The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1905-03-03
FARMvILLE, VA, FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 1905
the British museum.

In plain common sense way. as Christ
talked to his audience In parable We
will not draw our illustrations from the
incidents Of daily life and Introduce
those fresh illustrations into our prac-
teal sermons, as Christ did when he
talked about the thieves on the Jericho
road, or about the woman who lost
part Of her wedding dowry. But we
will gather our materials from past
ages and from the writers of old and
from the sins Of the Jewish people and
not from the sins OF the American peo-
pie, who live at our very door" There
are many doing this. The result is there
are hundreds Of preachers who do not
WELD any modern "slings." They do
not preach as Christ would have them
preach. They are ready 10 talk about
the lily Of the valley and the rose Of
Sharon and the grapes Of Eschol. but
they are not willing to utter philippe
against commercial sins In our own
day. against the gr0ceryman who has
false weights for his pound Of sugar
and tea as well as against the wealthy
millionaire who is living double life
and is breaking the marital vows which
he once made TO the young girl when
the twain at the marriage altar became
one.
There is another caution TO the young
man who Is going out to fight the bat
ties OF life. He must be careful about
the quality and temper of his weapons
II we should discard the obsolete weap-
Ons with which our ancestors fought
their battles. how much more should
all Of us refuse TO 20 forth TO battle
in life with the glittering blades Of sin
I'm our hands which again and again
have proved impotent when the heat
OF the struggle is on. We have often
read Of the duels in chivalric times In
those mortal cOmbats the trueness Of
blades decided whether the cOmbatants
should live or die. We have read that
when some combatants were Just At
the critical stage Of the duel a blade
had snapped. Then there was a lunge
with sword and the man who once
held the false blade in his hand drop
ped at the feet Of his adversary a blood
soaked corpse. When we take the
blades Of sin We have false weapons in
our hands In the heat Of life's battles
these blades Of sin will fail us every
time.
well" says some one, you have
been telling us what kind Of weapons
not TO use. Now tell us the kind we can
20 forth to fight Gods battles with.
How do we know with what David's
sling we are TO ighti How did David
know? What was his best slingt" Well,
my friends, I am not here 10 tell your
particular sling. but am here 10 tell
you how you can find ont about that
sling. As a rule. the sling which YOU
are to use in the battle Of life is the one
that you can WELD the easiest.
Let me Illustrate my thought in n
simple way: When you were a little
child the first intellectual passion your
parents recognized in you was your
love for music II some one sat down
to play at the piano and you were cry
Ing you Immediately ceased TO cry As
soon as you were able you climbed up
on the music stool and began 10 pick
out the different notes with your chub-
by fingers For hours and hours you
can sit and listen to music People say
you are born musician. II were you
would develop that talent for Christ.
| would go and sing and play in every
slckroom ! could enter ! would 20 to
hospital and mission hall and church
choir loft. To sing and to play ls for
you to WELD a David's sling. Develop
that talent, brother. Develop it for
Christ.
What is your talent for Christi Well, |
! think In your case It is a power over
little children. When you tell them |
stories they will listen. You weave
the same strong spell about them that |
Eugene Field wove. II | were you |
would not spend most of my time |
learning how to sew. When you pick /
up needle all your fingers are thumbs.
Develop your God given power to bring |
children TO Christ That, o man, o |
woman, Is your God given sling.
| would encourage every man. wom-
On and child to develop for Christ the |
one especial God given talent which |
has been bestowed on each one Of rs
to work in Gods service. II It ia to |
preach then let us preach. II 1t is
to teach, then et as teach II It Is TO
pray, then let MS pray BY the sick beds.
II IT Is to give money in his name, then
let us give OF onr wealth. The great |
trouble with this world is that most OF
us are afraid to do our best in the time
God has given us to 10 our work. We
are afraid TO use our sings lest David's
brothers might laugh ut MS and rldl-
rule us. Re yourself o man. BE
your plain. natural self BE II in the
pulpit. on the street. in the church
pew. Be It everywhere and God Will
bless your work for Christ.