Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1908-06-11

chapter Israel is trying TO wake up
| Jehovah. Awake, awake; put on
strength, o arm of the Lord" The
words of our text Is Gods answer
to that prayer. Awake, awake; put
on thy strength. o Zion" Wake up
yourself" says the Lord. Il am not
asleep. No attribute OF mine needs
repuse. am ready, willing, waiting
to exert my power, whenever you full.
al the conditions I have imposed"
We have not by prayer or excrtion TO
induce God TO bless us But prayer
and exertion God requires for our
good II would be no kindness in him
To bless sleeping Christians. They
would not know It, II he did. Let us
inquire:
/. What are the signs Of sleep?
2. What are the causes Of sleep?
3. Why should we awake?
The Signs OF Sleep.
Inactivity. II man remains mo-
tionless on the lounge for three or
four hours, take II for granted that
he is asleep. II he should continue
in that motionless condition for three
or four days. should pronounce him
dead. II a Christian does nothing for
Christ, he is asleep. II he persists
In his course Of uselessness, 1t is n
fair presumption that he is no Chris.
tian at all Life will express itself.
by their fruits ye shall know them"
Insensibility to Slight Impressions.
II | wished to learn whether n man
were asleep, would not fire a 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
proof that you are awake. But how are
you affected by what the world calls
little sins? Disobedience OF any kind
makes the wide-awake Christian smart
with pain.
nl.Directed Effort. People talk and
walk in their sleep, but II is all to no
purpose. Their talk is incoherent,
and their walk without aim. When
pastor and people, with all their
preaching and activities, have no
blessing, II is because they are
asleep.
| NoubCb " SlSNPs
Inactivity. One is not apt to go TO
sleep while he is moving about A
Christian active in winning souls will
not go TO sleep. His activity will keep
him awake. Go 10 work. Exercise
your mental, moral and spiritual
limbs.
Atmosphere. Certain climates put
people to sleep. So there are moral
and social atmospheres that seem 10
be very good, but Christians who go
into them fall asleep. Prove to me
that the atmosphere OF the theater the
ballroom and the club are az good
as the prayer meeting; that first
class people go to these places: that
men and women whose characters are
above reproach patronise them; the
tact remains that these good people
are, as Christians. sound asleep. They
are not awake to winning souls, con
verting the heather, building up this
church.
Why We Should Wake Up.
II Is Harvest Time. Christ looked
, out upon the fields and declared thai
they were ripe. waiting for the sickle
. To-day the fields are larger and the
grain Just as ripe. Shame, shame, {
thousS ndfold, on the Christian whC
. sleeps and takes his rest, while tbs
Helds In which he might reap many
colder sheayes are all around him.
, II Is Time OF War. and the Enemy
} Is Wide Awake. While we sleep, the
citadels OF truth are being taken. Oul
; | ,klaARnty Al h,sN la
enemy.
. We Are Watchmen. Placed by III,
Lord on the Walls TO Give the Peopl,
: Warning. Sleep is treason. For thu
private soldier to fall to sleep In tn,
| midst OF battle Is bad enough, but To-
. the sentinel on whom depends thu
safety OF the army to sleep at his pos
Is criminal. And doubly criminal Il
! Il, when those we love are in danger
I A father walked out through the field
with his little bright.eyed boy. and la!
. down TO rest in an inviting shade. III,
fell asleep, while the child played II
! the grass around him. But on waking
} be could not see the boy. He called
} and only echo answered Frantic
with dread. he rushed to the edge OF |
} precipice. and saw on the rocks below
the mangled form OF his darling child
. Could he ever forgive himself for sleep
ing. when he ought to have known tn,
nearnesa OF the danger? Father
, mother. that may be your portrait. AR
; you at ease In your mind. sound asleep
while your children are sporting on TIL
: cage Of the precipice OF inndslity
! drunkenness. or worse? Wake sp