The Tupelo journal., 1904-11-11
BUILDING A CHRISTIAN.
The Work Which Is Being Wrought
Out in the Workshop Of the
Heavenly Father.

Scotch painter, VINO knew tndt no pio-
duction of human art could be rightly
Judged until it was completed. / re-
member that when | first saw Cologne
cathedral, nearly so years ago., 1t had
a stump and unimpressive appearance.
for it was towerless. The next time 1
saw the edifice it was disfigured by
scaffoldings on. which workmen were
busy. But when, in the summer OF
1894, I beheld the completed towers in
their flashing %splendor, i felt that It
was a mighty and magnificent poem
written in marble.
That illustrates the way in which
the Master builds a true Christian.
says Rev. Theodore l.. Cuyler, d.. d..
in New York Observer. The Bible de-
clares that the Christian is "Christ's
workmanship created anew unto good
works" Anyone who looked at a COM
pany Of church members in a prayer
meeting or at a sacramento table.
might say that some of them were
quite imperfect specimens of work
manship, as he could testify from in
innate acquaintance. Very true; but
II that same person wished to pur-
chase a melodeon he would not go into
the mandatory where the different
parts were being fashioned; he would
go into the salesroom and inspect the
completed instrument. This world is
the great workshop in which Jesus
Christ by His Spirit constructs Chris
tian character. Eye are Gods build
ing" wrote the Apostle Paul to his
brethren at Corinth. OF himself he
wrote at another time, mot as though
l have already attained, either were
already perfect" He was still in the
hands of his divine and loving archi-
tect. The s~caffoldings were not yet
taken down, and the work of grace
was not yet completed.
1t is easy to discover some flaws in
even the best men and women; but the
critic must consider what materials
our Master has to work with in fraii
and fallen human nature, so often dis
figured and defaced by innate deprav-
ity. Napoleon used to say that "he
had to make his marshals out C.
mud" Certainly no power less than
that of the Holy SI:rit could have con-
structed such a conscientious and eff
fective Christian as John Newton out
of so hardened and desperate a sinner.
A very eloquent ard spiritually-mind-
ed minister onc said to me: Before
I was converted l wonder how anyone
could live in the house with me-" Dur
ing my A years Of pastorates, when ]
received converts into the church, l
often recognized the fact that one
candidate for membership had been
reared in a frivolous and worldly fam
ily-and another had a naturally vio-
lent temper-and another was consti-
tutionally timid and ~irresolute-and
still another had to contend with
hereditary sensualities of tempera-
ment or practice. Some of the over
hasty and headlong had to be held
back and tested, and some respondent
doubters had to be encouraged. A
+ study of the experience of our blessed
Lord in building II disciples out of the
material hat came to His hand is full
of solemn suggestion, and one of those
II tumbled into ruin under the very
eyes of the Master Builder!
Character building is like cathedral
building-a gradual process. No
Christian is full grown, else there
would be no sense in the divine in
functions to grow in grace" and to
"press towards the goal of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus" The
corner stone of every truly regenerat-
ed character is the Lord Jesus-other
foundation can no n build ON with
out risking a wreck in this world and
eternal ruin in the next world. The
first act of saving faith is the joining
of the new convert to the atoning
Saviour. Then upon that solid foun-
dalton must be added the courage, the
meekness, the patience. the conscien-
%tiousness, the honesty, the loving
kindness and the other graces that
make for goodness. Let no young be-
ginner be disheartened Oaks do not
grow like hollyhocks. A solid Chris
tian character cannot be reared in a
day-nor is it to be done simply by
Sabbath services or by sacraments.
Some poor pumice-stone has to be
thrown out, and not a little bad tim
Der rejected in spite of the varnish on
VT.
The Bible is the only plumb-line to
build by; and it must be used con-
stantly. All the snowy ornamentation
that a man car put on his edifice
amounts to nothing, if his walls are
not perpendicular. Sometimes we see
a fiimsy structure whose bullying walls
are shored up by props and skids to
keep them from, tumbling into the
street. l am afraid that there are
thousands of regulations in trade, in
politics, in social lite, and even in
church life, that are shored up by
various devices. No Christian can defy
Gods memorable law Of gravitation-
1t is a mere question of time how soon
every character will fall in" if it is
not based on the rock, and built ac-
cording to Jesus Christ's plumb-line.
It may go down in this world; it is
sure to go down in the next. Let
everyone, therefore, take heed how he
or she buildeth-for the last great day
will test the work, of what sort it is.
Finally. let us bear in mind that if
we are Christ's workmanship, we must
let our wise and loving Master take
His own way. We must allow Him to
use His own tools. Oh, how much
cutting and chiseling we often need!
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