The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-03-20

MI conflict Of reason
ing and excuse
making, all of which silently but
surely test the solidity Of the hearts
conservation.
You may ask, After all, why should
this question trouble me. I have no
calf" Have you forgotten that when
you accepted Christ this was includ-
ed among the items for your consid'
Grafton? You have passed 1t by. If,
In the church where you are a mem
Der a notice was read from the pull
pit inviting every member To attend
a social the following evening, would
you be foolish enough to afterward
insist that you had received no In
vitation and refuse to attend2 The
opposite would be the rule, for any
candidate for membership, expecting
to unite soon, would expect such a
purpose sufficient ground to entitle
him to be present. Thus your church
membership and mine involves our
responce to the call Of the Great
Commission.
The plan Of God for appointing and
directing the work Of his children Ia
q most natural one. When a person
Is converted, God would have him
come to the bureau Of divine commits
sions and there receive his appoint
m ont fnH onru{oo mo rnn rt0hfflIlV
excuse himself, for when he accepts
the benefits Of the salvation Of Christ
be thereby obligates himself to ODE
dience in the service Of Christ
God could not have a book on earth
containing all the names Of Christians
throughout the age and giving the
life work of each; for our free agency
would then be lost. God chose the
better plan: to have each child come
to him in prayer and talk his life
work over Do not ask, and rm
away, but tarry until your conviction
has become settled, for It Is this d.
vine conviction which constitutes
Gods call. Many have committed spir.
itual suicide by Fastening away with
some impulsive conclusion before God
had a chance to speak. Such people
have often wondered why they make
shipwreck in their faith life or why
spiritual things seem closed to them.
1t is no mystery. Divine teaching and
guidance are given only to those who
follow closely the instruction Of the
Teacher In Gods school of learning.
Deception and delusion always follow
self-will in gaining spiritual things.
Every Christian should therefore def.
nitely present himself before God for
the assignment to his life work. Have
you? Public sentiment, however,
seems to have laid this responsibility
only upon those who go az mission
aries.
Dare you say that 1t Is not really
necessary for every Christian to OBJ,
tain from God a conviction as to what
he should do with his life. The logi-
clan will at once take the words from
your lips and declare it Is then not
necessary for any Christian. Wisdom,
like water. floats everything on a
level surface. Bring these false the
cries concerning missionary work be.
fore your better judgment, and &c.
clesiastical distinctions and privileged
classes will sing to the bottom, leav.
ing all Christians on an even footing.
and each responsible before God for
his share Of the evangellzation Of the
world.
Public sentiment has poisoned the
atmosphere with 80 much anti-mission.
airy sentiment that many children
have grown up with no little prejudice
against becoming missionaries. When
q person does go from a community
these children see so many tears and
hear 30 many words OF regret they
feel that going to be a missionary is a
misfortune, This adds very material.
ly to the difficulty God encounters In
human Wills in trying to secure ODE
dience in enough Of his children to
evangelize the world In this genera.
ton. All this prejudice and bitter,
ness must be worked out Of the mind,
and a transformation wrought, before
sympathy and low for the heather
will be e%ntertaine and a conviction
Of personal obligation can be posi-
Bile.
Crushing such q conviction of per
sonal responsibility to take the Cos.
pel to the heather, Is a spiritual
crime. 1t affects every spiritual
nerve just as glrdling a tree affects
every branch and leaf. The one who
disobeys his call to the foreign field
finds himself strangely p%aralyzed in
his work here at home, especially In
his pleas for foreign missions.
The question of today is not, viii
VOL be a missionary" but will you
present yourself before God for ap
pointment to any work, to any field;
wherever he knows you can do your
best life work?