Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1911-04-20
| The Conditions
of Discipleship
By REV. n. n TIMM0NS
P..ss~ w.,hs.sson Street Meshsdiss
CAsrxh. bssstsn. TsxAs

TENTH any man will Be- my Disciple.
i~t him take AZ his crus- and follow me
Matthew is.4
Jesus Is a great teacher and seeks
70 impart unto his followers funda.
mental truth. Il is Of utmost I'm
portance that men have a correct con
csptiOn OF Jesus Christ himself Hence
the question be asked the twelve In
the beginning Of this chapter. Whom
do men say that the son OF man.
am" What the world thinks Of him
Is important. but he had a more per
sonal question to ask: Whom do ye
say that I am" Then Peter speaking
as the father gave him utterance.
said. Thou are Christ. the son OF the
living Cod This is the basic fact Of
Christianity
Notwithstanding Peter gave utter
ance TO this great truth. the master in
a short while administers to him the
sternest rebuke that be ever admin
istered to any follower OF his.
He then proceeds TO outline the con
ditions Of discipleship. If any man
will The highest expression OF re-
ltgion Is not to be found In reason
Our conclusions cannot be infallible,
because they are the result OF train
ing. and. in some Instances. condi-
tons. Yet we should cultivate this
faculty. The master never put a pre-
MUM upon ignorance He desires IN
teiligent as well as faithful service.
Neither Is the highest expression Of
religion found in emotion. though this
is an important part OF our natures.
Strong men sometimes disparage emo
ton. The emotions are productive OF
great good and much happiness. but
they cannot be depended upon as final
in religious expression.
But the highest expression OF -
ligion is TO be found in the hunaa
will. Christ is not concerned about
who IS able. for he has made II pos
sible for every man 10 inherit eternal
life. But he Is vastly concerned about
who will One has said that the nor
NAL man Is twothirds will and one
third intellect The intellect is the
she'll. the will is the powder within
the shell that gives 1t its force and
power. The feelings are the waves
thrown of from the side Of great
ship. the will Is the rudder under
meath. unseen. yet all important.
People who are governed entirely
by their emotions are hard TO handle
and make most OF the trouble in any
sphere. A great locomotive can draw
a large number OF empty cars, but
they make a great deal OF noise and
Il is difficult TO keep them on the
track. It is necessary for the church
10 pull a great many empties. but
they are noisy and unstable Religion
Is not the extinction Of the will When
We say Thy will be done" it does not
mean the destruction. but the develop
nent OF our viii 70 the point where #
coircides with the will OF God Hugh
Price Hughes has given an admirable
definition Of sanctiacation. He says;
1T Is a supreme desire not 10 vant 70
have our own way"
Let him deny himself This means
vastly more than physical self-deniaI.
There Is often a species OF selfshness
in self-denial Men become recluses
when they could be useful
Ages ago certain classes OF men
thought they had found the secret Of
a holy life They shut themselves up
in monastsries al large They learned
what We learn today. than th1Hreat-
est temptations are not the ones that
come from without. but the ones that
come from within. The strong man
fortines himself against the enemy
that can be seen. then falls before the
one that steals upon him from within
his own life
And take up his cross This in
dieates positive life We are not
told TO fall under the weight of the
cross. but 10 bear up under II. We
are not TO be passive. inactive men
under difficulties but men OF victory.
Victory was never won excel. by az
zressiyeness. The man Of action. even
though the action be not always com
uendable. is more honored than the
man who has the courage to act az
I all Every persons cross is not the
same. but crosses there will be in
every life. It's the power to bear the
+ cross and not TO let the cross bear US
/ that determines the character Of our
diseipleship-
And follow me- Christianity il
not code OF laws Rules cannot be
made for every future condition OF
life Instead Of it being obedience to
rules and regulations IL Is a life to be
lived fun and sJrious In accordance
with the will Of God. which Is revealed
unto Us. II We are willing We shall
know Of the doctrine
Except ye become as little children
ys shall IN nowise enter the kingdom. =
TIE master does not mean for Us 10
become pusrfIe and childish II ever
strong men were needed TO do the
work that God wants done, that time
Is now
What he wants Is that We shall have
the spirit Of teachableness We find in
the child TIE child realizing its lack
Of krowledze seeks to learn. We ara
20 have the same spirit with reference
70 religion. The spirit OF God will NOT
leave the willing mind in darkness
Finally Christian character Is No,
so much an attainment as IL IA a
growth At the last II will no, he
& -