The Golden age. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1906-1915, April 22, 1915, Page 7, Image 7

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April 22, 1915 This may seem like a cool and calculating way of approaching a subject of such grave importance as the Christian religion. In considering the question of my personal salvation, my allegiance to Jesus Christ, and my eternal destiny shall I calmly sit down and count the cost of Christian discipleship and deliberate mathematically on a profit and loss basis to ascertain if the final results wi.l be such as to justify my submitting myself to a life of cross bearing? Yes, if I calculate by scriptural rules and am guided in my conclusions by scriptural stand ards. Indeed the Master Himself encouraged this sort of thing. He does not want ignorant fanatical friends who follow him blindly; he wants followers who have been convinced by rational and intelli gent considerations that whatever may be involved in discipleship in the way of trials and hardships and losses of various kinds, yet after all, the Christian life pays such large dividends that the final balance is decidedly on the profit side of the ledger. Peter once said to Christ: “Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?” That was a very human, and under the circumstance, a very natural, sensible question. The “twelve” of whom he was the spokesman, had forsaken all they had to follow Christ. Possibly they did not have much, but the little they did have —their occupation, their homes, their associates —they left deliberately and wil'ingly to follow Jesus. “Now,” says Peter, “what are we going to receive for all this? In other words, does this thing that you call Discipleship pay?” Christ did not reprove Peter for what might have appeared to be a bold, selfish, calculating question, but gave him and his fellow-disciples a grand promise which forever set them at rest on this matter. “Yes,” says Jesus, “discipleship is going to pay you well. Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye shall also sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes (Editor’s Note : The following searching, ringing declaration was written some years ago for The Athens Banner by Rev. G. W. Colquitt, one of the most beloved preachers in Georgia. Fixing these “Eight Reasons” in tract form The Golden Age asked permission to reproduce them. Send a dol lar to Rev. G. W. Colquitt, Ingleside, Ga., and get fifty copies to pass among your young men friends.) Ist. I will not drink for the sake of the dead. I have a father whose spirit I trust, is asleep in Jesus, and I would not dishonor his name, nor dis regard his example nor forsake his counsel. 2nd. I will not drink for the sake of the living. I have a dear Mother, aged and infirm, who ten derly cared for me in my childhood, and through the years of my manhood, still watches with soli tude the interest of her son that he may be useful as a man, and be a comfort to her in her declining years. I would not add one pain, nor one sigh, nor one tear to the afflictions which age necessarily brings. 3rd. I will not drink for my wife’s sake. I have solemnly vowed before God to promote her happi ness and to provide her a comfortable living. I have sworn to love her as my own body, and to make her interests my interests. I will not de grade, dishonor and destroy her who left the pleas ant home of her parents to share with me the for tunes of life. 4th. I will not drink for my children’s sake. They are innocent, and helplessly look to me for food, protection and instruction. I would not inflict wrong upon these helpless ones by depriving them of these comforts and entailing poverty, want and wretchedness, I would not make paupers, vaga bonds and criminals of my own children. I would not have disgrace and blackened memory curse my name and family to the third and fourth genera- DOES DISCIPLESHIP PAY? By B. A. Loving in the Soul Winner. Eight Reasons Why I Will Not Drink Ringing Words For Your Young Men Friends. THE GOLDEN AGE of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive on hundredfold, and shall inherit ever lasting life.” (Matt. 19:28, 29). This certainly was very satisfactory to Peter and his associates; and as this same promise applies to Christ’s disciples all through the ages, Christian discipleship ought to be the most tremendously inviting proposition before the world today. Just consider it for a mo ment. Here is a guilt-edge investment, safer than any government bond in this world, that guaran tees 100 per cent.,(Jesus says “a hundredfold,” mean ing 100 per cent.) The Supreme Ruler of the uni verse emphatically declares it —you have His royal pledge personally endorsed, and secured by the Bank of Heaven. And this is not al. in addition to the dividends guaranteed you on your invest ment you have a most wonderful inheritance —He says you “shall receive a- hundredfold, and SHALL INHERIT EVERLASTING LIFE.” This “everlast ing life” you receive as a gift—the other you re ceive as a reward for faithful service, for the sac rifices you have made, for the trials and persecu tions you may have endured. Oh, say, with such splendid rewards and with such a glorious inheri tance held out to you what shall be your answer to the question “Does Discipleship Pay?” YES, IT PAYS. “Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” (I Tim. 4:8). Did you ever think of what a vast assembly that will be before the judgment bar of Jesus Christ? “Before him shall be gathered all nations.” (Matt. 25:32). Yes, ALL NATIONS. That means all the inhabitants of the world from Adam down to the’ last born child shall be gathered before that judg ment throne. Did you ever figure that up? I never did —it is too much for me. Today there are on tion. I would not cast a dark shadow over the life of a human being so near to me as my chil dren by leaving a record written in all the crimes of intemperance. sth. I will not drink for my neighbor’s sake. My example might influence him to drink and thus I would be the means of introducing evil and sorrow into his family and perhaps of leading him into perdition. “Woe unto him that giveth his neigh bor drink; Hab. 2:15. 