The Tupelo journal., 1904-02-12

I ner. Question of qualification and
equipment is at oAce raised. AS we hear
u Lord say to us: go tell" we turn
to Him and, in fear and weakness, plead,
as Moses did of old: ooh, Lord, | am
slow OF speech" And If it is not a STAN
mering tongue it is something else
which We feel utterly units us for the
doing of that which this Lord has COM
manded us to do. We feel that because
we have not the sturdy faith of a Peter,
or the power of argument of a Paul, or
the ~eloquence of an Apollos, we are not
able to become a soul winner. In false
modesty and humility we shrink back
from the post of duty and the life line
falls short. We think that if we could
speak as that other Christian speaks, or
if We knew our Bible as some other
one does, or if we had the conservation
and faith which are possessed by some
other brother or sister we would be glad
and eager to join the ranks of the soul
winners. But we have not, and sc we
hesitate and go not at our Lords COM
mand.
How much Bible knowledge does it
take to become a soul winner? Ask that
ignorant, humble laborer into whose
heart the Christ had gained entrance
and who went out among his fellow
workmen and repeated the one verse Of
Scripture which he knew: For God so
loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whatsoever believeJh
upon Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life"
How much wisdom and learning and
skill in argument does it take to become
a soul winner? Ask that little boy
whose infdel father sought to sow the
seeds of infidelity in his little heart and
so printed a sign, f'God is Nowhere"
and placed it on the walls of his home
and asked his son to read it. The little
fellow had been to Sunday school and
had learned of God and Jesus, the Sa-
viour, and he promptly spelled out the
words and said: God is Now Here"
And God was there, for the unexpected
reply sent the arrow of conviction
straight to the fathers heart. The mass
of inidelity and .unbelief was swept
away as no argument could ever have
done, and a little child it was who led the
father to Jesus.
LOW much ~eloquence does it take to
| l become a soul winner? Ask that con
vert of the Water street mission, Billy
Kelly, who before his conversion was
barkeeper and sport. After he came to
Jesus he went to work at rough, hard
labor. He was surrounded by wicked,
drinking men. He longed to bring them
to Christ. He could not be eloquent in
pleading his Sa%viour's cause. He could
not even speak without stumbling and
faltering in his message. But he could
say: I've been down to the mission,
and you better come, too" And they
did come at the simple invitation, and
found salvation, and Billy Kelly became
an important link in the life line reach
ing out for lost men. And so ignorance,
and weakness, and lack of S%criptural
knowledge are not a bar to entering the
ranks of the soul winners There are Pc
tiers to-day, there are Pauls and Apol-
loses, and they are used nightly by
God, but, thank God! Jesus calls the one
talented and the half-talented and the
quarter-talented disciples into His SER
vice, and He blesses their efforts in the
saving of men. Learning, eloquence,
deep understanding of the Bible enlarge
ones possibilities of service for the Mas
ter, but a qualification which is more i'm
portant h a all these, and which all may
possess from the lowest to the highest,
from the weakest to the strongest, from
t.e unlettered artisan to the Intellectual
giant, and which all must possess if they
would be in the ranks of the soul win
ners, is love-simple, sweet, powerful
love. Love is an essential element in
soul winning. Whatever else may be
needed or not needed, this is certain, the
soul winner must have love.
IN THAT inimitable classic, the thir-
l teenth chapter of | Corinthians, Paul
tells us about love, the greatest thing
in the world. In words of marvellous
knowledge, all power, all charity and
good works are absolutely a negative
quantity, in Gods estimation, without
love. Faith-yes, because without
faith it is impossible to please God"
Hope-yes, because hope maketh not
ashamed" and because hope as an n
Choir to the soul is sure and steadfast."
But above all else love, for it is the
browning glory of all else. AS F. B.
Meyer beautifully puts it: Faith is
the root, hope is the stem, and love is
the perfect flower" God is love-" and
hence is the source of love. God so
loved that He gave" Herein is the
depth of Gods love revealed. God
c~ommendeth His love towards us in
that while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us,"-here is %conquering love.
Hereby know we love, because He laid
down His life for us"-here is love the
begetter of love. Gods love not only
%conquering, but Gods love filing. Love
giving birth to love. We have then
Gods love-the true love-revealed
through Christ; love conquering
through Christ, and love begetting owe
through Christ. This is the love which
is a factor in soul winning. But it is
not the love which always rules in the
heart and life of Christ's followers.
Faith may be present in saving power;
the Christian graces and virtues may
be a possession of the heart and an ex-