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business. He said to me, “You keep close to me,”
and [ started out following him. I got along
splendidly until I came to the corner of the street.
I turned, and saw a monkey and a grinding organ.
I had never seen one in my life, so I stopped, and
began to enjoy them, while my father went on.
When he discovered I was lost, he started back
to find me. He was almost crazy to get me, and I
was almost crazy when he got through with me.
The trouble was, I got my mind off on other things.
I started out, and did very well until I took up
with the monkey and the grinding organ, and got
lost. Then, I was distracted, and went whining and
crying about the streets, having everybody look
ing for my father, while my father had everybody
looking for me.
I believe it is just that way with us in our re
ligious experience. God is willing and ready. God
is anxious to reveal to us the secrets of happiness
and usefulness and glory and honor. He is ready
all the time. We have been praying, and praying
and praying, and have got no further. All thte’
time, God has been nervous and restless, I may
say; His heart beating faster and faster, anxious
for us to follow Him. Some have started with
God, and have gotten along very well until they
have fallen upon the monkey and grinding organ
of this world, and God is gone. Many of you are
here today, crying and wringing your hands, agon
izing over the fact that you have lost out, lost the
joy. lost the blessed consciousness and presence of
God. No wonder you have. God has moved on.
You have not kept pace with Him.
“Thou, Thou art the Potter, and we are the Clay,
And morning and even, and day after day,
Thou turnest Thy wheel, and our substance is
wrought
Into form of Thy will, into shape of Thy thought.
Thou, Thou art the Potter, the wheel turns around.
Thine eyes do not leave it. Our atoms are ground
Fine, fine in Thy mills. 0 the pain and the cost!
Thou knowest Thy number: not one shall be lost.
Should Clay to the Potter make answer and say:
‘Now, what dost Thou fashion?’ Thy hand would
not stay:
Untiring, resistless, without any sound,
True, true to its Master, the wheel would go round.
How plastic are we as we lie in Thy hands!
Who, Who as the Potter the Clay understands?
Thy ways are a wonder, but oft as a spark,
Some hint of Thy meaning shines out in the dark.
What portion is this for the sensitive Clay!
To be beaten and moulded from day unto day;
To answer not, question not, just to be still,
And know Thou art shaping us unto Thy will.
This, this may yet plead with Thee, Workman Di
vine—
Press deep in our substance some symbol of Thine,
Thy name, or Thy image, and let it be known
That Thou wilt acknowledge the work as Thine
own. ’ ’
WAIT THROUGH PRAYER.
But there is one other thing I want to say about
this waiting. We are to wait through the exercise
of prayer. Now, I do not mean by this that we
are necessarily to spend our time on our knees,
although this is necessary. There are times when
we must have our places of private, knee devotion.
But I do not mean we must always be on our knees
while the world moves and calls, but we must be
in the spirit of prayer, in the prayer shape of mind
and heart.
I know the busy life prevents us from spending
TIP C* C A IVfPRKT T IVfOP C X NPQ exposition of the bible will be published in the
VJ. VJIYIVIA JL>l2/I_7l_> O GOLDEN AGE BEGINNING ABOUT JANUARY Ist, 1907. DR MORGAN
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NOW LIVING. THE SERIES OF ARTICLES WHICH WILL APPEAR IN THE GOLDEN AGE WILL COMPOSE THE CONTENTS OF A WORK
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MAN AS WELL AS THE BIBLE STUDENT. J
ALEX W. DEALER’S "Clipping's from the Ancient Press” will begin with our first December number. I
The Golden Age for November 22, 1906.
our time in prayer as we should. I feel it myself.
But Jesus was busy. No man ever had a bigger
task on his shoulders than Jesus. Crowded with
busmess, sought by the multitude, Jesus always
found time to get off and pray. See Him praying
all night before He selected the twelve, and before
He preached the great Sermon on the Mount. And,
if Jesus found it necessary to spend whole nights
in prayer, how in the world can we poor worms of
the dust do without it?
THE TOUCH OF THE SPIRIT.
But, finally, I want to say, when and how we are
to know that God has spoken.
First, by the direct touch of God’s Spirit. I do
not know in what way He will do this, but He has
promised to do it. He did it for the Apostles. He
has done it for thousands and thousands who have
trusted in Him since. He has done it for me. He
did ft only a few days since. I was away from home.
