Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-03-12

out Christ, and what is there left for
US? Culture and noble ideals will
not do. Sonorous words and Emer-
sonian maxims will not wake the
dead. You may as we'll string your
lighted fairy-lamps across your gar
den, and expect the seeds in the earth
to germinate, as expect to awake dead
souls by reiterating Emersonian max
inns and high ideals.
We cannot do without the Naza-
rene. 1t is not enough to do Christian
work merely, but in the doing of it
we have to present Christ and allow
Him to work. Il, If be lifted up,
will draw all men unto Me-" That is
where the magnetism centres-not in
my work which resembles the Lord S,
but in the Lord Himself. BY our
labor we can warm the surface, but
we cannot warm through or kindle
the flame that shall trans6Eure the
heart. 1t is beautiful to be used in
the service of our fellows; but we are
playing with mighty problem if we
think this is sufficient. Men are in
need of high ideals. but they are in
greater need of the Saviour. Apart
from Him, everything else acts like
an opiate, and benumbs the sleeper
into deeper slumber. If the sleeper
is to be aroused. we have got to
preach Christ.
The second human ministry to be
used In the perfecting of men is the
education of the conscience, warn
ing every man and teaching every
man In all wisdom" This warning
and teaching follow the awakening.
We need the Christ to awaken the
sleeper, and then we have SO to edu-
cate him when he is awake that he
will have an ever-increasing sense Of
duty and a more exquisite feeling re-
garding what is right and wrong.
According to my Interpretation OF
the teaching of Jesus Christ, the
progress of Christian Lying is always
in the direction Of keener discern
ment of the trif1e. Wegrow bigger men
IN Christ when things that have never
been needed by us come into view.
tribes, when all the little things ara
just like illumined lamps along the
way-When not only the great crises
but the tiny commonplaces are beau
tified-thsn we become big. It is
in the direction Of the discernment of
the simple, the inclusion of the trif1e,
that Christian growth proceeds. So
when a man is awake we have got to
educate bis conscience and his moral
and spiritual perceptions until he can
hear the faintest call Of duty even
along q commonplace road.
the third human means whereby
men will be perfected is the ministry
Of sacrificial toll. "Whereunto
labor, striving according to his work
ing, which wcrketh in me nightly.
| There is no English word which
brings out the meaning Of "labor" as
used here. In John 4, where Jesus
meets the woman of Samaria, He
| "being wearied with His journey, sal
on the WE'LL" This is the word trans.
lated here, as if the apostle said, =
labor and share the WEAKNESS o.
Jesus" 1t is laboring to the poin
of fatigue, to the loss Of blood. Mel
will be perfected through some labor
| ing till they are spent. It is takin;
your thought and giving it to tn
| thoughtless, taking your strength an
| giving it to the strengthless. It /
| the morally and spiritually health
taking their blood to the morally an
spiritually anaemic. It includes th
provision of decent houses, the ap
portionment Of q fair days labor
the removal of every fence and bar
rier along legitimate roads, tn
smashing Of every paddock whic1
holds the soul in unholy bondage.
But to give a man a better hous
ard render him like service in othe
things is no more giving him Chris
than a free library is Mr.. Carnegie
It may be Christian work, but it ]
not Christ. 1t is chiva1rous work, bu
it is no substitute for Him. I woul
not class such services among thing
secular. I would keep them With
the palace, but would not allow thel
to have the throne. When you hav
given a man a better home end hav
placed a garden round his house, 70
tnaye only prepared the way of tn
Lord-the King has yet TO come.
Yeg 1a hsys uead got to p Rraaah 1e SHS
conscience when he is awake, to d.
vote your energies in sacrificial to
to the removal of all hindrances to
mans moral and spiritual progress
Let US not forget to see to ou
selves. Even the reformer needs II
Saviour; and the crusader needs II
Christ. Even the best worker
this mission will falter and fail u
less he be sustained. "Be thou falt
ful INTO death, aud I will give tn
a crown CT life" The promise appll
row. It is as if the Lord said to u
| Look after thy fidelity and | W
, 1onk after thy vitality" It is n
when the warfare is over that / shs
; want my crown; the Lord waits
: crown me now.
r Then preach Jesus, educate ana
= fna the conscience, give your bloc
! aEvary man, perfect make tn
= vour aim. Confront everybody WI
! that purpose in your mind, and
: in everybody the possibility OF p'
lection in Christ. Live for this; sr'
$ old for this; die for this.
@ l Soldiers of Christ, arise,
o And put your armor on:
n | Strong in the strength which God SUPP
= ] Through His eternal Son.