The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1913-02-14
knew to be right, with the assurance
that bar influence with islf husband

1
driftAd along until the growth OF hel
lchildren increased her sense OF the
mothers responsibility to the point
Of constraining her To confess Christ
for the sake OF her example to her
children. A day or so after the
communion service at which she
was admitted into the church, the
pastor called on the husband to tell
him how glad he was to have the
wife unite with the church. The
man turned in his office chair with
energy and said in substance: 1
am surprised at my wife. She
talked about uniting with the church
but | suppo ed it was a bluff Oc'
casiobalIy | asked her to go to the
theatre with me on prayer-meeting
night, just to see what she would
do, and she always went with me.
She might have suggested going
some other night, as she wanted to
go to meeting. but she never did.
| confess that | feel rather lonely,
and I do not like it " An appoint
ment was made for a talk. The
very next communion he. united
with the church. That wife in
creased her influence five-fold by
being true to her own soul and to
her Lord.
Another class is made up of those
who feel that their inconsistencies
may prove stumbling block to
others, and therefore belle le, more
or less honestly, that it is better
not t. unite with the church.
1t is true that inconsistencies hurt
the cause of Christ; but the church
is made up of only imperfect people
who believe and hope in Saviour
of sinners and are united together
in obedience to his will, to secure
the benefits of union and commun-
ion organization for the spread of
his cause in the world The Apos
tie Paul has given us a striking
on the particular point in
Phil 3:12 Ia There he speaks of
to ''appreh nd that for
chich also he is apprehend Of
Christ, " The noun of this verb is
apprentice" and Paul asserts in
The whole spirit Of the passage th't
The Christian is an apprentice
Think what this means Imagine
one who is thinking of becoming an
hesitating because he
fears he might make some mistake
Or because there are some things he
does not yet know! OF course he
will make mistakes and will need Z
to learn many things; but he also
knows the very best way to make
toward mastery is to begin
MS apprenticeship at once, for his
nope is in his master. who : eyer 4
'eady to help ard teach and en-
ourage and guide. Just so is t
With the Christian. His apprentice
S under Christ as his master.
Trusting and obeying him day hv
lay is the certain way to become
more and more masterful.
Another class of people who are
more numerous than one might
hink are those who only need an
Encouraging word to tip the balance
or decision. The writer knew two .
.hurchgoers, regular in attendance
It service, with their children in the
sunday School, intelligent and cul-
ured people but not confessing
Christians. The message of the ,
pulpit did not suffice to stir them .
rom the inertia Of indecision. One
lay it was evident that the sermon
lad struck home. After the service
he pastor went to the pew and
made an appointment to call to talk
bout uniting with the church. On '
he was informed that the +
ecision had been made. They I
My waited for a deciding word.
low suggestive is The phrase of
'aul,' I'VE persuade men. p
daily Bible.