Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1904-05-12
A SOUL ON GUARD.

~ W.
nored.
One of the lessons the great Teache
was daily trying to impart to his fol
lowers VAS the lesson of living at thei
hest. They had great work to do: there
| fore they needed. even moro than mos
men. to learn the secrets of power AM
| peace. On the occasion which FURNISHES
| the text of the lesson Jesus set forth un
der a variety OF figures, the Importance
of being we'll equipped. we'll CONTROLLED
| and we'll intentioned. "Watchfulness.
Readiness" "Alcrtness" or Faithful
| ness might serve equally we'll as a head
Ing for the discourse.
THE CALL FOR MINUTE MEN.
The Christian conception Of life has nj
| place for tents Of ease. 1t is not a pleas
| ant abiding beneath trees in luxuriou:
palaces. 1t Ia a march, a battle. a war
The virtues 1t demands are the fighters
virtues. OF these, preparedness Is one OF
the frst-
Let your loins be girded about. sale
Jesus. That Is. gather up your flowing
robes. fasten them In at the belt. and be
| ready to march or fight or work. As ths
fireman Is ready within a few seconds a
any hour Of the night or day to mount the
| engine and be off; as the bathing master
waches the beach. ready to leap into the
water the instant any one Is In danger
as the newspaper correspondent Is ready
to go to the ends of the earth at an hour
notice. 20 the Christian Is to keep him
self ever in a state OF perpetual prepare
ton.
Alert lives are few. Opportunity fnds
most people unready when he knocks at
their DOORS. Even in the lesser things OF
the material world, the keen, self-con-
tanned. vigilant character Is the exception
rather thar the rule. Few persons have
themselves well in hand all the time. with
full control over all their powers. Yet
1t is Just that which Christ asked of his
disciples. They were to be minute men.
At INSPECTION.
Soldiers on guard duty have one trying
experience every day. and possibly two
or more. The first ID at guard mount,
when their equipment n dress and gen.
sral fitness are carefully inspected; and
later, as the sentry patrols his lonely post
he Is likely to be Unexpectedly challenged
his general orders, or 'orders Of the
day. or to have his efficiency tested in
some other manner. This IL discipline;
thus military standards are maintained.
The only way to be ready for an emer-
Eency test is to be ready all the time. So
Jesus babe his disciples to live ever in an
attitude Of expectancy and preparation.
That the coming Of the Master might not
take them by surprise.
The thought is rather startling when
one dwells upon 1t. Many rather sensa-
.ional books have made 1t their theme.
Suppose Jesus should suddenly appear
himself as the Christian master. at this
very instant. Would he be welcome? Or
| what II he had come last night? How
many scenes there are in our lives upon
which we would not feel altogether at
ease to have Him enter. II we are ready
for Christ we are ready for anything.
The lesson He was teaching was a com
p%rehensive one. To be ready for Him
means to be ready for life. for duty. for
opportunity, for death itself. It IL deeply
true that the soul with spiritual poise.
| rightly related to God. IL Mt for anything
no emergency or temptation of life can
surprise or overwhelm 1t. A fundamental
equipment for triumphant living 10 a spirit
In tune with the Infinite.
hoNoRs FOR THE TRUE.
There have been demonstrations at both
Toxic and st. Petersburg recently when
sailors Of the respective naives were hon.
ored by their rulers and countrymen foI
fidelity and courage In the face OF the
enemy. Soldering has its rewards a. well
rs its duties. Jesus has a "blessing'' fol
the servant who heed his exhortation tc
wakeful eagerness.
AZ h car himself personally addressed
the sailors from the two ships u n a
Chemdlpo, 30. the parable says. the Mas
ter Will with his own hands minister Il
those who have been found true In thu
test Of watchfulness.
Mo- 10 this figure to be confined who'll,
to spiritual watchfulness-the teache,
must be watchful ere he miss the appli
cation OF this great truth to the entir'
breadth Of life. There 10 reward for tn,
prepared and the alert. The ready reign
All Kingdoms are inherited by the quail
Ned. Men shut doors against themselve,
by their unftness. and then blame God.
IN THE GUARD HOUSE.
Preserving the military figure. tn
guard house stands for punishment. Tn
casual visitor to the camp may be aston
ished and shocked to md soldier
shAckled and confined. With . fellow col
der standing guard over him with q rine
Yet punishment 10 IN essential part o
discipline. In these parallels Jesus doe
not Floss over nor conceal the truth o
punishment Az In both the first and tn
second parallels to be found In this Lessor
he dwelt upon the rewards which folio,
faithfnlnesa, 70 IN the eco parable h
devoted considerable attention to the cor
sequences Of tlothfulnsss, selnshness q n
un~faithfulnees. RsV4hution IL plainly /
his teAchings. even Though some Of hi
later interpreters ignore It.
The state Of mind Of the servant in III
IspArable - quite understandable. His ma,
ter va expected home. and he watchs
Tor . time. But when the masters CON
ing Was delayed he began to be lax. Il
tmperceptibly dfifted INTO the position I
absolute lord himself. ~ II he had not a
iof reckoning before him. Thinking hin
Isseif suprsme. he began to beat the ser,