU
will be free.
Perhaps there are those here who are in
bondage because they have never yet be-
come Christians. In the old Water street
mission there came one day 4 man bowed
down with sin until he stood little more
than four feet high. like veritable dwarf,
but when he bowed at the altar and
yielded himself to Christ he stood up as
straight as an athlete. Perhaps this Is
what you need. Signing for peace, YOU
have not found it, searching Tor pleasure ii
has eluded its grasp. Oh. come to Christ
to-day, tor he may set you Tree
Then discipline may free US. Rawlins
White, the old martyr. was decrepit and
bowed with age. but when he stepped into
the fire suddenly these bonds were snapped
and his body was as straight as 1t had ever
been in the days of his youth. and 1t may
not he when sorrow came to you and
your heart was almost breaking. when the
flames OF affection took hold upon You that
God was but seeking to free you from
nd inf n
field of service. The thing from which you
shrank away He meant for your ediiica-
zion.
A dear friend OF mine with whom trav-
eled recently said. Il was but an average
Christian until one day God came unto my
home and took my daughter, and then in
the midst of my sorrow yielded
myself to Him. gave Him my time and
my money and everything that / had, and
| stepped out into life OF blessing such "a
/ had never known, and | would not give
the last twelve years for all my life before
put together" And then, too. we shall be
free when we see Him. For the man
whose sphere has been most circumscribed
here win doubtless find when he stands in
the presence of the King that he was but
in a preparation for a mission among the
saints at which the very angels might well
stand amazed.
Ii all these seem like hardships to us and
we have been without comfort, then let us
wait until the day of reward shall come.
The mother who has had hard time with
her children. just wait and do your best.
When Charles Wesley comes TO judgment,
and all the hosts that have been won to
Christ by His power of music come, it will
be great day and when John Wesley
comes to judgment with all the souls OF
fa%l
sight. but higher than the throne of either
Charles Wesley or John will be throne OF
susanna Wesley. their mother.
The old preacher who has been discour.
aged oft times because his church was so
small and his work so apparently insignif-
can't, needs only to wait until that great
day. and when that old minister who
preached in Falkirk stands in His presence
10 say possibly to Him. Master. had but
a little field" he will hear Him say, But
YOU led Robert Moffat to me" and as
Joseph Parker said the man who added
Robert Moffat to the church added a cont.
nent to the kingdom. And when the old
English minister whose field was very cir
cumscrlbed. whose name Is not generally
known, stands in His presence to say,
Master, | did the best ] could. but my
church was small He will say to him.
But you led Charles Sturgeon to Christ,
and Spurgeon led a multitude"
When Henry VIII. and Anne Boleyn
came up the River Thames thcy had a
great entrance into the city of London.
Fifty barges followed the Lord Mayor.
Officials were dressed in scarlet Musicians
chanted upon the banks of the river and
she who was to be the queen clad in gar.
ments of beauty, walking upon velvet, en-
tered Westminster Abbey. and the service
was great one, but it is as nothing COM
pared to the end when the rewards are
gwen to those who have simply been
faithful.
was sick, He will say, "and We visited
Me, and the young Christian Endeavorer
Will say. But. Master, when?" and He
Will answer, 1T was when You walked
through the wards of the hospital and gave
flower to this one and a cup of cold
water to that one" Il was weak and We
helped Me-, and this business man will
say. But. Master, when" and He will an
swer, 1t was the coin you gave to the man
IN the crowded streets of the city yester.
day. and who but for that coin would have
starved And to the mother who has
cared for her children. and the business
man who has faithfully performed the task
OF his business, and the father who has
been true in his home He will say, "Inas.
much as We did it unto the least Of these
ye did it unto Me
SO you see 1t Is not at all a question
as to where we have lahored or how small
our experience has been but have we done
our best. Il SO, we shall receive a reward.