The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-06-24

y
walk in the meadow, rneander by the
stream, rest in the valley and climb to the
hilltop, and in everything and everywhere
you will find happiness. 1t springs up like
a well of life filling the air with its
music, flooding the earth with its joys.
How much more does our heavenly Father
desire you, His children, to be happy. The
only condition of happiness is to be good.
BLESSED are the poor in heart, for they
shall see God" Holiness of life malieth
rich and tendeth not to poverty.
To the untutored, this looks like an i'm
possible thing, and many ask: How can
I do this?" Easy enough. All that is
needed is the disposition, and the effort.
First of all, look at your bank account.
Did you know you had a bank account?
Well, you have See, please, what stands
to your credit, the gift of another, These
assets are ours because we live in the
twentieth century, and because we are
Anglo-SaXons "All things are yours.
Whether Paul or Apollos, or Cephas, or
the world or things present, or things to
come: all are yours; and ye are Christ's
and Christ is Gods" That is a wonder
full statement. 1t places us under tremen-
dous obligation. What an incentive to
attempt something, what an inspiration to
noble achievement. The great personalities
of hstory-Paul, Cephas, Apolos Past.
pIcSEIl, luIulG' Lie WOIlu, NOu ana
Christ all yours, to make the goal and
win. Then there can be no excuse Tor
failure.
A practical question which meets us is.
How may | utilize these many gifts of
God for my own advancement and better
ment?" The answer is, ''By right appro-
pration." just as the parched earth
drinks in the gentle rain drops, making the
grass TO grow; just as the bee sips the
fi,o
learn to appropriate the good in every
thing, to our own growth and refinement.
Life everywhere is sustained by appropriate
ing the outward TO itself. The great in
tellects which teach and bless the world
to-day are great and capable because of this
appropriation of knowledge. To the good
belongs the best of two worlds. 1t was
once thought that the Christians world
was exceedingly limited. The Bible,
meeting were all that the Christian had
any right to. Anything else would chill
his fervOr and narrow his vision and
tarnish his soul. Thank God, that day is
so far behind us To-day we know that
everything within reach and everything
within sight is ours, If we love God, to be
used in the advancement and enrichment
of our lives.
book at it a moment. Take an inventory
Try to itemize the blessings of the good
God. Explore the world of art, the product
of the centuries, it is ours, for God made
the beautiful. What store house Of les
sons and inspirations and soul delights are
the art galleries of the world! The win
dows in cathedrals and churches have for
ages been telling the story of Christ. The
Nativity" by Burned ZONES, is the pride of
England; "The TRANSPORTATION" by Raph-
ael, the glory OF Italy. These are but sam
Piles Of the beautiful in art, which are ours
for the delight and culture of the soul.
All sciences and literatures belong to us,
for God is the Author of all truth. Shakes
peare and Booth and De Reszke, these
and the host Of Others like them, are ours
to charm away our cares and rest Of mind.
The marketplace crowded with the yield of
the field, the wealth of the mine, the prod
uct of the factory, is ours, for God is immi-
nent in nature and industry and human
skill. The advance in surgery and medi-
cine, the hmitless pleasures in travel-all
this Is ours, available and disable assets
to make life rich and happy and good
All this is the product of the past the
gift Of the good God. Its presence should
shame badness out Of existence. How can
people be bad when they think of the
goodness of God? What are we doing with
life's assets? They are the raw materials
out OF which we may We the sous SER
upulN IODt, lLGN are luc Steps ny WHICH
we ascend to the home OF perfect day.
They are to our spirits what air and dew
ard sunlight are to the seed. Plants
grow by appropriating things alb extra to
their use; souls grow by doing the same
way. The business of life is to convert
all these forces and gifts into life and
character. The soul must drink in its
full of God and rise to the perfect life in
the endless day beyond the stars
What mad lypo,,r 10 l.
proper use of things That means study,
the exercise of the mind Others have
studied and thought for US. The result is
the locomotive, carrying us sixty miles an
hour; the electric wire by which we talk
to friend 1000 miles away If wealth
is to benefit the owner OF it. he must use
it and use it wisely. So, if we are to feel
the stimulus and reap the benefit Of the
accumulations of the ages, as life's assets;
if these are to answer their need, in the
making OF man-We must study and
think and pray. In the right use Of these
is the making of holy character.
All that has been said is, we believe,
true. But it is not the whole truth. We
must 90 a step further. Man has heart
conditions and soul needs, which neither
nature, nor science, nor Scripture, can
meet Man needs God. God is every
where God is in the sunlight which
battles us every day with it's warmth and
glory. He is in the bread which we eat;
He is in the music which comes floating
through the air making the heart to dance
for joy. But this God is too vague, too
vast, too impersonal. Can this God be |
personalized? 1t is Gods eternal purpose
to adapt Himself to the limitations and |
needs of His children. We do not think
Of God merely as Power, or Majesty, or
Holiness. God is Love. Love is the win
ming thing. Love conquers. Love is bent
IN drawing home to the Fathers heart all |
His wayward and lost ones The human
leart cries for God What kind of a God?
Not the God of the atheist, not the God OF
he Dest, not the God of the narrow