Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-02-11

SE 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
call?' Have you forgotten that when
you accepted Christ this was includ-
ed among the items for your consid-
GRAFTON? You have passed it by. If,
in the church where you are a mem
Der "a notice was read from the pull
pit inviting every member to attend
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
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 is
| a 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 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 run
! away. but tarry until your conviction
has become settled, for it is this Di-
vine conviction which constitutes
, Gods call. Many have committed spir-
itual suicide by Fastening away with
! some impulsiye conclusion before God
' had chance to speak. Such people
T. 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 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 logi-
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 win sing to the bottom, leav-
| 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-mission-
! airy sentiment that many children
have grown up with no little prejudice
against becoming missionaries. When
a person does go from community
| these children see so many tears and
| hear SO many words of regret thew
| 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
J dience in enough of his children 10
evangelize the world in this genera
ton All this prejudice and bitter
| ness must be worked out Of the mind.
and transformation wrought, before
sympathy and love for the heather
: will be entertained and a conviction
{ of personal obligation can be posi-
BILE.
/ Crushing such a conviction of per-
| sonal responsibility to take the Cos
pei to the heather, is spiritual
. crime. 1t affects every spiritual
nerve just as girdling tree affects
j every branch and leaf. The one who
disobeys his call to the foreign field
finds himself strangely paralyzed in
his work here at home, especially in
! his pleas for foreign missions
The question of today is not, will
you be a missionary" but will you
present yourself before God for APP
pointment to any work. to any field:
wherever he knows you can 40 your
best life work?
Father Vaughn recently declared