Evening star., 1907-08-31

The Lesson.
One of the conmonest hindrances to
Christian work is the excuse, "Oh, 1
can t.. when people are asked to help In
anything. There are SO many weak
hands and feeble knees" Is there
meeting to be led, one says: "Oh, ! can't.
l have so much to do now I'm nearly
crazy. Besides, 1 don't know how to lead
meetings. That is not my forte. You
ask young man If he will lead in prayer
and he shrinks back blushing and says:
oh, | can't Ask somebody else. IN not
gifted in prayer" You select some one to
be chairman of the lookout committee
and suggest certain persons who should
be reached and personally talked with,
and the one selected declares: "Oh. l
couldn't possibly do that. I'd be fright
ened to death to talk religion to any
one" There is the fearful heart" And
why is it that it is in the line of spiritual
work that all the Il cants, or nearly all
OF them, come? You ask a woman If she
will take charge of the decorations for a
convention, and she straightWay smiles
assent and begins to talk vOiubly of
palms and rubber plants and smIlax and
carnations, and to tell you how lovely 1T
would be to smother the pulpit In ferns.
You ask another woman to make a cake
FOR church fair, and she IS willing, or,
at least. she seldom says Il can't. But
ask her to take up some special line of
mission work or go and talk with her
neighbor on the subject of personal re-
lgiop and her excuse is out before you
have half asked her.
This hindrance stands in the way of all
great reforms. Yes. such things ought
to be done, but we never can do them. 1t
Is of no use to try, is so often the re-
sponse. This is the reason why ior years
the great work of Christian missions
was held back. 1t was considered impos-
sible to convert the heathen Yet, thank
God there were a few Il cant's' to whom
the sacrifices made for Christ were
hn ~ n
late as 1857 said of himself: = never
made a sacrifice for Christ And SO said
Hudson Taylor, the leader of the China
inland mission.
To read the story of John G. Patton or
David Livingstone is to come in touch with
two of Gods saints who could surely say
with Paul Il can do all things through
Christ which strengthen me-" If David
Livingstone had had but one of the many
difficulties which he faced to deal with,
and had pursued MS marvellous course
through Africa, we should have set him on
high one of Gods saints. Il can. was
his constant state Of mind. No terrors of
wild beasts, or wild natives or hostile chiefs,
or fever, or thirst, or hunger, or lack OF
helpers. or difficulties of getting boats. or
fear of his life, loss of his dear ones.
stood in his way tor one moment. He
never for an instant drew back and said:
Il can't" He set his mark and went
straight forward. The finding out. and
opening the way, and winning Africa for
Christ was the task set Him by his Mas
ter, and he never faltered. John G. Patton
did not turn back to his native land after
the first encounter with savages. He went
on until before his death he was given
to see those savages paying for the minis
try of the gospel in their own land and for
the teaching of their children. and the
building of churches and schools of their
own.
Years ago Francis Xavier touched upon
the secret Of why more Christians are not
ready to go forward in Christ's work, when
he said: IF these islands tof the Pacihc)
had scented woods and mines of gold Chris
tians would have courage enough to go
thither; nor would all the perils OF the
world prevent them. They are dastardly
and alarmed because there are only souls
of men to be gained. And shall love be
less hardy and less generous than avarice?'
Can 1t be possible that the reason we say
Il can't SO much Is because we do not
feel the inducement great enough when
we are asked to do some Christian service?
George Grenfell, the hero of the Congo,
had the little steamer Peace handed over to
him in eight hundred pieces. The engineers
had died and no one knew anything about
the machinery. Grenfell was not an engl-
neer, but he took that pile of steel bars
and iron plates and screws and nuts and
bolts and with no one to help him but
few native boys put the whole thing to-
gether. trig and taut, engine and all, and
launched her into the stream.
The first conception Paul haDof the
upon the face of Stephen. illumined with
the light of God. From the moment when
ne st. Stephen die the humble slave of
Christ the conception followed him that he
too, might live life like that and die such
death. But he put it away as you and
put away some of Gods fairest visions.
But God loved Paul too much to let him
miss that blessed life. and in His mercy
backed and said I can't do IT he backed
right upon Gods goad and God urged him
forward Still he kicked, and then since
pain would not do 1t, God painted upon the
cloud that hid his future VISION OF a NE
so fair. so blessed, so radiant, SO trium-
phant that what the goad could not do the
vision accomplished. What force failed
to do the beckoning Of that sweet ideal
wrought, and he said: 1 was not dis-
obedient to the heavenly vision Though
my hand is only an apprentices hand and
trembles / should like God to use it to
paint for you a vision of the real life, the
Christ-life that lies within the reach of
every regenerate man. Oh, that could
paint it, / believe that then you would
leap to it and say: 'Ah, when l caught
glimpse of the blessed life might lead, l
who have been such failure, such stum-
bling block; l who have brought SO much
shame upon those that loved Christ, then
was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
but took the first step and the next, ana
the next. and life has begun to be one long
summer day When a heavy mist wells the
valley and hills / feel as if half my world
was blotted out. But suddenly there comes
breath or the suns rays, and the mist
parts and the landscape stands unveiled.
So God often parts the mist that hides the
future and shows what a man may be. =
+. b. Never, in Meet for the Masters Use.
mo man can ever estimate the power Of
the will 1t is part of the divine nature,
all Of a piece with the power OF creation.
We speak of Gods fiat, Fiat lux ct fiat
erat' Oct light be. and light was). Man has
his fat The achievements of history have
been the choices, the determinations, the
creations of the human will.'-Maltbie u.
Babcock.
There is a wonderful thought in that last
verse OF our text-that we are made par
takers of Christ if we comply with the
conditions. If we hold on TO the Il can
it becomes a reality through the strength
of the Christ He in us can do all things.
We need never say Il can't when God
says do something, for We may always
rely upon His wisdom or strength. or what
ever is necessary to help us through, since
all things heedful are in Him and we are
made partakers' of Him.
How to Help the Leader.
little bit of your own experience in
backbone" will be helpful TO others. Or,
tell how Hudson Taylor wanted to be