Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1903-01-02

tdc6 Will the Won 10 ne DIG S<1AAs
ing OF God in Christ Jesus does not
shut the Office door, does not hush
the hustle of the mart of trade. does
not stop the factory wheels. does not
close the books of the student or
quiet the busy hum OF the halls of
learning and invite the cobwebs of
ignorance to weave their disfiguring
mantle over the intellect. No. it
means a better and fuller life in
all the essential activities of the
world.
Singleness of Purpose.-Caleb says:
LET us go up at once" Paul ex-
claims: This one thing I do" All.
brave hearts, with such spirit as
that burning in their breasts no
wonder all the strong cities of
Canaan and the mighty sons of Anak
could not make Caleb falter, or the
chains and prison walls could not
cut short the great mission of the
mighty Paul. In this day of many
ideas and multiplied activities, it is
said that the man of a single idea
has little or no chance of success.
However that may be we are not
prepared to judge, but we are conf
dent in our assertion that the man
of single purpose is the man who
will succeed in planting mis- banner
on the mountain top of achievement,
if any man can. This one thing I
do" has been b1azoned along the
rugged and steep pathway which has
been travelled by all those who have
achieved worthily and nightly in
the world. Here is indeed a worthy
sentiment for tho
resolutions and elaborate plans are
made to-day to be broken and to fail
tomorrow. But the single purpose
of a Caleb or a Paul carries through
the difficult way to the Promised
Land of the high calling of God
The one purpose of Paul was re-
troactive as well as progressive. It
dealt with the past which might
hinder and make him wish to go
back, and it marked out clearly in
the unmeasured distances ahead the
goal to which he aspired. Forget
ting those things which are behind"
he says, "and reaching forth unto
those things which are before, I
press toward the mark for the prize
of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus" With the face set stead
tasty towards the rising sun and
the coming morning, he was deter
mined to press onward and up
ward. He was going to burn
the bridges behind him so that the
hardships in the unoccupied country
ahead might not tempt him to beat
an ignominious retreat. What do you
suppose it was that Paul was so anx-
ious to forget, and the memory of
which would so evidently prove
handicap in the race he was running?
Certainly it was not the bright One
he met in the way on his journey to
Damascus, when he heard the voice
of his Lord speaking to him out OF
the Heavens; certainly it was not his
three years communion with his
Lord in the Arabian desert, during
which time he was caught up to the
third heaven and ssheard unspeak-
able words, which it is not lawful
for man to UTTER" certainly it was
not the mighty work he had accom-
plished on his evangelistic tours
through Asia Minor and Europe; GER
tainly it was not his beloved church
at Philippi, for he says in his open
ing salutation to them in the letter
from which our text is taken: 81
thank my God upon every remem-
brance of YOU" certainly it was not
his bonds and the Affections which
had come to him. What was it then
that Paul wanted to forget2 The
opening verses of the third chapter
of Philippians, I believe, tell us. He
wanted to forget his splendid pedi-
gree, his scholarly attachments, his
| spotless life, for they fed pride and
self-centered esteem and hindered his
gaining the Promised Land of the
high calling of God. The things
that were gain for him, he counted
| loss for Christ. And here is where
we need to begin to strip for the
| race into the Promised Land. Pride
and self-centered esteem have
wrecked more lives and blocked the
| entrance into the Promised Land of
the high calling of God than any
| thing else that touches the human
heart and life. IF you want to run
with Paul you must forget those
| things which are behind which will
nourish pride and self-esteem. Strip
yourself of these hindering weights
and you may with this New Year en-
ter the Promised Land which God
sets before you. 1t was no easy task
which Paul set for himself. It will
be the hardest thing you ever did in
your life to kill that pride which is
binding your eyes and narrowing
your view of life, to break up that
| self-centered esteem which has made
yourself the axis around which every
plan and purpose in life have revoived.
/ Break away from these things which
do so easily besetp the human heart,
so that Won NAV be able in the New