The weekly echo. (Meridian, Miss.) 1931-1942, 1940-02-09
Sermon
Continued from page one)

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nth the sword, they wandered abou
in sheepskins ard goatskins, being
destitute afflicted tornented: they
wandered in deserts and in noun
tans and in dens and caves Of The
earth. Today they look down upon
us also as great cloud Of witnesses
The spirit of these sainted ones are
with us to day, urging us onward.
They are with US in every worthy
endeavor. warming cherishing and
encouraging us.
We are not at our best in the func-
tioning Of even our present orgsni-
zation. There is a Taxation, a loose
ness. a earelessness in the auxiliarfes
of the church. The effort is to pass
the responsibility on down or UP the
line, any way to relieve myself. Sch
responsibility shifted is ours still. For
we like PLATE may lightly wash the
hands, but the heart must bear the
everla7-ing shameful blemish.
10 dodge is either Iaziness or cow
7rdice. Ethe- one or both is dis
4,-acetul Awake, awake put on thy
str-agth, o Zion; out ~ thy beau3-
FIJI garments m Jerusalem. the Eoiv
CIV, Shake tFtvself from the dust:
arise, sit down, o Jerusalem: loose
myself from the bonds Of thy neck.
| n captive daughter Of Zion" Jer So
10
wE ARE NOT AT OUR
BEST IN MORAL COURAGE
r is admitted that morale, bravery
and character are elements that Raus9
| constitute fortitude and courage. The
lack Of permanent employment, sub
| tections to the conditions of relief,
doles. the breadline. the intense cold
death, sickness, and many other
! s1rdry conditions have shattered the
morale broken down the ambition Of
our people and the Christian families.
! These have made Of US dumb dogs
that will not bark. The Bible pro
sorInces woe to them that are at
ease, sleep, and smsonesrned Ia Zion.
like Jeremiah of old, we would thai
. our head were waters and our eyes
were fo,mtai- of tears that We
might weep day and night for he
condition Of Zion"
We are not our best in soul saving
and retaining the weak and back
slidden members of our fold Sin
ners are yet waiting to be saved, they
are defying the army of God Within
4 stone cast, there are dens of wicked
devils in which sinners take refuge
without fear of disturbance. All a
round the church and throughout tn
city the streets and homes are filed
with confessing Christians that have
aot been even invited, to say nothing
Of coersed, to come to the house Of
Zion. They stand idle because mo
man has hired US" o saints, where
IS thy zeal, prophets, where is thy
message?
In the grand stand today thousand,
yea multiplied thousands are watch
ing and waiting for us to play well
our part. Of the great cloud of wit
nesses that are anxiously awaiting in
the grand stand of the redeemed
there are the patriarchs, Abraham
Isaac an dJacob; Moses. the writer
Of the five books Of the law or the
Pentateuch; the major and minor
prophets OF the New Testament
witnesses, we have the twelve apes
ties, Paul, who was beheaded at Ne
ro's chopping block, John that was
, banished upon the rock Island of
/ Patmas for being one Of the apostles
of our Lord and one of the leaders of
the New faith THERE'S Clement of
Rome, Tertullian of Carthage. Irena-
Gus of Lyons, 1gnatius of Antioch,
! constitute a great cloud of witnesses
that have passed their torch on to US
while they being weary, fell on 10
sleep,
It remains then for US to arise and
limit if found only in the standard as
to renew our strength and zeal The
set by Jesus our only perfect example.
Our best is in him. In Adam we fell
from our best: in Christ only do we
regain our best, i
: za N a