The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-01-27

Sunday morning, ana Was AFRAID 10 would
be all up with poor Murphy II he 90, with
him. | went down 10 tae door and when
he asked II Murphy ives IN | said No
Murphy is ont He dons live here any
longer 50 / sent Healey Of and saved
Murphy from temptation. But what |
want 20 know. your reverence, - this. did
tell a hes | meant that the o.d Murphy
did not hive there any more. Yen know
Mr.. Moody told W. that when man ls
converted he Is new creature: Old things
have passed away. ! believe Murphy is a
new creaturt. and that the o'd Murphy
does not live any more an that attic
If any ma. I've IN Christ he ls new
creation. Old things are passed away, be.
hold all things az, become new After a
man makes tins discovery he hegins 10
learn importan; truths. He learns that he
must now walk not alter the flesh. but az.
ter the spirit THIS y by no means au
easy thing 10 DO. | wonder how many
have mastered tins artt It's one that can
not be acquired in a single lesson. |
sometimes think We shall never know per-
tectly how 20 walk after the spirit 50 long
as we bear tins body OF flesh. There IS
much misapprehens!on on tins point. Not
a few have been sorely perp,eNed. and
some have been quite dlsheartened IN their
attempts 10 make the PLAIN facts OF their
experience ht certain doctrines taught
from the Scriptures. Here is a typical tX-
ample. 4 Young man entered upon the
Christian life. There wac no doub, as to
the genulneutss OF his conversion. lie &c
eepted Christ intelhgently, and with an
earnest purpose TO gave HIM loyal sery-
ice. He had run the whole gamut of SIN.
iul indulgence, but the change in hls life
was a radical one. Ne ceased 20 DO evil
and tried 10 learn to DO good. But he was
hindered by old habits ana tendencies
which still lurked ia has flesh The strug-
gle was fierce and he faced !, herolca,ly,
until one day more severely tempted than
usual he went TO his pastor and said. "lts
no use, | might as well give un trying. |
have been guilty oi some OF the same Old
sins that ! used 10 indulge ~. and ! won {
be hypocrlte, so YOU can take my name
off the record The pastor made use of
has Master method, and answered the
young man with a parable. Ii was the old
story OF a farmer VINO was p,oWlng IA a
meadow lot, He kept hls eyes nNed on n
tree at the farther end oi the field, and de-
termned to make hts FIRST iurrow as
straight as possible. That was 60 he his
guiding line. and II was ms intention 20
mare each iurrow as straight as the hrst
He succeeded fairly well tor awhl,c. until
a oId flew close TO me face and startled
him SO that he lerked ou the rem with the
result crook IA hn. iurroW. Several times
lu the course 81 his plowing he got OF the
line. but gust a. soon a. lac discovered nis
detection be pulled back aud got Oh the
straight line again.
How aptly this illustrates the initial ex.
perienco OF a child OF God lie starts out
with the determination TO walk IN the
footsteps OF his Master. That Is the cen.
tral purpose OF hls heart. HIS new nature
throhs with a single motive of LOYALTY to
Christ. But in h,s immature condition he
bunders, ne flies INTO passion perhaps,
or lndulgos some Old sinful habit, forget
ting hls new relationship with God, and
he makes q crook an ms mrrow But IN
the instant when ho comes 90 himself he
repcnts OF hI, detection and, fixing Ms
eyes uuou Jesus he gets back on the line
and tries again. Such dCviatlOus from the
line Of rCCtItude often dishcarteu youur
Christians Their blunders OF immaturity
are mistaken Tor tokens of nsncority
Walking with Christ M the school OF expo.
TIcncc they Will learn that the evidence Of
their LOYALTY 90 HIM in whose footsteps
they seek To- follow. - not found in the ala.
soute perfection OF their walk. The real
test lies 10 their immediate repentance
and turning back 10 the huc when "A de
via ton or detection has been discovered.
4 soullnsplrIng truth that one ought 10
grasp at the beginning OF the Christian life
rs that walking with God leads ultimately
to Gods house. 4 beautiful commentary
on iHlh point was Ahdl Ihdut Nv NIUE
clTl, as related by DR.. Morgan, OF London.
Her mother questioned her about the les.
son learned az Sunday school She had
been studying Enoch, and told her mother
that he was a man who used 10 take long
walks with God. And one dav they went
for an extra long walk, and God SAID TO
Enoch, You are q long way from home
Enoch. and You had better come In and
stay with Ne
II has been truly -aid ,hat. Heaven il
sometimes spoken OF as place. admission
10 which l- gained by some loDlent act uf
divine amnesty People speak of gong 10
heaven as though 10 were q concert room
10 enter which q ticket only ~ required
Nothing could bo more unzcTutural
Heaven s not place INTO which We are
admitted. uut place into Whch we grow.
II rs h'tlo short Oi foolish the way some
talk OF gong 10 heaven when they die
They exclude God from their lfe on earth.
They find no love lu HIS presence here
Heaven would be- a place Of painful I'M
pfIsOnment.'
The iehcItiep Di the heavenly country
will bc conditioned largely upon our capac-
lty 10 receive. And our capacity "a re-.
celvc VIII be- determined by our ability 90
serve. The service oi heaven viii be a ser
vice OF love. ] think We should stiAc IN
the atmosphere oi heavens love unless We
had learned % breathe m its purity and
live m its beauty here below. One must
learn 10 keep step with Jehovah here and
now II he would enter uUon the loys of the
divine presence hereafter Learn 20 love
what God loves. aud hate what God hates
Get IN step with HIM to-day and lot HIM
'be your companion for hic.