The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-01-26

~ 49, 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, / have no
calf" Have you forgotten that when
you accepted Christ this was incind.
ed among the items for your consid-
Grafton? You have passed 1t by. II.
in the church where you are a mem.
Der "a notice was read from the pul.
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 attend? 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 ID
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,
ment for service. one can rIghtfully
excuse himself, for when he accepts
the benefits Of the salvation of Christ
he thereby obligates himself to obe-
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 run
away, but larry until your conviction
has become settled, for 1t 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 Wig
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
your Public sentiment, however,
seems to have laid this responsibility
only upon those who go as mission
aries.
Dare you say that It is not really
necessary for every Christian to OBJ
tain from God a conviction as to what
he should do with his life. The logl.
clan will at once take the words from
your lips and declare 1t is then not
necessary for any Christian. Wisdom,
like water. floats everything on d
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. leay.
ing all Christians on an even footing.
and each responsible before God for
his share Of the evangelization OF the
world.
Public sentiment has poisoned the
atmosphere with so much anti.mtsston.
airy sentiment that many children
have grown up with no little prejudice
against becoming missionaries. When
a person does go from a commmunity
these children see SO many tears and
hear so many words of regret they
feel that going to be a missionary IA !
misfortune. This adds very material
ly to the difficulty God encounters In
human Wills in trying to secure cbs-
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 lore for the heather
will ba entertained and a conviction
of personal obligation can be possi.
BILE.
Crushing such a conviction OF per.
sonal responsibility 10 take the Coz
pei to the heather, ia a spiritual
crime. 1t affects every spiritual
nerve Just as girdllng a tree affects
every branch and Leaf. The one who
disobeys his call to the foreign field
finds himself strangely paraIyzed in
his work here at home, especially in
his pleas for foreign missions, He
dare not urge others to 20 when he re-
fused; his prayers seem to turn back
in his own heart; his solicitations for
money mock him and even though be
force himself to maintain his interest
as a conscience balm. yet the pressure
OF having refused a Divine cali and OF
having left the heather to perish in
sin, sooner or later viii complete his
paralysis in missionary service.
The question Of today is not. sryvill
you be a missionary" but will D
present yourself before God for ap-
pointment to any work. to any field;
wherever he knows you can do your
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