Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-16


that he may cease to watch and to pray
because the victory is won, and he will
never be tempted any more. 1t Is for this
reason that he cannot allow himself to be
'entangled in the affairs Of this life The
soldier on service avoids this error: he
knows that it would interfere with his
promotion. The Christian must avoid 1t
at least as carefully. for he Is always on
service, and the loss of promotion Is the
loss Of eternal life.
Observe that st. Paul does not suggest
that Christians should keep aloof from the
affairs of this life, which would be a fat
contradiction of what he teaches elsewhere.
The Christian is to do his own business,
and to work with his hands. that he may
walk honestly toward them that are with
out, and may have need of nothing He
has a duty to perform in the affairs of this
life,' but in doing it he is not to be entan-
gled in them. They are means not ends;
and must be made to help him on. not suf-
fered to keep him back. II they become en-
tanglements instead of opportunities, he
will soon lose that state of constant prep
aration and alertness which Is the indispen-
sable condition. of success. We all
of us need to be reminded that here we
have no abiding city, but that our citizen
ship Is in heaven. And we all of US are at
times inclined to murmur because the rest
for which we so often yearn Is not given us
here-a rest from toll, rest from tempta-
ton and a rest from sin. Such Sabbath
not have it here. And If we desire to have
1t hereafter we must keep the rules OF the
arena. and the rules Of the arena are self
control, self-sacriflce and work."
There is a sense in which the Christian
life is hard life, and the worldly life an
easy one. This very thing has held many
ing into the joy of the fight for faith" 1t
Is as If young man entering college and
looking on at the college games should say
to himself: II should like to enter into all
these things; to run that race and receive
the praise and the prize; to be crowned and
carried on the shoulders of the men as
hero; to have all the pleasure of the prep
the contest; but should not like to go into
training; to have my hours fnterfered WITH
and even my diet; to be obliged to retire at
certain hour and refrain from eating GER
tain things. and to be always on hand at
the hour Of practice, always out in the sun
and heat, running and growing weary, and
subject to danger and accident. l should
not Ike that. and therefore I will not
enter" He does not enter and therefore he
never knows that many of the hardships
are obliterated because of the love of the
contest and the joy of the race An older
person will often see young people going
sun, while he is barely able to endure the
weather on a cool piazza, with fan and a
book, and yet when he demonstrates and
says, You poor things, have you got to go
out in this terrible heat and work so hard?
Why, you will be sunstruck they will
reply, why, it Is not very hot, and we do
not mind the sun in the least. We just love
tennis, and never think of the heat when
we are playing. 1t does US good. We can
play all the better when we are warmed up
we'll So the real earnest Christian feels
about the hardships of the Christian life.
But it is hard to make one who has not
tasted Of the joys of Christ's service believe
and feel this, particularly as there are
SO many Christians who do not show forth
this joy. And so 1t will always have to be
accepted as life of hardships, and the
hardships taken because of the 10y that
is set before U.S." After all, is the easy life
really easy? Do not the pleasures turn to
the refuge for the man who has lived an
easy life when he comes to a time of trou-
ble-when he comes to leave it all?
So we are intended to take the hard
ward without question looking for the
prize to make up for what we have suf-
fered
...,,.. Applied Truth.
The following story was told by Mr..
Moody: "f-s''.
"a lady came to me once and said, Mr..
Moody, 1 wish you would tell me how to
become Christian. But I don't want to
be one. of your kind
We'll, have I got any peculiar kind?
What is the matter with my Christianity?'
Well she said, my father was doc
tor with large practice, and when he got
tired he used to go to the theater and
take us. There was a large family of us
and we had tickets for the theater three or
four times a week. 1 suppose we were
there good deal oftener than we were in
church. I am married to lawyer with q
large practice. He gets so tired that he
takes us out to the theater and am far bet
ter acquainted with the theater and thea
ter-people than with the church and
church-people. and don't want to give up
the theater.'
We'll. said. did you ever hear me say
anything J. thin about theaters?'
Well what made you bring them up?'
Why; supposed you didn't believe in
What made you think that?'
Why, do you ever GO? she asked.
No., said I.
Why don't you go?'
Because have got something better
said I. would sooner go out into the
street and eat dirt than do some of the
things used to do before 1 became Chris
tian.' s'."e
Why asked she? I don't understand
/ Never mind said. When Jesus Christ
1t all. He didn't come down here and say
we shouldn't go here and we shouldn't go
there, and lay down lot Of rules, but He
laid down great principles. Now, He says
If you love Him you will take delight in
pleasing him.
1.-The tears started, and she said: I tell
you Mr.. Moody, that sermon on indwelling
Christ yesterday afternoon just broke my
heart I admire Him and l want to be a
Christian, but don't want to give up the
theaters'
Il said, Please don't mention them again
I don't want to talk about theaters. want
to talk to you about Christ
so took my Bible and I read to her
about Christ. But she said again, Mr.
Moody, can go to the theater if become
a Christian?
Yes I said, If you are real true
Christian and can go with His blessing. If
you can go to the theater for the glory of
God keep on going; only be sure that you
go for the glory of God. If you are a
Christian you will be glad to do whatever
will please Him.
In few days she came back to me and
said: Mr. Moody. I understand all about
That theater business now. I went the
other night, but when the curtain lifted
everything looked SO different. I said to
my husband: ~'This is no place for me.
here; am going home"' Now, the theater
hadn't changed, but she had got something
better, and she was going to overcome the
world. When Christ has the first place in
your heart you are going to get the victory
Just do whatever you know will please Him
The great objection have to these things