Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-12-14
DEDICATION OF LEE.
by Or. John Balloon Shaw.

III IL AlF. IL bFlESeil IOFlH nucn run.
st. John xii, II.
There are four things one can do
with a kernel of wheat 1t can be
ground into hour and wasted. Or it
can be Immediately consumed. in
which case its benefit is only temper
airy and limited. Or it can be stored
in some bin OF bag for future use, but
ii this is done its value viii gradually
deteriorate because its vitality steadi-
ly lessons. Or. last Of all, one can
plant it. and then whatE 1t legins
and continues to decay until it reach
es i certain point, when it reappeart
in another vital form and in the har-
vest it Yields is largely multiplied.
life presented precisely these four
choices to Jesus Christ-self-destruc-
ton, self qualification, self-preserya-
ton. or rehabilitation The first of
these, wasting his life was unthink-
able to him. The second was settled
once for all i'll the great wilderness
struggle. where Satan sought TO per
suade him to live his life for his owh
sake. ana utterly failed After that
the choice lay between self-preserYa-
ton and self-consecration. Should he
store his life or plant it: Should he
lay IT up for a future and, perhaps.
larger good. or should he lay it down
in immediate and unreserYed surren-
der? The decision was forced upon
him by this visit of the Greeks. was
he within three days of his death, and
yet the great Gentle world was I'M
reached. even untouched? Moved by
this fact, there came to him a passing
temptation to postpone the cross for
little.
Whereupon he reasoned with him
self, as only Jesus could reason: He
that loveth his life shall lose it, but he
that loseth his life shall keep it unto
life eternal. Except a corn of wheat
fall into the ground and die it abideth
alone; but if it die it brlngeth form
much fruit" And so reasoning, he
flung the temptation from him end re-
sumed the rugged road up Calvary,
stopping not until he had poured out
his rich full life in an unquestioning
sacrifice for the larger eternal good,
not of the Jews or the Greeks alone,
but of the whole world.
Askest thou in eXultatiOn
What the cross of Christ has done?
Ask the splendors of creation
If they feel the MONDAY sun.
Ask reviving vegetation
Springing forth on joyful wing
ff it feels the inspiration
OF the Notwithstanding spring.
The same four choices confront ev-
cry man. Few would chose deliber-
ately to waste their lives. though many
are actually doing so. No high mind
ed person who feels the responsibility
of living and realizes what a holy
thing life is would think of living his
life unto himself. 10 most people who
will read this sermon the choice lies
between self-preservation and self
dedication. Shall l store my life or
plant it? Shall my motto be Spend
thyself' or spare thyself?"
Here | would locate your tempta-
ton, and it is a most subtle one. Be
cause the storing of ones life has usu-
ally an unsellish purpose behind it.
You do not want to store it for your
owa ultimate consumption, but for the
future dedication of yourself to others.
y )u have decided to plant your life
sometime, but fer seemingly good rea-
sons you do not want to plant it now.
This is the high minded young mans
tenn tation. He wants his life to tell
for tho good of his fellowmen, and
he means that it shall, but he is go
ing to wait until he makes success
in business or in his chosen profess
sion before he puts his ideal into com
mand In oth,r words, he decides to
store his life for future sowing in
stead of planting it at once, and nine
eases out of ten sowing time will
never come for him.
This is the successful business mans
temptation. He is public spirited,
large hearted, conscientious 1t is his
honest conviction that no man should
live unto himself. But ask him to aid
you in some ministry to our ignorant
and degraded classes. where money is
not called for, but the giving of ones
self in immediate and practical self
dedication, and he will excuse himself
on the DdSiS OIL us utN SlIeHuOuS lie
and tell you when the stress of life
lessons, as he means it soon shall, he
is going to give himself unstintedly to
such work. He is storing his life
laying it up for future sowing instead
of laying it down in present plant
ing.
This is the rich mans temptation.
He. too, does not believe that a man
should live unto himself. Wealth TO
him. perhaps. is trust and he wants
faithfully to discharge it; but he puts
off the execution of his benevolent i'm
pulses. he awaits some more suitable
or advantageous time for distributing
his money. He is going to make a
will and beCueath most of his fortune
to charity. He is resolved upon stor-
ing his life for future planting and
the strong probability is that it will
never get sOwn.
Here. as elsewhere. my friend self
is our great foe. Self-preseryation
means self-regency and self-regency
means self-supremacy. We must put
self dowI.-not half way. but clean
down under our feet-or it viii finally
put US down To stop halfway in the
raraaacc ~ self sY4rwsr,gor. a nd SeIf-dbdi.