There came up a question in my mind one night as
to whether I should return home next morning, or
wait until the morning after. I had nothing to do
that day, and I could get home, and spend the night,
and be at prayer meeting. I was anxious to do it.
When I went to my room, something seemed to im
press me that I ought not to do it, and I was puz
zled about it. When I got down to ask God’s bless
ing upon my lecture that night, I asked Him what
was His pleasure about the next morning. When
I got through the lecture, a man I knew came to
me, and said: “Let us go hunting tomorrow. I
have two of the finest bird dogs you ever saw.” I
said: “Well, I’ll do it.” I went with him nine
miles through the country, and spent the day in
the woods. I never had a bigger time in my life.
Next morning, I took the train, and started for my
next engagement. We had not gone far before we
came upon the scene of a terrible wreck. The very
train I would have taken the day before was ditch
ed. I tell you, as I saw that wrecked train, and
heard the sad news, I said: “It pays Io have God
to go to when we are in doubt.”
THROUGH THE WORD.
Then, we may know by the direct teaching of
God’s Word. I read some time ago the story of “A
Transformed Merchant.” He was a man of wealth.
In his earlier days, as a merchant, he was careless
about his religious obligations, and there came a
time of distress. He prayed God about it. He
prayed anxiously and long, and finally he said he
felt impressed with something like this: “If I
were to reveal you your need, would you do it?”
He said, “I would.” Then, he said he felt im
pressed to take his Bible, and open it. He opened
it at this passage: “Will a man rob God? Yet ye
have robbed me in tithes and offerings.” He shut
the Bible, and asked God to confirm this thing when
he opened the Bible again. He opened the New
Testament opposite this passage: “Give, and it
shall be given you, in good measure, pressed down,
and running over.” Then this impression came:
“You have never given your tithe, your tenth. You
are required to give more than your tenth.
The old Jews gave a tenth. You are
a Christian. You have not given as much as
the Jews. You have robbed God, that is all.” He
then turned round, and began to live on a different
plane. He began to give, and God began to bless.
Today he is one of the wealthiest men in all the
country, and one of the greatest used men in the
Church of Jesus Christ.
CIRCUMSTANCES AND OPPORTUNITIES.
Lastly, we may know when God speaks by the
circumstances and opportunities of life. Jesus
Christ, you remember, once said to His disciples,
“Lift up your eyes. Behold the fields are white
unto harvest.” So, ofttimes, when we are praying
for light, the light is shining all about us. Oh, the
opportunities that are presented to us for service!
We keep praying, “Show me how I can serve Thee.”
and yonder is the poor tramp, a veritable Lazarus.
He may be worthy, or not. That is not the ques
tion. You have no right to stop and ask that ques
tion until you have gone and tried to do something
for him. Here we are, praying for light and guid
ance, and all the time the field is white unto har
vest.
“Children of yesterday,
Heirs of tomorrow,
What are you weaving,
Labor or sorrow ?
Look to your looms again,
Faster and faster ,
Fly the great shuttles
Prepared by the Master;
Life’s in the loom,
Room for it—room!
“Children of yesterday,
Heirs of tomorrow,
Lighten the labor,
And sweeten the sorrow.
Now—while the shuttles fly
Faster and faster,
Up and be at it— ,
At work with the Master;
He stands at your loom,
Room for Him—room!
“Children of yesterday,
Heirs of tomorrow,
Loi k at your fabric,
Os labor and sorrow.
Seamy and dark
With despair and disaster,
Turn it and 10,
The design of the Master!
The Lord’s in the loom,
Room for Him—room!”
Unprotected.
Au old-fashioned negro “mammy” was sent one
afternoon with her two charges to a vaudeville
entertainment. Tne first to appear on the program
was a mindreader. He requested the audience to
write questions upon small slips of paper which
they were to retain, while he from the seclusion
of an oaken cabinet upon the stage would announce
the questions and give appropriate replies. After
the third proof of his ability to do this “Mammy”
began to squirm in her seat, and a few minutes lat
er, clutching a chili with each hand, she hurried
from the hall.
“Why, auntie,” observed an usher, “don’t go;
the show’s just started.”
“Law, chile,” panted the old woman, “dis nig
gah wants to get away sum heah! Es dat man kin
see plum fru dat wooden wardrobe, dis caliker
dress am no perfection to me!”—Ex.
A judge, pointing with his cane to a prisoner be
fore him remarked:
“There is a great rogue at the end of this stick.”
“At which end, your honor?” asked the pris
oner.—Exchange.
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