The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1912-02-15

this man called on his soul to wait
upon God.
The psalmist recognized within him.
self something TO which many arc
very indiferent-a soul that related
him to God. and differentiated him
from the brute creation. Whether
that which he recognized was In itself
immortal or only contained the pos
sibility OF immortality need not inter
est us now. but II was another self.
an alter ego. what some might call
the subllminal self. and which has In
those who have lived life OF pur'
poseful sin. been stlfed. and vet cries
n"urishment. and ultimate perfection.
II is not the imbecile who thinks OF
his soul. but II Is the man who recog-
nizes his true humanity. n YOU please:
as In this case. oftentimcs the man VI
Affairs. Of parts. Of high ambitions
And this man is frequently quite ont
OF patience with those who profess TO
be physicians OF the soul and yet
prescribe little or nothing that bene-
Ats the soul
Great statesmen financiers. railroad
magnates. inventors. artists. manu-.
facturers etc. when they go to
church. want soul food. something to
which the soul responds. A leading
lawyer recently said with reference -
the message that should be given
from the pulpit: 1T should come fr NJ
God. and should relate to the inner
life. II should be food for the soul"
definite: Wait thou only upon God I"
Here Is the recognition OF the cor.
relative to the soul. the spiritual God
This recognition was not OF an alb
stract idea. but OF a personality-it
gave no opportunity for quibbling and
doubling. There was no suggestion in
any little II" This man OF affairs
and great parts was not the only his
torical characterswho has thus thought
and acted. Some men may be like
Job and ask where they may find
God. but many others have had direct
spiritual God. they have seen him who
Is Invisible.
Can this not be said OF our three
martyr presidential OF Gladstone. OF
Bismarck. OF william OF Germany. OF
Justice Harlan? And as we glance
back over the past do We not have
Chinese Gordon. StonewalI Jackson.
oliver Cromwell. Gustavus Adolphus
Savonarola. Paul. David. Moses. Abra
ham and a host OF others? Granting
that these men waited on God. fer so
they all professed. their achievements
ale not an enigma.
What Is II TO wait on God. Is II not
keeping silence before him? Lot all
the earth keep silence before him ="
And such silence before God Is an es
sentiai element OF prayer. One has
recently said that prayer Is net the
claiming a hearing. II is giving a hear
Ing: II Is not speaking 20 God. It Is
listening TO God. II Is true that
Whatever Is best for me, my God will
bring TO me.
II I do only wait. and trust. and pray
whater seems dark to me. shall end Ii
light for me:
It's but the cleaning, which fore-runs
the day"
This waiting before God. to-. sus
gests a readiness to respond to the
call OF God as the old retainers would
respond To the call OF their iiege
lords. And was there ever a period
Of the history OF the race when the
likelihood OF e call was as great The
world is open to men spiritfiiled t. 60
TO the thousand million human being
who as yet do not know the true
God.
Another suggestion is that OF tarry
ing. How impatient We are! A man
must make his first millions IN ten
years OF business. Ten more millions
must be made In the next Ave years.
Who now tolls for the slow Increase
on an investment. except the man
who lacks the speed Of action OF to-
days tradingI And this Is largely
true of christian work-we will no,
work TO the limit and be patient as
long as the fruits do not fall into our
laps In great quantities. And how
impatient We are in trial! We will
not wait until God gets through his
process OF realizing for us our best.
until the purifying FIRE has burned
away our dross. And this waitiss on
God would not be honoring to him I'm,
less our waiting was with confident
expectation. The soul OF David would
mover have received a blessing IL he
had waited before God jndDsinx .
perhaps.