The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1908-06-05

"a ssss Il slumbel Hence III
| A Ia heaven We shalt
81 S be able to serve
God day and
L. @.e-=@.1-es:------- night. The spirit
ual will have the supremacy. The IN.
firing will be forever active
In thp ninth verse of the previous
chapter Israel is trying 70 wake up
Jehovah. Awake, awake, put on
str. rgth. O arm of the Lord" The
words of our text is Gods answer
to that prayer. Awake, awake; put
on thy strength, 0 Zion Wake up
YOURSELF" says the Lord. Il am not
asleep. No attribute of mine needs
repose am ready, willing. waiting
to exert my power, whenever you tui'
fill the conditions | have imposed.
We have not by prayer Or eXertion to
induce God to bless us. But prayer
and eXertion God requires for our
good 1t would be no kindness in him
to bless sleeping Christians. They
would not know it, if he did. Let us
| inquire:
|. What are the signs Of sleep!
9. What are the causes Of sleep,
3. Why should we awake?
The Signs Of Sleep.
Inactivity. If a man remains mo-
tionless on the lounge for three or
four hours, take it for granted that
he is asleep. If he should continue
in that motiOnless condition for three
or four days, should pronounce him
dead. III Christian does nothing for
Christ, he is asleep. If he persists
in his course Of uselessnesS, it Is a
fair presumption that he is no Chris
tan at all. Life will express itself.
"By their fruits We shall know them,
Insensibility to Slight Impressions.
If wished to learn whether man
were asleep. | would not fire can
non over him. Awake or asleep, he
: would be aroused by that. | would
, whisper to him or touch him gently.
The fact that you are startled by the
cannOn-boom of great crime Is no
Y proof that you are awake. But how are
! YOU affected by what the world calls
I little sins? DsObedence Of any kind
t makes the wide-awake Christian smart
9 with pain.
Ill.Directed Effort. People talk and
/. walk in their sleep, but 1t is all to nc
n Durpose. Their talk is incoherent
0 and their walk without aim. Whea
J. pastor and people, with all tfel'
h preaching and activities, have H.
t blessing, it is because they are
asleep
Causes of Sleep.
Inactivity. One is not apt to go II
10 sleep while he is moving about. (
it Christian active in winning souls VIII
s. not go to sleep. His activity will kee
q. him awake. Go to work. Exercis
to YOUR mental moral and splritua
Of limbs.
s.. Atmosphere. Certain climates pu
w. people to sleep. SO there are mora
ne and social atmospheres that seem t
ne he very good, but Christians who g
1g into them fall asleep. Prove to m
er that the atmosphere of the theater. tn
ne ballroom and the club are as goo
on as the prayer meeting; that hrs
hit class people go to these places; thu
". men and women whose characters al
above reproach patronize them; tn
fact remains that these good Peep
are as Christians, sound asleep. Inc
F. are not awake to winning souls, co
lot verting the heather, building up u
of church.
es- Why We Should Wake UP.
ne. It Is Harvest Time Christ locke
ley out upon the fields and declared tn
RS they were ripe. waiting for the sick
as To-day the fields are larger and Il
in grain just as ripe. Shame, shame
on, tbousandfold, on the Christian W
at. sleeps and takes his rest, while I
cry fields in which he might reap ma
e golden sheaves are all around him
mic. Il Is Time of War. and the EneT
rity Is Wide Awake. While we sleep, |
ire. citadels of truth are being taken U
lew very children are made captive by
his, enemy.
50" We Are Watchmen, Paced ny
Lord on the Walls to Give the PeoI
way Warning. Sleep is treason FOR
so nrivate soldier to fall to sleep IN
ced midst of battle is bad enough but
the sentinel on whom depends
safety Of the army to sleep at his p'
not is criminal. And donbiy criminal
mar, it when those we joye are IN dang
1esh father walked ont through the ne
ear with his little hrighteyed boy, and
-. down TO rest in an inviting shade.
fell asleep, while the child PLAYED
so the grass arouD! han. h1i on Ndh NJ,
a. !, couId not see tae boz. tie cali
,sed end only echo answered. Fra1
urn with dread. he rushed TO The a'se
rhey nrecipice. aud saw On the rocks o '5'