St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-09-12

No y days of glazing
Ea.@szist SE3 sunshine and ex-
Mil NIX, cessive heat
fMNA NRNJAM lengthen into the
WM gsaRRRf blighting drought.
VIZ !MaE ~ The flooded val
-. @.s legs and the
washed-out grain fields, or the parched
ground and whitening crops, tell the
SAD story of excess and destruction,
and one realizes that the needful re-
1reshing rain and life-giving sunshine
may become messengers of i'll when
given with unrestrained hand. It is
SO with all good things in life. That
which is necessary and beneficent
within reasonable bounds becomes a
positive evil when il leaps those
bounds and runs riot in the limitless
neld OF excess. Man is in constant
danger OF converting good into evil
ny reason Of excess Where the de-
sfres and appetites are allowed to con-
troll the life this fs readily apparent
One excess follows another; desire
leads an eager race in one direction
To-day. and tomorrow 1t is something
else that consumes the time and at
tent1on. 1t Is said that no good thing
has ever come into the world but that
1t has been put to base and unwhole-
some use by some. The people of the
world. as distinguished from the pro-
Tossing Christian, are not expected to
be governed by the same high stand
ards which should control the latter
The man In whose life Christ Is not
the supreme hope and ruling motive
must look within himself for the con-
troll and conduct Of his life, and to the
degree that he permits his desires and
appetitesto rule, to that degree will good
become evil. And yet he is not sub
tect to the same condemnation as the
Christian, who might go to the same
degree OF excess, for, as we have said,
there is. higher and holier motive
ruling in the latter life. Our text
gives us the ideal as well as the prac-
teal picture of the Christian. He
should be temperate in all things,
because striving for victory and
crown. The race is not run until
death is swallowed up In victory; the
crown Is not won until the presence Of
Jesus is gained, from Whose hands the
reward of service Is obtained.
DAUL takes his illustration Of the at
titude and life Of the Christian
from the Roman arena, or the Greek
stadium. The contestant must, by
weeks OF plain diet, temperate habits
and careful training. prepare for the
conflict or the race. II he would
strive for, the mastery he must be
temperate in all things. And he does
all this, Paul goes on to say, to win q
perishable chaplet OF fig or laurel
leaves. But the Christian trains and
strives that he may win a crown that
is incorruptible. Many ran over the
Greek course, but only one could win
the prize. Not so with the Christian
who runs! For Paul says: II therefore
20 run, not as uncertainty; so fight l.
not as one that beateth the sir. He
knew there was crown for him, for
at the end of his course. he exclaimed,
IS the celestial city began to break
upon his vision: II have fought good
fight, have kept the faith, hence
forth there is laid up for me crown
of Righteousness, which the Lord. the
righteous Judge, shall give me at that
day" And then, as he realizes how
all Christians may $50 run as to OBJ
tain" he adds: "And not to me only,
but unto all them that love His APP
pearing."
THE Christian life Is "a battlefield;
it is q conflict constantly, within |
and without. It Is not a pleasure park
laid out with fowery beds OF ease on
which to rest in idle content. It is not
A safe retreat in which to hide while
the soul sings and sleeps itself into
everlasting bliss! It is battlefield! |
It means conflict! It means self-denial,
trial and danger! It means earnest
endeavor, and persistency! And the
one who does not find the Christian ,
life such an experience has missed the
right road and is not travelling in the
direction of the Heavenly goal He
may have a name to live, but he Is !,
dead. He may be identified with the
great army OF the cross Of Jesus
Christ which is marching through the
conflict of life, enduring the persecu-
tons, and trials, and dangers ever to
be met with, but If he is not sharing
IN the conflict, In the prosecutions, the
trials and the dangers he is not q true
soldier, and his false position will be
revealed in the light of eternity. And
e the Christian life is such an inward
md outward conflict with the world.
he flesh and the devil. then every
Christian who would strive for the
mastery must be temperate in all
.hings. Man fixes a good many differ
mt standards, but God has but one.
Tod does not place restrictions upon
me Christian and give license to an
,ther. All must run the race Of the
christian life, and he who would gain
he mastery must BE- temperate in all
work, religious and secu-
ar: In eating and sleeping and in rec
cation and pleasures.
rHE summertime always en-
nhasizes one thing-the lapse of
,hristian zeal and endeavor. The
christian Of the summer time is diff
arent person from the Christian of
no fall and winter time. The latter