The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-24
W.JOHNSONO ON
KEEPING HEART PURE
Says Man Should Be Careful
of His Thoughts
is A DIFFICULT TASK
No Restraint on Imagination-Always
Peril in Empty Heart-Should
Fill 1t With Good-Heart the
Key to Situation
is A DIFFICULT TASK

Keep thy heart with all diligence, for
out of it are the issues of nfe."-Proverbs
4;23
from this text DR.. j. w. Johnson, pas
tor of the First Methodist church. last
night delivered an eloquent sermon, in
winch he stressed the value of keeping
the heart pure. Dr. Johnson pointed out
that the inner thoughts, imagination and
actions of the mind are not known out
side OF the brain of the man within whom
they are taking place. There is no re-
stra1nt placed upon the thoughts, and for
TINS reason imagination Is more apt to
run riot than things upon which restric-
tons are placed.
Or. Johnson S sermon in part follows:
Just as i'll your body the heart and
flesh is the center of the system of circu-
lation, sending the blood into every part
OF the body and giving vigor and life to
II, Just so Is your spiritual heart to your
slhi1tual beng. Just as your heart is the
center of your animal life. so is your spir-
itual heart-that out of which your
thought and spiritual activities grow, that
by which they are inspired-the common
head of your spiritual actions. Hence,
keep your heart with all diligence for out
OF 1T are the issues of life.
No Restraint on Thought
And why was the writer from whom
take my text so ANXIOUS that we
Keep our heart above everything else?
In the first place, he puts peculiar em-
| phasis upon this because 1t Is SO difficult.
All of our physical activities have re-
straints thrown around them. 1t is not
tue with our thoughts, Imagination, with
our inner life. You may be sitting in
your pew now thinking unworthy thoughts
OF someone. You may be harboring anger
n 20 TaCt
thousands of miles away. put the man or
woman in the pew beside you does not
know that, no one can see within that
mysterious inner realm, which shroudS our
life from the gaze of others
1t Is difficult because of the lack Of
restraint to guard our thoughts, imagn-
alton and motives. Sometimes we don't
realize just now difficult 1t is. All of
your happiness depends upon how you
that your happiness depends upon ma
terial things. When the sun Is shining
brightly and all is going well with
you, you are happy. l know also that
when the day is cloudy and things are
not running just right you are sad and
unhappy.
Happiness does not depend upon the
state or life. | think the most unhappy
man l ever knew lived in the most beau
tiful home l ever saw. He had every
thing he wanted in a material way, but
he was not happy. Something was lack
ing. The happiest man | ever Knew lived
in a little hut all alone and in the direst
poverty. His thoughts were happy ana
ne could not be otherwise.
There is a good that is eternally good,
and there is bad that Is eternally bad.
regardless of how we think OF it. For
TINS reason we should guard our hearts
that we may know that which is good and
that which is bad. We should also guard
our hearts because of the influence OF our
life depends upon the way we Keep our
hearts. Your doings and your sayings
depend upon what you are thinking and
desiring in your spiritual heart. out of
your heart, out OF your thoughts ana
your Imagination will come your words.
Heart Key to Situation
''The heart is the key to the situation.
OF course, right conduct is to be COM
mended, but let us begin at the foun-
tain; let us not begin in the stream; let
us go to the fountain head. for IL the
stream be corrupt the fountain head Is
corrupt.
How can we garrison our hearts? In
the first place, by constant watchfulness.
No man Is q real man who lacks self con-
troll. We should put forth In this effort
to live the right life all the energies that
God has given us. we SuOulu garrison
our hearts with fear. not to scare out evil
but to bring In good. We should plant
seeds of goodness in our hearts and cul-
tiyate them Your hearts Will rejoice
in such garden and will not be empty.
There is always peril in an empty
heart We should fill 1t with good. We
must fight the evil out and bring in good
to fill every place made vacant by the
going out of evil. 1t is the one weak
place In heart that is the ruin of a
life, of 1000 lives.
you are to garrison your heart by turn
ing it over to Jesus or by allowing Jesus
to come In. and take possession of 1t. All
of your good resolutions will sometimes
| come to naught unless Jesus Is in your
| heart You were not born child of the
devil; you were born a child of God. The
background of your life is not black with
| a few white spots here and there; 1t is
white with q few black spots here and
there You will never be happy until you
turn your heart over entirely to Jesus
| Christ"