Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09
Fearing ann Doing.
Bp Reb. Jar. flopb 0N. Tomkins.

does it mean that | was born in Chris
| tan land. that / attend Sunday schoo
| and church. that i hive a Bible to read
and friends about me to help me? What
| do my blessings of health and youth and
| hopefulneSs and enthusiasm signify? Sure
! ly their value must be something more
than that suggested by my own personal
| pleasure and profit If l can hear the
| truths then the truth must have a mes
sage for me. If | can understand the
voice which speaks through my con-
| science my understanding must tell me
why that voice speaks Everything in
Gods world has and work. Ii
is part of our general education to find
out these varied uses and to make them
fulfill their purpose, and herein we note
the fascination of healthy living. / learn
may be friendly. / am warned of danger.
not only that 1 myself may escape
danger but that | may help others to
escape. Promises are made to me not
only that / may be urged to do right. hut
that ! may urge others to do right Hear
ing means doing, and If / do not act, then
my hearing is meaningless. useless a
call which is echoed back from a blank
wall. My faith is empty until it acts in
faithful service. My worship is form
until is makes all life sweeter and pur-
er. 1t is useless for me to build upon
the sand. my toll is for nothing. and l
lose not only my house, but my self re-
spect which ought to be based on sound
Judgment.
The question comes up. then, how can
translate my faith into life how can
do what | ought to do as a result
of my knowledge Let us make three
suggestions: First. / must begin at once
to practice that which | hear of truth.
If / learn from a sermon Sunday that
God wants me to be kind ! must begin
at once. when I leave church. to prac-
tice kindness. The message must begin
to bear fruit. If l read in Gods word
that / must not worry est Matthew,
6:25-34: St John. 14:D, l must begin
to fight against worry as sin. If
read that God is love. then / must act
as if He loved me and meet trouble
not as if il We're an enemy. but friend.
If it is true that no sermon is good for
any thing if it does not make the
hearers want to do better. 1T is also true
that no nearer is good for anything who
does not determine to do better. What
"A revolution of conduct would occur in
an average congregation If that were
carried out. What growth there would
be in the world if we all rose from
prayer with zeal to serve God, How
peaceful hearts would be if those who
hear Christ say, Peace | leave with
YOU" took the peace and were quiet in
spirit calm, happy. 1t is rather pitiful
to think how slow We are to apply at
once the wonderful words of life" A
week of practice is worth six weeks of
precept- That tract called The Deacon's
Week" is full of healthy truth.
SecoHu. must carry the truth TO
others. If / know the house is on fire 1
am criminally negligent not to notify the
people in the house. If l know that
Christ died for the world, then ] must
let the world know of the ransom pro-
vided. Missionary work is the logical
result of faith, and if faith does not lead
to missionary effort and prayer and gifts
then it is a dead faith How can we.
whose souls are lighted with wisdom
from on high. deny the lamp of life to
men benghted. To tell the old story is
a necessary result of hearing the old
story Those two sweet hymns always
go together. and / think the author, Kate
Hankey, meant that they should: Tell
me the old, old story and II love to
tell the story When Cornelius prayed
and gave aims he prepared the way for
Peters great sermon: and when Peter
was praying on the housetop the answer
to his prayers was knocking at the door