6th. I will not drink for my business’ sake. It unfits me for that diligence and- energy which are necessary to success in business. It brings more losses and misfortunes than all my attention can counteract. It will finally bring me into disrepute as a business man and cause good men to forsake me. 7th. I will not drink for my own sake. It is ruinous to health, peace and life. It impairs men tal vigor and prostitutes the noble faculties which place man in the highest order of intelligence. It is the parent of the sorest evils to body and mind; the source of the greatest unhappiness in the fam ily and of the greatest crimes in the community. Its hope and promise are evil, misery, degradation, shame and ruin, and no good can come from it. I will not drink lest all that others have usffered be my portion. Bth. I will not drink for my soul’s sake. It is plainly declared in the scriptures that no drunkard shall inherit the Kingdom of God. I Cor. 6:10 Eph. 5:5, and I will not drink lest I become a drunkard and thus forfeit my hope of eternal in heritance among the saints. I will not make a wreck of my happiness in this world and in the world to come. I would not be a miserable human being that I may be a lost spirit in eternity. I the earth approximately 1,500,000,000. They’ll all be there. Countless bi lions have already died —they will be there for “the earth and the sea shall give up the dead which are in them.” Perhaps there are countless billions yet unborn —they’ll be there. All the inhabitants of every nation, kindred and tongue will be there. Yes, it will be “a multitude which no man can number.” Characters of every description—real Christians will be there, hypocrits, formalists, atheists, agnostics, the profane, the li centious, the self-deceivers, will be there. The man who has stood at the saloon bar will now stand at the judgment bar to render an account for the things done at that other bar; yes, and the fellow who dealt out to him those soul-damning and body-destroying drinks; also the fellows who, with their influence and their vote, supported the accursed liquor traffic, will be there to face the record. The gambler will be there; the publishers as well as the readers of ungodly literature, the card players, the theater-goers, the Sabbath break ers, will stand at that bar and give an account of themselves. Yes, we will all be there —we who stay away from church are going to attend that meeting. We may not want to but we will be there just the same. We shall be irresistably gathered. All resistance will be in vain. You may try to hide yourself and “call for the rocks and the moun tains to fall upon you” but all attempts at conceal ment will be abortive. The Bible says (Job 34:22): “There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.” The Lord says (Amos 9:2): “Though they dig into hell, thence shall my hand take them, though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down.” Yes, the whole family of Adam will appear at the Judg ment Bar of Christ. The thing that most of all concerns you and I, my friend, is what kind of preparation are we making. Shall we appear there as a redeemed soul or an unregenerated sinner? Settle that question NOW, and settle it right. will not pervert my life and lose the glorious end of my immortal existence. THE MAN OF UNDERSTANDING. “Thus said the Lord, let not the wise men glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord.” Man’s judgment can not be relied upon except when guided by divine wisdom ; and when blunders occur, it is because of acting through human intel ligence without laying the situation before the great Counsellor, who never makes a mistake. Men and women are but grown up children, and require direction from the Almighty Father as much as a child of fewer years needs of parental over sight and guidance. When preparing for a long journey, we travel more enjoyably, and with greater profit, by laying out an itinerary and gathering advance information regarding the principal points of interest along the route; and in the greatest trip of all —that from in fancy to old age —consulting the infallible Guide Book, issued by the General Manager of the Grand Trunk Line from Earth to Heaven, insures a “per sonally conducted” tour all the way. In this Official Guide is found, as a Foreword: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding; in all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He sha’l direct thy paths. H. S. JENISON. SAY ! ! YOU JUST CAN’T IMAGINE how much wo need YOUR RENEWAL. If it is wartime y M owd food for MIND AN™ ”” -Su oh page 13.) 7