Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-06-19
MANS FIGHT COMPARED
WITH THAT OF PAUL s
Rev. ]. Halter Cibboncy Says
Life Is Ever.Increasing
Struggle.

Taking as his subject. The Increas-
ing Struggle" Rev. J. Halter Glib
honey. pastor of Church of the Epiph-
any. carton Heights, spoke, in part.
yesterday morning. as follows:
ST. Paul is waging the battle OF life.
1t is the conflict of the evil against
the good. He gives us description
of this intense struggle when he cries
out, The good that | would do not:
but the evil which l would not. that
do J." The great apostle was in no
wise deiuded. lie knew we'll that
Gods law is ever holy and just and
good. but he also was we'll assured
that he must fight to bring his life
into conformity with that law OF
holiness and Righteousness. He could
see and appreciate and even delight
in the law OF God after the inward
man." but there was another law. the
law of sim" warning against the law
Of his mind. 20 wretched man that /
am" he cries out In anguish OF soul
and body, who shall deliver me from
the body of this death" And we gaze
at the work in wonder and amaze
ment. OF whom speaketh the great
apostle this? OF himself.
No wonder we are at first surprised
at this description which st. Paul
gives of himself. These are not the
words OF n youthful zcalot. Rather 1t
is the manly confession OF n matured
B life. Twenty years have passed by
since the young convert Saul entered
the ranks of the soldiers and scrv-
ants of Christ" IN astonishment
therefore, we ask. can II possibly be
true that ST. Paul is describing his
own condition after this score of
years in the service OF Jesus? Does he
. still speak of himself as being car
nal sold under sim" as being incap-
able OF doing what he would? Is he
thinking of a struggle past and gone?
II not. IL would seem that he was put
ting himself on the same level of
these people to whom he was writing.
Paul Put Up Struggle.
Look at the words closely and learn
therefrom how a good man and a
great man became true saint in the
sight OF God. There you will learn
that even the great Apostle To the
Gentilcs had to struggle in mind and
spirit, that he was struggling even
as he wrote the words OF his lifelong
experience. 1t was a struggle for life
and death. daily increasing in inten-
sity. until in despair the warrior cries
out for help: 20 wrctched man that
] am! Who shall deliver me from the
body of this DEATH"
The common experiences OF life teach
us the truth of the fact Of this ever
increasing struggle. 1t is no unusual
experience to feel ourselves incapable
OF doing the things which we would
we do not complain of ourselves We
arc rather surprised. though at find
i ing that the saints OF God should be
subjected to similar temptation and
nave TO experience like failures But
! should We? Do we still labor under
the dclusion that some are called To
be saints and others sinner? Can we
classify the children OF the Heavenly
! Father? Do we still believe that
SAINTS like poets are born. not made ?
Then look at these words of one who
became saint Of God and learn
something different. For all men are
icalied TO be saints and the way Is
opened to every earnest and sincere
seeker after righteousness and true
holiness, But IL is the way OF strue-
gle and an ever-increasing struggle
at that.
St Pauis words come from the
lips of one who knew more of God
IMAM most men. His ideals for men.
/ therefore. were more In accord with
]