St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-12-24

lEa7As..pU % power for the say.
ISL ~ Nm ing of men. The
81 6@7AUl careful housewife
ESea111%jI would not think Of
u, F15V II taking the IN
fs"0Nz cleansed vessel and
Il L@| using it to cook OF
Lsw7 serve the meal. II
S-e,e.yT ~ must be prepared
for the service
which it is to rem
der. The dirty spots must be secured
and the whole dish washed with hot wa
ter and soap and then rinsed in clean,
hot water before it can be accepted for
further use. And this illustrates most
important and vital truth in connection
with the Christian. He must be purged
and clean before the Master will con-
sent to use him. And right here we must
emphasize the vast difference which
may exist between the Christian who is
being used by the Master and the Chris
tian who is using himself in the Mas
ter's name. Christian service does not
always mean Christ service. The
Christian in action does not always
mean Christ acting through the Chris
tan. The Christian must be purged, a
vessel unto honor, sanctified, meet for
the Masters use, before he can be filled
with the presence and power of Christ,
| and thus prepared unto every good
| work. How the Master is hindered by
the unclean vessels which are offeredfor
His use! How impotent seems the serv-
ice of many, many Christians! On
every hand we hear the cry that the pow
er and influence of the church is wan
ing. The lack of growth is causing
alarm to the great denominations, and
the reasons therefor are being sought
with the diligence and wisdom born of
men. Various prescriptions are formu-
lated by the astute D. DIS, and from
time to time it is proposed to dope the
church with first one thing and then an
other. But despite all. the church con-
tinues to groan and suffer in i'll health,
and vigor of strength and power fails
to return. The spiritual life and power
OF the church is proportionate to the
spiritual life and power of the individ-
ual members of the church. The spring
cannot rise above its source. and the
church cannot realize higher spiritual |
strength and power than that of its
membership
GO that the question of the condi-
- ton of the church resolves itself
into one as to the condition of the in
dividual Christian. If the church is
not meet for the Masters use" 1t is
because its members are not. II the
church lacks power it is because the
power of Christ is not flowing through
the individual Christian. If the church
is not being used as a clean vessel.
sanctified, and meet for the Masters
use. the fault lies at the hearts door
Of the individual Christians, and the
remedy is to be found not In change
OF principles, or policy, or methods,
not in the adoption of new-fangled de-
vices, but in purifying and cleansing
Of the hearts and lives of the individual
Christians in order that there may be
placed in the hands of the Master ves-
sells meet for His use. How much the
coming Of the Kingdom Of Jesus Christ
Is hindered and delayed BY the unclean
which the Master is unable to
use we will never know until He at
last comes in glory and we know as
we are known, but certain it is that the
world would have been brought to
Christ centuries ago If the vessels
which Christ needed in the accomplish
nent Of His worldwide mission had 1
,een kept clean and sanctified for His
Use. Every great revival. every great
Ind glorious work accomplished for
Him, have been preceded by cleansing q
II the vessels that they might be used
or Him. Heart-searching prayer has
discovered the unclean places, the foul .
tains Of sin, and the yielded will and {
he reconsecrated purpose of heart have
nited with the quickening Spirit to
leanse and purify until the Master =
ould smilingly say: This is a YES
Ell which Is fit for USE l will fill it
nth My grace and power. l will send .
forth blessed and to be blessing" =
md where there is lack of spiritual \
1essing and power 1t is always because -
here are unclean vessels. unfit for the
[aster's use.
N the verse preceding our text Paul I
introduces the figure of a great T
ouse in which there are various kinds n
vessels, some Of gold and some of Of
liver, others of wood and still others I
earth. In the opinion of some COM L
entators the great house typifies the W
lurch, and the vessels the members st
that church. The vessels of honor in
e those of gold and silver, and those ~
dishonor the wooden and earthen L.
shes. The first are taken to represent
e true disciples of Jesus, the latter tn
ose who are identified with Christ's Ii
urch, but who are unregenerate. It nj
the figure of the wheat and the tares, ia
e wheat and chaff, the drag net filled Is
It'll fishes good and bad The vessels st
gold and silver are precious and able tn
endure the trying fire of God, and gi
nee fit for His use, while those of wood WI
d earth are worthless, fragile and I'M co
lie to Withstand the searchings Of the tn
vine fame, and therefore are vessels
dishonor, filling place in the great be
use, but never being used in goodly II
vice. This exegesis would seem to m,
sustained by the opening words of an
r text, which declare that, eff man pa
erefore purge himself from these, he sci
all be-" and so forth, evidently sug- we
sting separation from the worldly fol