Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1916-09-20
MANS DUTY plain
God Has Bestowed on All the
Privilege of Helping Souls
TO Him.

"And as thy servant was busy here
and there, he was gone."-1 Kings
2O:40.
These words are taken from an Old
Testament parable. The prophet who
used them had disguised both him
self ard his purpose. He appeared
| before the monarch with mask OF
ashes upon his face and with mask
of uncertainty upon his words. In
deed the prophet disguised himself
so thoroughly that the world has
never found out who he was; he also
| disguised his words so that their first
| import is by no means plain. But,
| lifting them out Of their immediate
connection, we shall quickly find some
application for ourselves and for our
present work.
There are several things that ap-
pear at once on the surface Of the
story. A man had been made respon-
sible for the keeping of another; this
responsibility had been imposed by
" stated he had failed of his trust;
when he came to himself he looked
about and found that his prisoner had
fled; certain disasters and penalties
followed upon his negligence. All
these points, which do no violence to
the ancient meaning, may well be tit
ted into a parable Of the Christian
life. Without further explanation we
shall seek for the lessons of the SIM
pie word.
"First, then, we have been made
responsible for the reaching and
keeping of the souls of men for
higher authority-God himself. 1t Is
difficult for US to realize the full i'm
port of such suggestion. Perhaps
at times we have wished that God had
put us in a world of relations and
had still left us without responsibility
for others. But in our better mo-
ments we feel the goodness Of the
ties that bind us to men, and we glory
in the divine partnership that our hu-
man help fairly implies. In his ways
God has put US in each others keep
ing.
Bringing Men to God,
1t may not always be easy to say
Just where human influence ends and
the divine calling comes in; not pos
sible to say just where the free will
of the other man takes up our work
and completes it by his own loving sur
render; but that God gives us the fear
full privilege of bringing men to him
there can be no doubt. In the Chris
tan view, every man must appear to
us us candidate for the divine grace;
nor do we dare to set limit to that
responsibility.
Vast as is the task of bringing about
a universal disclpleship, 1t is just
this duty that the Lord has set before
US. The rest Of the world is in our
charge. What can the Master say If
we fail of our very reason for being
and come home ut the end of our
season of harvesting without any
sheaves for the heavenly garner?
The truth is that we do not want
any person to be lost. We do not de-
liberately allow men to be lost. The
greatest thing is simply crowded out.
We are "busy here and there Our
carelesSness in reference to souls
grows out of our busy-ness in refer
ence to things. 1t is this matter OF
commerce; it is that party; it is the
reading of this book; it is that lee
ture; it is this social call it is that
committee meeting. Life is so COM
plex. We are SO busy-God help usl
that ere we know it our spiritual
chance is gone.
But One Poor Answer.
Is not all this the transcript Of
your feelings? You are not heart
less; you are merely busy. Some day
the king of the kingdom eternal stands
before you and says: "Where is that
one that was your special charge"
Your poor answer comes up to him,
the best and only answer you can give,
and yet q shameful answer, LAS thy
servant was busy here and there, he
was gone"
And this brings us to the thought
that the result of careleSSneSS through
busy-ness Is the same as that OF de-
liberate neglect. The prisoner has
gone, just as surely as if the guard
had broken the chains, pointed the
path of escape, and said: Go; will
not molest YOU" The result Is one;
the man is gone in either case.
EVIL is wrought for want Of thought
AS we'll as want Of heart.
The lesson may be applied also to
each individual. God has put into
your charge one person whom he re-
quires that you shall hold for himself.