The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-05-21

cation how much more pathetic Is Il 10
see one struggling for a spiritual ef,sl-
cation when he has been born il tie
cradle of sin? When l so down the
street and see men and women whose
faces from early childhood were SCARED
and married with sin often say to my
self, IVY hat chance have th~Sh poor
mortals:' Their fathers; pcrA>!S were
Jail birds. Their mUJllnr> were ,iS~n-
! lutte and deserted thcIA perhaps Oh vlE.
day they were born. Their conn .Aliuns
| from youth have been thieves and rob-
bers. And vet some of HlpSp poor
wretcnes, born in sin, Lave strU-gle&
up by the grace of God into the li.-la&
They have. by slow and painful stages
won hard earned spiritual ~lucatioRs
like "Old PHIL for many years @le
dOOrkeeper Of the Jerry McAulty mis-
sion, who was thief and had Serye0
seventeen years in Jail for his crimes.
They struggled on and up, Battling
their way step by step, fighting against
all the Inherited tendencies ct theif
past lives. They struggled up out OF
the howell and the saloon and che gut
ter and the poorhouse. Like Gle de-
mon possessed Mary, aa last Aey be-
came the sainted Mary, as spotless ana
pure as the driven snow.
But, thank God, none of as-Ro, 2
believe not one-ever had to so througA
such struggle for a spiritual educa-
ton We had that in the days of our
childhood. We were born in Christians
homes and reared at the knee of Chris
tan mothers. Shall we not be willing
to pay God back for this education?
Because he has given us that spirituab
education free, so that we can discrim-
mate between right and wrong, shalI
we not now be willing to pay some
thing at least for our past Christians
tuition?
How can we pay God back for ehis
spiritual education Of our childhoodD
I will tell you. In the same way l ex-
pect my children to pay me back foe
their intellectual education. Some
years ago had my life insured on the
tontine plan. These premiums at times
have been very hard to meet But
when we come up to them Z always
say to my wife: This money will come
due when I am forty -four years of age.
That is just the time we shall want to
send our boys and girls to college.
Then, after they have had their educa-
ton, as well equipped men and women
they can go forth to the battle of life
and be intellectually good men and
w0rpnn ~ tyoinr IN
back in the good that hope my chill
dren may be able to do. And so God
expects his pay for our spiritual educa-
ton in the moral, pure, consecrated
lives we should, by the grace of God.
live for his service. Are you and l.
my friends, doing what we ought to
do? Are we truly living the Christian
lives which our early bringing up
should justify?
Debt We Owe to God.
A big debt we also owe to God for
the blessings which come to US from
our living loved ones. Strange is the
fact that We rarely appreciate a dear
one until she is gone. There are plenty
Of monuments and memorials erected
for dead men, but very seldom any for
the living. One Of the most remarka-
BILE statues in this country Is that
raised in the Brooklyn Prospect park
to James S. T. Stranahan. 1t was I'M
yelled while the grand old man Of
Brooklyn" was alive to see it with his
own eyes and with his own ears hear
the eulogies Of his -ife's work We
would be willing, if our finances would
warrant it, to endow a hospital or IL
brary or founding home to the men,
ory of dead child. Do we not owe
God any debt of gratitude to the loved
ones who are still by our side? Shall
not the father and husband feel that he
needs to make some acknowledgment
for the children and the wife who now
sit with him at the table and bow with
him at the family altar? Oh, my
Christian friends, do not believe we
are intrinsically mean. I do not and
will not lower myself to the belief that
we have intentionally gone to God
heretofore only as beggars. Most Of
us have not stopped to think with how
many blessings God has surrounded
us. Therefore l have today tried to
SHOW you the joys OF CHRISTIAN giving,
the joys of paying back to God at least
a little of what we owe
The simple fact is that but few Of
us have ever begun to taste the sweet
est nectars which come from the gospel
vineyards. Many years ago, goes
German legend, a princess was to be
welded to prince of the far east He
sent to her as a wedding gift an iron
egg. The princess, in disgust at such a
present from her lover, threw it upon the
ground, when, 10, the shell broke and
opened, and inclosed therein was sill
yer lining. In great amazement, the
princess picked up the egg and found
in this silver lining a spring. She
touched it, and it opened, and, 10, in
side the silver lining was a golden
yolk. She touched another spring, and,