Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-01-23

King. in the holy scriptures. Yonder is
Jesus, the Crown Prince of Heaven and
Heir of all the worlds. holding the dia-
dems in, His hand, to grace the brows of
the victors. A vast throng of spectators.
a great cloud of witnesses are looking on
at those who have entered the lists. How
sublime is this struggle for victory over
Satan and sin!
See that racer flying over the race
course. Mark how every limb every
muscle Of the man, is at its highest ten
sion. He is straining every nerve to win
the crown at the end of the race. He
never looks back, but stretches forward
his whole body. and flies straight on, and
on, and on toward the winning post.
So, writes Paul do I. One thing only
possesses my whole being; whether live
or die. my sole and supreme aim is to
reach the full measure of Christian man.
hood and to finish my course as a minister
of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. In
order to accomplish this end, I have
learned to forget the past, that 1 may Sc
cure the future. a.
I've learn first, that it is useless
and hurtful to dwell much on what one
has lost or gained, in the past. After you
have made your record, you can not
change it by reviewing it. If it is bad, re-
pent sincerely and pray God to forgive
you for Christ's sake. He that covereth
his sins shall not prosper but whose con-
fesseth and forsaketh them shall have
mercy" is Gods promise to the penitent
When God forgives sin it is blotted out
forever from the book of His remem-
brance. Then. do not go into the grave
yard of buried sin, and dig up your old
evil deeds, after God has forgiven them.
Could you run race successfully with
great weight on your back? How then
can you hope to run well in the spiritual
race If you do not cast your burden or
guilt on the loving heart of Christ, and
let it remain there?
Mot only forget the sins which God
has forgotten, but also the sorrows of by
gone days. 1t is a morbid habit, to go
back, in memory, and live over the trials
of former years-as bad as to borrow
trouble from the future. Sufficient unto
the day Is the evil thereof Today has
enough duties to be done, enough battles
to be fought enough burdens to carry.
without taking on those of yesterday or of
tomorrow.
When tree is ready to put forth its
new foliage in the spring, it drops every
old faded leaf that has chung to its
branches through the winter. The tree
has no use for those sere. dead leaves; and
they would hinder the growth of the fresh,
green foliage. So let us put out OF our
lives the griefs and tears of the past.
They had blessed ministry for our souls.
and served some precious purpose OF
good but If they linger in our feelings
and thoughts now, will make us unfit for
present service. o child of trouble. o
heart pierced with grief, give all thy Bit
ter memories into the keeping of the SYM
pathizing Jesus. He will put all thy tears
into His golden vial of love- and when He
brings forth thy crown of glory, those
tears will be turned into chfgems OF JOY,
to sparkle in that crown forever.
3. Again. learn to forget your past at
tainments and achievements. If we rest
on what we have already done, then there
is the end of all advancement Rather let
a noble discomfort with what you have
done and what you are spur you on to
greater and grander progress. The stu
dent who realizes he or she can reach
higher mark at the next examination is
on the sure road to brilliant record;
while the one who thinks he or she has
done the best possible, will win nothing
of which to be proud. So is 1t in spirit
ual things.
The widow of a great artist says: Il
never saw nv husband satisfied with one
of his productions. and often have heard
him exclaim, I never, never shall be
painter as long as 1 live! Yet he became
an artist of wondrous power and VIDE
fame Do likewise, my friend, and you
will climb TO the SnlHlilS ACA6htS u -
lection in the Christian life. Yield not to
weak and unmanly despair, but confess
vour faults and shortcomings and aim
to reach. a standard of the highest excel
lence.
"IIeayen is not reached by a single bound.
But we build the ladder by which we rise,
From the lowly earth to the vaulted skies
And climb to the summit, round by
round"
a. Once more we see the secret of
PauTs triumphant career to be constant
reaching out after the greater gifts and
graces of the Christian life. Not as
though were already perfect" is his lam
guage in this same chapter. Perfection
does not belong to anything that man
can do. at least not in this world. Now
are we the sons of God, and 1T doth not
vet appear what we shall be; but we
know that, when He shall appear. we
shall be like Him; for we shall see Him
as He is" wrote the beloved disciple
John. We do not see the Lord as He is.
vet. for We are so dark, so impervious to
the rays of divine light from our Master 3
face that our spiritual vision is blurred
and distorted. Blessed are the pure in
heart for they shall see God" Cultivate
more heart-purity and you will see God
more and more. Cultivate more Christian
love and you will know God better. 4or
God is love and he that loveth is born OF