Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-06-09

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there is a plan of your life and mine,
and which we enter into life to live,
and the living of which is our highest
good. We cannot miss the plan save
by our own fault, for if we are willing
to be led into it we shall be led into
it.
Life is always lived on lower plane
when one takes it into his own hands
and thus refuses Gods thought for
us. This teaching is well worth heed.
ing: guiding our steps by it will GER
tainly lead to the place and work in
tended for us. DR.. Bushnell was right.
Because God has possible good life
and work for evergy one of us and He
will lead us to receive his thought for
us if we are willing to follow his guild
ance.
"They redeem their opportunities
who permit God to lead them to their
work and in their work. Is not such
an idea of human life restful, beauti-
full and glorious? 1t amounts to Just
this-my life, is in Gods thought and
he is guiding it and guiding me that 1
may meet it's high responsibilities.
keeping this thought of our relations TO
God in mind, we have plenty of time
for doing all that God has for us to
do.
Short Life May Mean Much.
"In the light of this teaching the
longest life need not be the best. A
short life may mean as much or more
than long one. Raphael may do as
much in thirty-seven years as Michael
Angelo in ninety years, Mozart in thir-
ty-siX years as much as Handel in
eighty. 1t is what is put into the elias
tic moments that make epochs of days
and certain lives turning points in
history The process that changes the
ordinary carbon into the diamond,
work and none can hinder A few
years for one may be more than cen
turtles for another. Jesus lived thirty
three brief years, but He lived those
years in doing always the things that
pleased His father His was the one
true life unstained by sin and what re-
suits! No other life has so blessed the
world; no other has so changed the
history of men and nations.
ut is very important that we seek
to live our lives in the best possible
way What we have put into them tell
at the final examination. Not many
years but well used years is the deep
meaning of the life of Jesus, and all
years are well redeemed that are liv-
ed in the will of God. No years are
wasted that are thus lived. The will
of God changes the carbon into the dia-
mond The will of God unfolds the pos
sibilities and glories of the human life
"The redemption of this God-giveu
time which enfolds the days we spend
on earth calls for some very definite
things.
"In the first place, if we are not to
waste the years, we must do good
work, that is, work helpful to our
selves and to society Whatever bust
ness you and may follow, in all hon
or we must consider it's influence up
on society. The first consideration is
not to make money but reputation. He
is worse than wasting time who has
to apologize for some wicked business
in which he is engaged or for some
wicked ways of engaging in worthy
business. Society and our own we'll
being demands of us that our calling,
business, daily work, be useful and
| helpful. We must have clean bust
ness if we expect to have a good in
| fluence. Let business we'll done, an
occupation well filled, be your honor
able claim for the possession of money
or your place or honor
'Thoroughness in work is required
of all who would make right use
of time. Let us speak with emphasis
here. Those who would do the best
things must have the ability of master
ship. Because of their mastery they
| are able to make themselves felt.
Can be No Counterfeit.
paul the aged wrote to his young
| friend Timothy: Give diligence to pre-
sent thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not be asham.
ed Paul wanted Timothy to think
deeply of his work as a minister of the
Gospel and to give such diligence that
| he might be approved unto God. There
could be no higher test than that 'Ap-
proved Unto Cod Approved-ap
! ed unto God-the word translated ap-
proved is the word that was used when
coin had been tested and found to
be genuine There could be no coun-
terfeit in the sight of God, and APPROX
al was possible.
| ''If we would take these three words
as our life motto, approved unto God
and strive with earnest purpose to live
the place and character of work would
always be honorable. Approved unto
Cod Such should be the aim of all
thinking and doing.
Do Few Things Well.
"The doing of thorough work that
shall meet with the Divine approval
is certainly the requirement. James
Freeman Clarke has given two rules
that are worth remembering, the first
rule is to do everything with our
might. and the second, not to hurry.
1t is highly important to do what we
do WELL 1t is vastly better to do a
single thing well than to do good
many things imperfectly. A farmers
4 son bought Locke, On the Understand
| inp' and read and studied until he sl1.