The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1905-01-03

Would not the satisfaction you get
saved for Christ compensate you for
all your wasted labor upon nineteen
young men who were not saved? God
will not reward you according to the
success of your labors. but according
to the efforts you have honestly made,
Do your duty and leave the result to
God
Oh, missionary worker In the New
York slums. what Is the good of your
rescue missions and your testimony
meetings night after night? You know
just us well as know that nine tenths
Of all your professed converts will be-
come backsliders. That young woman
who now arises with tears in her eyes
and says, ''Thank God, l have been
saved from sin," may tomorrow be
treading again the old path of wicked
ness. That man who signs the pledge
tonight may be drunk again next week
That penitent gambler Is only penitent
until you give him a start In life again,
and then he will gamble away his sub
stance just the same as he has done In
the past. Mrs. Maud Ballington Booth
lately wrote book entitled after
Prison, Wbat?' After prison for most
ex-convicts Is prison again. Two-thirds
OF the inmates of the penitentiary serve
more than one term each. Once thief
for many Of them is always thief.
Labor Not Lost.
"All that you state Is true" answers
the missionary of the New York slums.
"One-third, one-half aye, Perhaps
three fourths-of all our reformed cases
may become backsliders. But If one
out Of every four--aye, IL one out of
every ten--be saved, Ii not the tenth
man worth all the effort we have be-
slowed on the other nine? All the seed
the farmer plants does not fall on good
soil. Shall the farmer cease to plant?
All our labors for Christ may not bring
in gospel harvest. but are not the re-
wards. we receive multipotent bless
ing for our labors, no matter how great
they may be?" The New York mission.
airy Is right.
Yes some one says, that Is very
pretty talk, but it does not bear well
the test of logic. If while | SOW one
good seed nine other men are sowing
stares, will not the nine tares increase
Just as rapidly as the one good seed
In time VIII not the earth. instead of
being covered With the glory of God as
the waters cover the sea,' be covered
with the blood OF destroyed worid7
Instead Of the world being better, as
we would wish, Is it not morally and
spiritually. becoming more ard more
depraved7 Have not right, then, to
my new year timidities7 p No, my
brother! No. no! A thousand times
no! The reports Of the gospel rneteorol.
ogists do not bear out your theories.
Meteorology Ia as rational d science
as chemistry, geology, biology, physics
or any other science. Like skillful
general, the United States government.
guarding against surprise, has organ.
tied its weather bureau and plantea
outpost stations everywhere. All these
stations are In direct communication
with each other and with Washington
Thus no sooner does storm start out
on It's mission OF destruction than the
weather bureau lifts It's signals of
warning. The sailors run to cover, ana
fruit growers hold back their ship.
ments, and railroad officials get out
their snow ploTs and anticipate the at.
tacks Of the storm. So perfect ID this
system OF signals that for the last ten
years not ship has ever been lost
upon the dangerous inland sen Of Lake
Michigan whose captains have needed
these storm signals. Millions and BILL
lions Of dollars worth of property have
been saved both on land and sea.
The Signs Of the Times.
What the superintendent of the
weather bureau can do Id reading the
positions Of the atmospheric storm
clouds the gospel meteorologist can do
In telling us about the storm clouds OF
sin. What ID 1t we learn from these
Christian meteorological reports7 From
one and another heather land comes
the story Of people turning from idols
20 serve the living God. Everywhere
slavery and cruelty and inhumanity
are being gradually suppressed. The
world IL coming more and more under
the influence OF the principles OF
Christ. It Is slow process, but the
general trend Is In the right direction
Evil for thousands Of years has had Its
sway. We must not expect It to be
easily or quickly dfslodged. But the
good time IL coming. Only do not let
as who live IN Christian lands lose
heart or hope. We have the promise of
victory: We see the sky growing rosy
with the coming dawn. Let us work
on IN faith and patience. Oh, my
brother, think not this New Years day
opens d dark day" for Christ. Think
not that your labors for the coming
year will be thrown away. Push on In
faith and hope. Drive up. Look up, IN
the name. Of Jesus. Plant In Gods
name: plant for Jesus Christi
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