The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-12-29
COUNTRY CHURJH COLUMN
(By John Beverly Jones)
NOTHING CHEAP

be perfect.
II Is the employment of some peo-
pie to raise stock and grain, 1t is the
aim of many people to live life, of
some to live good life and of few
others to live the best life.
Jehovah is running this universe,
not for the purpose of making men,
nor reasonably good men. but the best
men--perfect men. There is nothing
cheap about this aim. When we go in
to the orchard to select fruit for the
winter, we do not select apples but the
best apples. Some trees we pass by
and others we climb into, for we are
not hunting flavor but the best flavor
We Gull them with great care for we
want them without spot and without
on the statute books Of the State of
Ohio a law compelling every man who
owns ten fruit trees to spray them;
they think 1t is time for Ohio to aim
at producing the best fruit. There is
nDthing cheap about that.
The Normans and the Belgians are
turning the sod of the plains where
once the Mustang roamed and the blue
grass thoroughbred is travelling where
once he trod. The spawned horse is
kept In the back stall on show day,
never goes to the county fair and gets
but few bids on the block. People are
wise In their own generation, the best
is none too good and the call for the
perfect has come to stay.
1t is said New York multi-million-
aire offered his doctor seven hundred
and fifty thousand dollars If he would
give him as good stomach as that
OF his brother who lived on farm and
who could eat ham and eggs, sauer-
kraut and old fashioned buckwheat
cakes every morning for breakfast.
There Is nothing cheap about perfect
digestive system and no man is salts
lied with less. When the rheumatism
nestles. In our muscles or strikes a
claim near the sciatica nerve, we take
every conceivable concoction, roast
our feet, hire somebody to rub us and
when these all fail go off to the hot
springs and pay our good money to
have II swated out. We dicker with
everybody else, but when we get sick
we send for the doctor and let him set
the price. Most of us are glad to ride
behind horse but we want the doctor
10 come In his auto, we'd take him by
telephone II we could get him. We
want perfect body, we can't have 1t,
The longer we own 1t the less perfect it
becomes, but we want it just the same
There Is nothing cheap about a per-
feet body and that man who has II to-
day Is infinitely richer than the one
who has squandered his health for
big bank account or n good time In
violation of the moral law.
You may have been surprised when
you read the text, know you are not
now. They are not my words but the
words Of Jesus Christ, Gods ambassa-
dur to men and of Him he said This
Is my we'll beloved Son hear ye him"
You would not thank me to sell you
piano short one string, nor a buggy
with n crack In the axle, nor horse
with curb on his leg, no never, and
sou are not slow In telling the sales
man that you want them perfect. The
Creator asks nothing less. He has
trouble enough with people with wrong
motives and sinful tendencies and
was therefore wise In giving us bodies
sabject To the law of gravity, thus
corraliing us on one planet, without
the privileges Of wandering through |
the universe. Only the perfect will he |
trust and turn loose In his kingdom. |
You may object because his mum.
bers are likely to be few. but remem-
Dor he is not after quantity but quail. |
~. II does not seem to worry the |
Lord In the least that million acorns
fall To the ground before one natures |
into an oak tree. Even the gold hunt. |
er prefers to come home empty handed |
Tathcr than pack around a worthless |
&old, tried, perfect
You may not think He Is getting his |
treasure very fast and will not stop
70 Disagree with you. but with him |
q day iB as thousand years and |
thousand years as a day. the least Of |
his troubles is speed He is the en-
bodiment OF patience and seems to
have plenty of time to get what he
wants. He isn't put to the trouble OF |
saking what he doesn't want because
he cant get what he does, only poor
weak mortals h0bble along that way.
Did you say you thought that when |
'Jeaus gave us this text he was plac.
ang big task before us? For your
sake he dared not make II less. The
father takes the new born babe from
tho nurses hands; he listens to hear
Il cry. he speaks to see II turn It's
head. he waves his hand before its