River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-01-25


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 1t by. If,
in the church where you are mem
Der "a notice was read from the pull
pit inviting every member to attend
a social the following evening, would
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 is
most natural one. When person
is converted, God would have him
come to the bureau of divine commits
s1ons and there receive his appoint
ment for service. one can rightfuliy
excuse himself for when he accepts
the benefits of the salvation of Christ
he thereby obligates himself to ODE
d1ence in the service of Christ.
God could not have 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 impulsive conclusion before God
had chance to speak Such people
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 ana 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 1t is not really
necessary for every Christian to OBJ.
tain from God conviction as to what
he should do with his life. The logi.
clan will at once take the words from
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 will 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 tie
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 a community
these children see so many tears and
hear so many words of regret they
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 obe.
dience in enough of his children to
evangelize the world in tnfs 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-.
ble
Crushing such a conviction of per.
sona1 responsibility 20 take the Cos.
pei to the heather, is spiritual
crime. 1t affects every spiritual
nerve just as girdIing a tree affects
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. He
dare not urge others to go when he re.
fused; his prayers seem to turn back
in his own heart; his solicitations for
money mock him and even though he
force himself to maintain his interes,
az a conscience balm, yet the pressure
OF having refused Divine call 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, .'Wiu
you be missionary but will you
present yourself before God for an.
pointment to any work, to any field.
wherever he knows you can do your
best life work?