Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-06-13
BIZ Bishop w. 4. Gambler
TIME reserve fund of a bank is the
measure of it's strength If that
- be ADEQUATE "a run on 1t in

TIME reserve fund of a bank is the
measure of it's strength. If that
- be adequate "a run" on 1t in a
time of panic will not wreck it, but will
rather have the effect to steady the en-
tire financial community and bring calm
| III q crisis.
In like manner the human mind is
capable of accommodating reserve pow
| er, and it is the possession of such
power that enables some men to over
come with splendid ability the difficult
ties of unexpected situations In the
Intellectual strength of such men there
are no evidences of strained resources;
they rise above perplexing obstacles
with what seems to be effortless ease.
But their reserve power is not so much
matter of nature as it is the result
OF patient and persistent acquisitive-
ness; through days and years they have
laid by stores upon which they are able
to draw in times of need.
Analogous to financial reserves and
mental reserves, there is such thing
as reserve power in the moral and spir-
itual world; and it is supremely i'm
portant.
The point in the parable of the wise
and foolish virgins is the difference be-
tween the wisdom of those who have
spiritual reserves and the folly of those
who have no such resources. They
that were foolish took oil in their YES
sells with their lamps" The foolish
virgins had no reserve stock upon which
to fall back in an hour of crisis, but
the wise were ready for any contin-
gency, whether the bridegroom tarried
long, or came early.
| TO one has any religious reserves
VINO lives always on the verge of being
irreligious, and seeks to lead godly
life at as little cost as possible. Par
simonious piety is always perlious. The
fatal mistake of the foolish virgins was
the effort to attend the marriage cele-
bration at the smallest possible cost.
Religious mercenaries always commit
this blunder. They wish to secure the
pearl of great price, but they do not de-
sire to pay a penny more for IL tnan
they must. They are more afraid OF
being righteous overmuch than OF not
being pious enough.
A brilliant writer thus describes the
religious mercenary: eff you can show
him that such a pursuit or such an In
diligence involves a final forfeiture, he
will abandon it, as a prudent man. IL
| religious duty insists on his money or
his time, you can dun him and get II
out of him, rather than that he VIII &c
to law with his Maker. But he VIII
scan the bill and plead for the discount
The church must look after him sharply
for he is not to be entrapped into one
work or one prayer too many. He has
a sovereign contempt for your over
done piety. And as to the questions and
the crises in the affairs of the church
he is non-committal, while he may be
| l. he
only make the most of this world, and
be in time for the opening doors OF
glory, you are welcome to all the watch
and the work, all the growth and the
| gladness. If he must die, he would Sc
cure the death of the righteous, but he
wishes he could live always. He choos'
es discreetly between heaven and hell
he wishes in the depths of his heart, not
only that there were no hell, but that
there were no heaven, either.
1t is obvious that a soul. with such
a disposition and method of living, car
never accumulate any reserve power o.
spiritual life; can never be prepared fol
any moral emergency. Backward to the
world such a spirit looks with the long
ing gaze with which Lots ill-fatet
spouse looked backward upon Sodom
and like her becomes a monumental ex
ample of the failure of all those whc
obey God with half-hearted obedience.
Moral reserves are accumulated BY
daily deposits of right actions, made un
der the all-dominating purpose of serv
ing God without regard to cost. These
habitual devotions of virtue beget sucf
strength of character that eventually
right living becomes a thing of second
nature, and no sudden temptation oil
testing crisis can take the consecrateC
soul by surprise.
About those who have accumulated
moral reserve power there is certain
COURAGEOUS calmness. They are not sub
ject to bits of heroic and spells of spir
itual hysteria. With them piety ha;
become so much a matter of habitua
principle, that personal Righteousness:
is matter of course, requiring no strain
for its pursuit. They are not startled
by evil tidings of sudden crises, for theil
hearts ARE fixed, trusting in the Lord
Though the cry be raised past the mid
night hour, Behold the bridegroom
cometh, go We out to meet him." they
are not alarmed by the call, for they
have a reserve of oil in their vessels.
These are the provident souls who
resolve to be religious at all cost. They
believe in moral preparedness" anc
propose to take no chances of spiritual
defeat and religious disaster.
Souls without moral reserve power
are not so. Their spiritual life is II