The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-03-05


rie, Chalmers, Parker, Becch"r Or Ron.
ertSon would today bG in every minis
ter'S library unless those sermons. like
the orations OF Edmund Burke, We're
adorned with chaStc and beautiful Ian
guage? These men were not crude
men They took thc precious jewels of
their minds and cut them and pulishet
them and gave them i'll service to Jesus
Christ. The more those mental jewels
sparkled the more service they were
able to perform for their Divine Mas
ter. The very best possibilities YOU
have in your mind You shosld reach
for and grasp and then harness for
Masters work.
Developing Talents.
But" you say what does that
mean? Are you asserting that only in
tellectual geniuses are fitted for gospel
work? DO YOU affirm that the iliterate
and uneducated can do but little or no
good for the Master:' No. no. |
am not asserting that But | am as
serting that there is at least one door
of your intellect like the fir tree doors
of the inner sanctuary of the Solomonic
temple which Is capable of the most
wonderful carvings. That one door
leads into music room, or into Il
teachers room. or into an art gallery.
or into II writer's study do not know
what that one talent of your mind Is.
but | know that you have one great
talent. Develop it for Jesus Christ.
Develop II to the very best of your
ability. Make its sounds the sweet
est Make its colors the brightest,
Make its parallels ths7most convincing.
Make its Orations tffS most powerful.
Say. by the help Of God | will take
this talent of mine and develop it in
tellectunlly that | may truly serve me
Master in an aesthetic as we'll as in n
spiritual way
When I was Il student our honored
theological professor, pr Thomas S.
Hastings, was lecturing to the boys
and giving us Il long list Of books
which he wanted us to study. These
books, If | remember Alright. covered
all the fields Of literature, poetic. sci
entific, historical. as well as Biblical
He was not only telling us how to
also how to enrich our sermons by
gathering our Illustrations from all
sources. You all know what it means
In plain English. If you would serve
God Alright serve him with the best
developed brain that you can produce.
Go to the best Of music schools and
train your songs for Christ Go to the
best Of all colleges and train your
brain for Christ. Gather for Jesus all
the best products of the scientific as
well as the artistic and the historical
and political life. Make your intellect
the fir tree doors Of the inner sane
tuary carved with cherubim and palm
trees and flowers In blossom. The best
that we have or can have in the intel
lectual life should all be conSecratC;
to the Masters service.
If it is important for US as individu
ais to develop our intellects along tn,
lines of tho beautiful, how much more
every door of which is engraved with
cherubim and palm trees and blossom
ing flowers. If 1t is important to
adorn our own individual lives. how
much more important is it by the di
rect or indirect examples in the home
to adorn those lives which are living
close to us.
A Staggering Thought.
1t is a staggering thought to me that
individually can do just about what
like with each one Of my children for
nearly twenty years, or for nearly one
half or one-third of their lives. | can
tell them what time they are to go 10
bed and what time they are to get up.
| can tell them what kind of food they
are to eat and what they are not to eat
l can pick out all their clothes and
limit them in the books they are to
study and to read. l can tell them
what pictures they are to look at and
what they are to do in my house. In
other words for fifteen or sixteen
years Of my children's lives l can alb
w " LII tiicll
characters when they are living within
the four walls of my house. OF course
| mean | can do as | please If their
mother agrees. On the other hand, l
sometimes think the wife can do as
she pleases with the children, whether
the husband agrees or no. Now, my
friends, IL we as parents have such a
marvellous influence upon the lives of
our children do you not feel that we
should do everything In our power to
develop their minds in an intellectual
way for Jesus Christ? Do you not be
lieve that every door OF our homes
should be engraved with cherubim and
palm trees and flowers In blossom?
TO speak literally, do you not be
lieve we should have flowers in the
home? 1t Goes not take much work to
plant few flowers In your back yard
or even to plant few geeaniums or
petunias In box of soil ami have
them catch the sunlight as it comes
streaming through your windows of q
winters day. Can you not place III
the middle CT your dining table fern
t,aiE L.