Evening journal., 1919-05-08
TOPIC
SOCIETY ITEMS
ef tbe>
CITY AND STATE UNIONS

Scripture passage: Timothy 4jO;
John .: 1911. Tho topic OF the
international Christian Endeayor So
ciety. Discussion by the Rev. Alex
Dnder Alison, Jr.. pastor First prcsby-
terian Church, Bridgeport, Conn. for
merly pastor Of West Presbyterian
Church. Wilmington, Del.
Martin Luther used 10 say. "No can
not prevent the birds from flying over
our heads. bat we can prevent them
frO1 building nests in our halr.' Pauls
Cf.tlclsm Of Demas was not for being In
"thls present world" but for "having
loved" 10 Oyermuch. The main differ
bnce between the true and the sham
Christian is one Of direction or tend
ency. Both live IN The same world.
meet and deal with the same people.
have similar experiences OF Joy ana
sorrow. and make use OF the same ma
terials given Of God for our wQll-belng.
But one IS putting an he can into the
world, the other IS getting an he can
out Of 70. 10 Is either that you are In
tho world or the world Is IN you. "a
ship Is safe in the sea so long as the
sea Is not in the ship" Jesus did not
pray that His people might be taken
out OF the world, but that the world
might be taken out OF them.
Ask an expert baseball pitcher 20 tell
you the secret OF The curved ball
that phenomenon 0r- The national game
which has been the batters battling
mysiery-and he VIII tell vou 10 Is
certain spiral twist that IL given the
ball as u leaves the hand of the pitcher
The baisman Is unable 30 detect This
particular twist, so that two pitched
balls which seem 10 him 10 be follow
Ing exactly the Same direction IN The
enc may swerye I'm exactly opposite
directions. In like manner true and
sham Christians NAV look. talk and
seem 10 act very much alike. Life rela-
tionships decree that they must appear
50. But there is an inner heart spiral
motion that shall presently sweryo the
one Godward and the other away from
God. The vital thing about these lives
Of ours Is not the outward appearance.
but Tie inner life OF the heart. The life
That Is IN US will not direct us Cod
ward unless the love CT Christ be in us.
lt IS not the world. but ones altitude
toward it that counts. John said. Love
not the world, neither the things that
NHN az AiAN WI lNl AAt NlA ANN rNa
Leave the world
on one OCCASION Jesus said. "The
prince Of this world cometh, and hath
nothing in Ne. As the Father gave me
commandment. even so ! do (Ioln
100 81 Please notice that IIe calls
Satan the prince Of this world" He
Toes not mean that satan owns this
world. though The deyeil very often
h'ies to make US believe he owns il and
win give us a part Of It II we follow
him. What Jesus means is that Satan
IS entirely Of This world an his IN.
ieresis are centored In this world. satan
IS q ihr0ugh-going maierlalist. lie loves
things and is absorbed IN them. IF he
IAN interest us also In the mere. things
" This present world he Will be happy.
faian wishes 10 separate us from thines
lbove where Christ dwelleih. by max
Ing US materialists. And he wishes 70
separate us from those around us by
making Us egOtists. II he can get Us
absorbed in ourselves and in the world
he. will have us I'm his destroying power.
But Jesus declared that though the
prince Of this world came 10 lure Him
rom God "he had nothing IN Him"
Nhat was the secret OF our Lords inn