Arizona republican., 1910-02-28
NATURE CHRISTIANS
 BETTER FOR NURTURE
Need of Growth in Grace, Subject of
 Rev. Mr. Campbeirs Sermon.

Rev Henry Martyn Campbell, pas tor Of the First Presbyterian church, yesterday morning spoke on Growth in Grace" using as his text the first part of the eighteenth verse of the Second Eplstle of Peter. The follow ing is an outline of the discourse:
 ''l saw in my reading this week these words. Life equals nature plus nurture The writer illustrated his though by saying. Here is a sweet briar rose. that is nature; and here is an American Beauty rose. that is nurture We have people who are Christians by nature. they are the sweet briar Christians; and we have those who are Christians by nurture. they are the American Beauty Chris tians-large, growing bringing glory to the Lord Jesus Christ, aggressive and applying the truth of God. This text was suggested to me by the thought Of these who stood before us so re- gently and confessed their faith in the Lord Jesus. These words are splen- did advice For myself l haven't a desire that is greater than that ex- pressed in the words Grow in grace and for you. my dear people. there is nothing better that I can wish.
 We shall consider in our thoughts this morning the importance. or ne- cessity. of growth in grace, and how may we grow in grace.
 First. then. the importance of growing in grace. IL is necessarily backwards or forwards, for there is no standing still. That truth applies in almost every sphere. In the phy sical. mental, or spiritual world. there must be growth or there will be de cay. A tree that has not put forth leaves and blossomed after the time for that is past is dead. The branch broken off by the storm is dead. for il has no life apart from the trunk. IL is an unchangeable law of nature that the plant must grow or die. When We cease to grow physically. We begin to waste away. IL is equally true in the mental world. Here is q man who has just come from col lege; he stops his studying: in q few years he slips away back and mental decay has hold of him. There is no limit to what a trained memory can do. but good memory may become
 
 exercising it. We talk about the 'dead-lne' in the ministry and in pro- fessional life. the time when we must lay aside active duty. There may be q dead-lin if. and there need not be q dead line if If there comes q time when the mind is not made to grow. the dead-linc will he reached. but as long as that mind is growing. there is no deadilne. If you want the proof of it, l point you to the multi tude of old men with gray hair and Wrinkled brOwS who are standing in the forefront of every activity Of life today. Wonder are the members of the supreme court of the United States with their white hair. Why are they still allowed to carry their responsibilities? They are stiu stu dents and are still growinG.~. l know ! q man who has stood in the same pulpit for over fifty years and his | congregations are growing and not 1 falling off. He has been growing all | these years. On" concrete fact win | show il After he had passed his | three score years and five. he took mp 1 mastered. and made practical use of | stenosraphy. For snch a man there will be no deadlinc. IL is abundant | ly true that We must grow as spirit | nal heingS if we would not decay. To ! retain the faith that yoV have. you I must add tO your faith. It can not be l done in any other way In our text | the Apostle Peter was telling his peo- pie how to overcome temptation. He | said to them that the secret of it all | was wrapped up in the one thing. l Growth in Grace The child of God | is like q, rolling hoop. as long as he | goes on. he stands. up: when he stops, l he falls down. Are you growing? Are | you advancing? If you are not strong | CT in your faith today than you were !! last year, you are weaker. It is growth l or retrogression; it can not possibly | be otherwise"