The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1914-11-12
z>SATURDAY
k) NIGHT
1 SERMONS
BY
MSAMuElW .puRynll
SPIRITUAL MANHOOD.

! became a mani Cor. xiii. IL.
| have read that when whales were
getting scarce folks used to wonder
what the world would do for light.
Yon know what happened. Kerosene
came in and made IL brighter light than
the whale OIL The people then Won
dered if the oil wells should fail what
the world would do for artificial light.
Gas came in. and the Kerosene lamp
went to the scrap heap. Then came
electricity. and we who have the privi-
iege of touching button wonder how
folks fool with matches and gas The
Bible says Of the future. They need
no candles. neither light of the sun. for
the Lord giveth them light" That is
progression toward the light. 1t. isn't
sign of progress and growth simply to
acquire and heap up things. The usual
test of mans value is. How much
has he acquired? 1t isn't the New Tes-
lament test. BY that the disciples
were mighty poor and Christ didn't
get on at all Tie surest test of
progress may be the opposite. What
has he outgrown? As children grow
into manhood and woInnnhood they
throw away the helps and toys Of
childhood Paul said he outgrew child
ish speaking understanding. thinking
Childish Speaking.
1t Is interesting to hear men talk Of
their childhood. I've met men Of whom
it was difficult to conceive they were
ever boys: that they ran barefoot.
spun tops. played marbles. ran. jump
ed. wrestled: that they were ever
prankish. jocular, fun loving. We're
they always austere, dignified. wise?
Paul draws back the curtain. and we
see his childhood in Tarsus He re-
members how he talked Nothing
wrong with child talk know a great
judge who used to listen drowsily to
learned lawyers AT the dot Of ad.
iournment hour he would doff his
gown. mutter 1.-The fools" whlz off to
{, suburb where his grandchildren talk.
ed Of tick tocks." bow vows" moo
cows" and "choo choos." names that
We're limitations Of sounds and meant
more than lega! terms Deliver us
from childhood of extraordinary pre-.
cocity. little folks who lecture before
college faculties on the fourth dimen
sion or speak FIVE languages before
they are six. But it would he worse
CALAMITY to have a grown man talk of
childhood things In the language Of
childhood Folks would tap their fore
heads significantly. ''IIe Is childish :"
When old age brings enfeeblement of
faculties We say of mans drivel that
he is in second childhood. There is an
ocean Of difference however. between
being childish and ehildlike
Childish In Understanding.
Japanese have the art Of dwarfing
trees and shrubbery; Chinese women
dwarfed their children's feet; European
women have dwarfed their waists
I've seen men dwarfing their souls. but
It is also ptiful to see men dwarting
their mentality. had Il church mem
Der whose little child never grew men
tally or physically. Just lay there a
mass Of human clay. Then God the
| merciful took it. Nearly every day /
pass Il home for backward boys. /
stop to chat for moment. but | al
ways come away with a heavy heart
! meet lots of backward grown folks
hear their prejudice against men
who are of different race. nationality
Or religion. Men there are who pride
themselves on great national questions
financial. philosophical. literary-but
speak to them of God and great spir
itual truths and they are veritahle
ignoramuses The fresh CLEAN Of Gods
world is in the sky. but their faces are
turned earthward Women with the
glorious possibility of womanhoml
their understanding of diaphanons
dress. animal dances and skilful art OF
idling is great. but in church. mother
hood and domestic life : three God
sends to women-they are content with
kindergarten understanding The glori
Gus oak that was In the acorn npye,
got beyond sapling
Childish Thinking.
| talked with Il man recently who
thought 1t was sign of weakness to
become Christian, and his reasons
We're so puerile. tried to show him
that his refusal was sign of weak
hess rather than strength. AL through
his talk it was, Il think" Il think.
and he was putting his Ignorance