Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

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 IS KNOWN THROUGHOUT TWO CONTINENTS AS THE GREATEST EXPOUNDER AND INTERPRETER OF THE TEXT OF THE BIBLE $ NOW LIVING. THE SERIES OF ARTICLES WHICH WILL APPEAR IN THE GOLDEN AGE WILL COMPOSE THE CONTENTS OF A WORK TO BE PUBLISHED BY AN ENGLISH PUBLISHING HOUSE, THE GOLDEN AGE HAVING SECURED THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO SERIAL ? PUBLICATION IN AMERICA. THE WORK WILL COVER THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS, AND WILL BE INVALUABLE TO THE LAY- I 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. GET A BUSINESS EDUCATION. e have for sale at a bargain a scholarship in the Southern Shorthand and Business University, Atlanta, Ga., entitling the holder to a complete course in all the branches taught in the University, including Bookkeeping, Shorthand, Telegraphy, etc. If you wish a business education, it wdl pay you to examine our offer. 5