Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1912-08-09


human nature is precisely the same to-
day as it was 1000 years ago. 1t 10
thoroughly selfish and sinful. and
nothing but the grace Of God can
make It otherwise. John 31S. IS; !
Cor. 2:14; Eph. 4:1S)
No matter how amiable and hon
orable and public-spirited a man may
be. without Christ he is lost and needs
to be saved. He that hath the Son
hath life, and he that hath not the Son
Of God hath not life;" that Is, he is
spiritually dead
ii. Remember that the Lord Jesus
will save some souls through you If
you win cooperate with him. You
have some gifts and more or less In
fiuence. II you win consecrate your
gifts and influence to the service Of
Christ, he viii certainly use them to
win some of your friends to himself.
While Jesus was in the world he was
the light of the world, but now that he
has gone, "Ye are the light Of the
world" and your mission is to so
shine as to guide others out OF dark
ness into the marvellous light Of God.
III. Remember that Jesus viii fur
nish all the equipment you need. Do
you lack wisdom? Il win give you a
mouth and wisdom which sll your ad-
versaries shall not be able to gainsay
or resist" Do you lack courage? "Be
strong and Of a good courage; be not
afraid. neither be thou dismayed: for
the Lord thy God is with thee with
ersoever thou goest" Josh. 1:9) Do
you lack power? "All power Is given
unto me In heaven and earth" Matt.
28:1S.) Do you lack faith? THE
life which now live In the flesh, I
live by the faith Of the Son Of God.
who loved me. and gave himself for
me-" Jeremiah said. "Ah. Lord Godi
behold. cannot speak; for ! am a
child" But the Lord said unto him.
Say not am child. for thou shalt
go to all that I shall send thee. and
whatsoever command thee thou
shalt speak" Remember that all your
inexperience and inability amount TO
nothing In the face of the Masters
express command, Follow me, and
win make you fishers Of men,"
Three Things 70 %.
I. Set the winning Of souls before
you as definite aim In life.
An aimless life is generally use
less life. The people who succeed are
usually those who set definite object
before them and say, This one thing
will do, whatever the cost may be-"
The men who accumulate fortunes.
who secure political appointments, as
a rule. are people who have been
bending all their energies IN one direc-
ton for many years. Why should not
Christians set the winning Of souls
before them as a definite purpose IN
life? And who is there who could not
succeed II he would put the same
amount Of thought and interest into
II that he does into HIS business? No
one expects to succeed IN business
without toll and patience and sacri-
nee.
II. Cultivate passion for souls
David Brainerd, whose biography
ought to be read often by every Chris
tian worker, used to say: Il care not
where 60. nor what hardships I en-
dure, II can only see souls saved.
All think Of by day and dream Of
by night Is the conversion Of men"
Often he would go out into the for.
est In rnid-winter and kneel down In
the snow and wrestle in prayer until
his clothing was wet with Precipitation.
Many time he spent the whole night
In prayer for the poor Indians among
whom he labored, and In almost every
such instance. one win find in his
diary two or three days after some
such entry as this: To-day as I
preached the word, the power Of God
came down upon those stolid, immov-
able Indians, and melted and broke
their hearts, and swept them into the
kingdom by scores"
II any one says: Il have not the
passion for souls am cold and un-
emotional, let me say for your com
fort that It Is not a question Of what
you are by nature. but Of what you
may become by grace. The Lord Jesus
was tender and sympathetic, was he
not7 Well, It is the mission of the
Holy Spirit to reproduce in you the
life Of the Lord Jesus in all fits full
ness. not only his principles, but the
veritable feelings Of Jesus, his tender
compassion. and boundless love, and
heaven-moving faith All this is your
birthright
Ill Begin and continue sll your
work with prayer. Pray for air men.
q Tim. 2:1-4) Il exhort, therefore.
that prayers. Intersections. and giving
of thanks be made for all men" One
advantage for praying daily for each
man, woman and child on the face Of
the earth IL. that you never meet q
person whom You have not prayed for.
and many times
II Is good plan to make q list of
half dozen Of more persons In whom
you are especially interested. and
make them an object Of daily inter.
cession, at the same time looking for
their conversion. A Sunday school
teacher who began praying for his