Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-11-23

hicted. they will take the same thing.
And giorify your Father which is in
heaven"
If you hear of a school that turned
out a boy that made bright snappy.
fellow with good ideals and morals, you
like to have your boy go to the same
school People advertise in the newspa-
pers for business. Let your light so
shine before men, that they may see
your good works and glortfy your Father
which is in heaven" That is the first
thing the Lord told his disciples to 90
and that is the first thing he expects
us TO do.
Let your light so shine. That means
religion should not only be a personal
matter. but be the first business of life.
Seek you first the kingdom OF God and
his righteousness" I never could under
sand why any man OF woman thought
that the last thing in life was to seek
God and find salvation IN your soul Wait
ing until YOU are worn in the service of
the devil, blow the smoke in Gods face
instead Of giving the Lord your best.
Ii means that we should be as con-
slant as the sun for God and not shine
for the Lord on Sunday morning and
then be London fog all the rest OF the
week. Ii means you belong to God. no
matter what YOU are doing in the world,
whether governing the children or driv-
ing hogs or breaking a colt or singing
hymns in the church, you belong to COD.
one might be the biggest sinner on
earth sitting In church on Sunday morn
ing. singing hymns. while he might be
a saint thawing out a water pipe; it is
not the thing you are doing, it is the way
that YOU are doing il that counts. There
is not so much difference where you are
as to what you are when you are there.
You may be a sinner in he church ana
Won NAV be a saint on the street, IT
isn't where you are but what you are
that counts.
Let your light so shine before men. I"
Whatever a Christian does viii be re-
warded If you are living close TO Jesus
Christ. Let your light shine that
shows that God expects everybody to
be bright. We can't all be great preach
ers. That is a good thing. We can't all
be singers. That is equally good. l
know what would happen if I'd try TO
sing and if Rody tried to preach. It
is a great thing to know what you
can do and then do il. SO you all
can let the world. the flesh and the
devil know which side you are on, can't
you?
You can come up and talk with me
and you can find out whether L am
an ally or a pro-German. mighty quick,
YOU can find out whether 1 am u. S. or
not You can all let the world, the
flesh and the devil know whether you
belong 10 God or whether you belong
the devil whether you are Gods friend
or whether you are against the Lord.
God must look with pity on poor
fool human being on earth, living their
mediocre personality up as though their
wisdom would overturn Gods plan of
redemption, and let the whole thing be
a sort of a mite OF a mirage. Not at
all,
A good many church members don't
even do that. You couldn't tell which
side they were on if you'd watch
their lives. A fellow, years ago, was
going into the lumber business in Michi-
gan and some OF his friends said, you
know those Iumber-jacks are not re-
ligious and when you get up there and
they find you are Cnristian, they will
make life miserable for you. but If
you will kind Of keep your religion
under busheI, you will have the time
Of your life"
He was gone a month and some of
his friends said, How did you make
out with the fellows in the lumber
campf'
He said. They didn't find it out"
The churches are just chuck full of
that kind of people. today. They never
change anything. they won't stop any Of
their social engagements. they won't
help along the cause of God Almighty.
Their entire religious life consists in
going to church on sunday morning
and half of them never darken a prayer
meeting door from one week to an
other.
That is all they do. is.to go to church
in the collection. II nobody made any
more sacrifices than half or two-thirds
Of the people in the church make for
the salvation of people, we'd certainly
be in a bad way.
If man is Mason. everybody
knows il. an Odd Fellow a Republican.
You start to knock the Republicans and
you will find out every Republican that
is in that bunch. You start 10 knock
the Democrats. and you will find out
mighty quick who is a Democrat in
that crowd. And yet you will start to
knock the church, and there will he
some Ofd deacon or elder stand there
and he will never peep. II a man would
TALK that way about your wife if you
had a drop Of red blood in your veins
you'd knock him down.
] haven't any respect for ANYBODY
who won't stand up for the church of
Jesus Christ when any old blatant
mouth Is knocking. Now, and so you
can put down that every community has
got all Of that kind OF religion IL needs.
and any community that mas any of that
kind has more than 1t needs. for it needs
none OF il.
Let your religion be seen. lamp
does not talk. but a lamp does shine.
\ lighthouse sounds no drum and it
beats no gong. but far out over the
troubled waters its friendly rays are
seen that the captain on the bridge and
the mariner may be steered away from
The hidden rocks. or il will blink at the
harbor's entrance and tell him how to
make his way into safety and peace.
That Is its business. to shine.
You look after your physical life II
you are run down you will take medi.
cine. You look after your business in
terests. I would not have you do less.