The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-11-06
BEST Of EVERY LIFE
REMAINS UhREvEALED
We Got Only slight Vision Of INFINITE
Possibilities q Human Soul.
says Rov. y. W. Long.
MUST PUT HEART In ATTY WORK
touthssds Pastor breaches Eorcsdui
sermon Before Largo Congregation
In Cowardtn- Avenue Christian
Church


Having for his subject, The Hidden
Life" Rev. r. w. Long preached a
forceful sermon yesterday morning be-
fore q large congregation In Cowardin-
Avenue Christian Church. He said IN
part
THE true source OF life Is hidden.
The oak Is not dead in winter when
the leaves drop and the branches De-
come bare. It's work Is merely suspend :
eye In the root OF the treo Ii tnA'
propellins force We call Liza
In the animal world We IND the
same invisible force. Quickentng. am
mating. propelling the Different organs
In their various functions In man
this force reaches It's highest form.
because OF the union OF soul and body.
The more deeply this force II buried
In the Divine life the sweeter, richer
end fuller the human life becomes-
We cannot realize the full possibilities
OF life until we surrender all to our
Creator, allowing Him to shape. re-
fine and polish. The only difference
In tho marble and the statue 10 that
one is crude, untouched and the other
delicately. lovingly transformed under
the sculptor's hand.
Tho Creator wac not partial IN His
distribution OF gifts. The reason for
ore mans failure and anothers sue
ress rests with the man himself. You
ask why one merchant succeeds while
another with the same stock In the
same block fails. Both were mentally
able to carry on the business, but one
was more diligent than he other. The
erst merchant sought to win the favor
Of his customers by being courteous
and accommodating and seeking the
rood Of others The second looked
merely for the profit he might gain
In dollars and cents.
why does one farmer become rich
sn a farm which his predecessor was
forced to sell to pay the mortgage
Because he was interested N his work
and put a love and zeal into the SOW
ing and reapins. why does one poll
hcian win when another more brilliant
and eloquent tailsr Because people
want q Congressman who studies their
heed and devotes his time to the
etates' best interests
Put Services Into Church
why does one man receive more
Epiritual blessing than another. Be-
PAUSE he seeks more diligently for 1t.
The Christian that gets the most out
" the church lie the one who puts the
most love and service into n II IL
he one who follows away OF who
finds the church service cresome and
grumbles when asked TO let loose OF a
part Of the Lords money. You never
Ord the Christian who Is thoroughly
grounded and rooted IN Christ. OPP
posing anv plans which look TO the
ff5rtherance Of Gods King6orn. even
II Il may touch their pccketbook and
ctaaire the giving up OF some
coveted pleasures
Fhis spirit OF a3truisn and service
gs ta outward sign OF the v.talsztnv
-1a9e IT Christ IN the heart Outside
e. ala garden wall hung bunch OF
Eepae No root OF It was visible any,
ea4 and an who saw It wondered
',~~ grew. Bv invest tration II was
e7 erred thai the great vine from
ec1 his branch sprang grew inside
tr- zasaeu There II had an immense
rt pith a stem like the trunk OF a
srea This ore branch had pushed out
ore~ fhe wall Every Christian life IN
fhI% world 5 a branch OF q great vine
Which grows IN Heaven. IN all The
srissstudes OF life, IL Is sustained b.
rot understand.
4 scientist exploring the regto
about the Dead Sea discovered to h
surprise a verdant tree growing o.
the bank where no other vegetatior
could be seen He was amazed at SO
uncommon . eight and set to work
10 nnd out tho cause OF this phenon-
enon. He traced one Of tho roots
along a narrow neck OF water and
discovered that Il found It's vav to the
rich and fertile soil OF Palestine. We
see some people whose life seems to
be successful even In tho face OF 6reat
opposition ana by Investigation we
find that the secret Of this rich.
musical life Hes in the fact that they
draw their strength from Jesus Christ
Il matters not how difIacult the path.
or how sharp the sting OF adversely. II
we put our lives into Christ's hands
He viii blend the sorrows into Joys.
straighten out the tangled threads and
A. them into the rhythm OF the
Divine movement The man who has
II or long handicapped by things
around him.
B,ighsod With SIN.
AT the source of the Humboldt
River the waters are sluggish and I'm
pure, and OF no service After some
ten or twelve miles 1t sinks and flows
underground for a number Of miles
When 1t rises again its waters are
clear and pure and refreshing. Some
ives are oNghted with 61n ana no
use to the world. but through uplifting
influences they come under tho cleans
Ing, purifying power OF Christ and be-
come mighty forces for good.
Peter was rough and uncouth, I'M
pulsive and cowardly until his life
touched the Masters John 20 loved
the Master ana was 50 loved by Him
that he absorbed much OF HIS beauty
and purity. Mary caught this same
glory as she sat at the feet OF Jesus
And He stands ready TO take US into
this same nsarnesH. Every way In
opened unto God. and we have but
to reach out and lay hold Of the
Divine power.
Great things are being accom-
plished In the moral and spiritual
world. Missionaries are working with
superhuman power. In the present
chaos OF civilization. In the face OF
great obstacles they are trtumphing
because their lives are sustained, com
forted and blessed by being hidden in
Christ.
Joy Cannot Ec Measured.
This consecrated life, beautiful.
rich and full as 1t seems now, Is but
tinted with the real glory which shall
Good 1t in the life to come The 10Y
c:,A victory to follow cannot he