The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-06-27

are Paul 10
concern our.
wA selves with I'M
Outstanding and meeting the neces-
sary conditions of success and ap-
proval by Him before whom We are
some day to stand and give recount.
Such conditions there undoubtedly
are. We get more than a hint Of them
here by noting the three plain adj
monitions which the words Of the
passage convey. The three iniunc-
ions are: Be temperate; be definite,
be earnest.
l.. Be Temperate.-"And every man
that striveth for the mastery is
temperate in all things. Now
they do it t obtain a %corruptible
crown; but we are in%eorruptible.e
". 25). 1t would have been the
height of presumption and folly to
have essayed to enter the foot race
or the wrestling match without due
preparation. We are told something
of the strenuous conditions imposed
upon the contestants. For any man
not to conform to these was 10 for
felt all chance of winning the prize.
He had to submit to ten months Of
most rigid training. surrendering him
self absolutely to the control and die
tates of his trainer. His food, his
drink, his exercise. his sleep-all these
and other details were infinitely
prescribed for him. He beheld others
a-,- III. +1s., +IAf, 49,
comfort, indulging and dissipating
themselves at will, enjoying their
good things" Yet he dared not fol-
low their example. Indeed he did not
choose to do so. He could look on
calmly and unaffected for he had
elected a higher course.
And so the prlze-wilner in the spir-
itual realm is admonished to "be tenn
perate." We are living in an age Of
indulgence. of intemperance. and that
by no means is confined to the mat
ter of strong drinn. There is intern
perance of eating and drinking, of
pleasure seeking, and business rush.
Ii is a day of going to extremes along
every line. Never was the admonition,
"be temperate" more needed. or the
divine art of "using this world as
moi abusing it." Even in religion we
find the tendency to run to extremes.
People are riding spiritual hobbies.
They advance one truth to the exclu-
sion of all others. They substitute
one spoke of the wheel for the hub.
In a word they are eccentric. They
need to be reminded that ''the fruit
of the spirit is temperance"
II. Be Definite. 81 therefore run
not as uncertainty ". 26). Paul
had a certain aim. His was no zig
gag running. He IAN a straight course
from start to finish. with his eyes
fixed steadfastly Upon the goal. God
wants us to have a definite, absorbing
aim, and to make straight paths for
our feet. We must set our faces like
a flint. looking neither to the right
nor to the left, but straight ahead.
Today is a day f specialization. of
concentrating upon n line, whether
in business or in professional life.
Men are bent lpan becoming special
lists, experts, with an ambition 10
excel in one thing. II was so with
Paul. He cried: This one thing |
do" The psalmist said: "One thing
have I desired of the Lord that will l
seek after Jesus said to Martha
But one thing is needful.' l won
der how many things we are trying TO
do. The trouble with many of US is
that we are attempting too many
things. We have too many irons in
the fire. We need to learn Paurs les
son.
III. Be Earnest. $50 fight l. mo- as
one that beateth the air; but l keep
under my body, and bring it into sub
lection" wv. 26-27). Paul means
that he was not a mere acrobat. or
gymnast, performing for the galleries.
He was not striking at imaginary enc
mics with no possible serious conse-
quences 70 himself. His was no mere
sham battle. 1t IA a real, a des-
perate fight. Literally he says: Il
beat and bruise my body" oh. how
easy ii is TO let Gods truth slip from
u.s. God save us from beating the
air" God forbid that when we have
professed and even preached to 9TH
ers. we ourselves are cast away!
Remember this. then, that there are
conditions for prize-winning in the
Christian race. and that while all run.
one receiveth the prize. The propo
ton of winners is small, not because
God rules anybody out, but simply be-
cause so few are really ready to pay
the price and meet the conditions. "If
any man will come after me" said
Jesus, ''let him deny himself, take up
his cross and follow me-"