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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS. SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1907. Remember Jesus Christ “Remember Jesus Christ." Sd Timothy, n :s. By REV. JOHN E. WHITE, Pastor Second Baptist Church I T IS the revised version that un covers for us this short, sharp and incisive message of the apos tle to a young ChrlsUan who at that time was in a great city almost alone, trying to live a clean, straight life and bear a loyal witness for God and the Gospel. It puts a volume of homilies Into a sentence, “Remember Jesus Christ” It is true that it stands related to a pas sage In which Christ's resurrection Is pointed out as a thing to be especially remembered, and this accounts for the unsatisfactory translation of the old version: but I have no doubt Timothy seized these simple words, "Remember Jesus Christ,” just as I have seized them today, and that he felt their great quickening power in his heart instantly os though a trumpet had blown. Of ail the faculties of the mind mem ory Is the one Christianity most hangs upon. The Apostle Paul was prepared to appreciate its indispensable place in the preservation and propagation of the Gospel, for at the time he wrote there was probably no written record what ever of the life and teachings of Jesus. Think of it! Paul had the life of Christ on his tongue’s end. lie had heard it over and over from Luke and Matthew and Mark and John and Peter, but ho was wholly dependent upon his memory for It What a burden of truth did God dart* to lay on the unaided human memory! We may reckon that Paul had not long before patiently drilled Timothy’s memory in it. Now he writes urgently to the necessitous point, ’ “Remember Timothy.” Don't for get. “Remember Jesus Christ." That is the message I bring you here, “Re member Jesus Christ.” Could any ad vice be so good for those just begin ning the Christian life and are not trained well as yet in withstanding doubts and temptations? Could any advice be better for the older Chris tian who has too often neglected his Lord? Take It with you every one, “Remember Jesus Christ.” Think of it a dozen times each day. It will guar antee to you a blessing, a peace, and a security you have never known from any other resource. Paul Persona Grata. There are some simple reasons I wish to give you for remembering Jesus Christ. First. Because one of the very noblest men this world ever afforded is the au thor of that good advice. When we are advised a great deal de pends on our opinion of the man who advises us. Borne men can not Influ ence us, no matter what they say. Their •characters in our opinion are such that we are repelled by their words. Other men influence us Instantly and never- fallingly. Their characters and careers are such that we yield to them a will ing homage. John Stuart Mill was the only person In England who con sidered his wife a writer at all, but he believed that she was a great literary genius. He read her character Into her attempts at composition which others could not do. A certain critic some time ago scathingly reviewed a book by a young lady. He crushed it beneath his sarcasm and contempt. He ground It beneath his beef as the veriest podge of a book. The public was greatly astounded a little later to read another review of the book by the same critic. He praises It unstintedly, points out and makes clear its elements of power and gives the authoress a niche In the temple of fame. The little history be hind .it all was that he had met the young lady and she was now his wife. Now, when the Apostle Paul says to you and to me, “Remember Jesus Christ,” I am moved to do it at once. I acknowledge that man’s right to give me advice. Ho rises up before me os one whose experience is as command ing as a mountain peak in the world’s history. I used to hear an old Confed erate soldier who made speeches on gala days. When he held up his empty sleeve and shouted, “Young men, be true to the South.’’ I was always thrilled and consecrated by It. So when Paul comes before me with his record, his scars and Imprisonments and ship wrecks, his beatings and his grand heroism at a time when It meant more than it means now, and says, “Re member Jesus Christ,” I feel like taking off my Bhoes In the sound of his words and saying, “We will, Paul, God help us, we will!” A Very Present Help. Second. Remember Jesus Christ, be cause His memory will sustain and protect you. Nothing in all this world Is worth half as much os a practical help to a man who wants to do right and live a true, noblo life'as the realization of the companionship of Christ. Do you ever catch yourself Indulging ugly thoughts and vulgar imaginations and when your conscience pulls at you the fleshly mind of you pul Us just as hard tho other way, and you can not shako off tho slimy thing? If you have, and many of you have, I know, I want to tell you a gen uinely practical thing that rescues the mind and frees the soul like magic, “Remember .Jesus Christ,” bring Him straight before the camera of your mind. The pull of the mean thought will relax and weaken and cease. Re member Jesus Christ when you are angry: remember Jesus Christ when you aro fretted; remember Him when you are envious or selfish. I have read the lives of many great heroes, of heroic armies, of martyrs and missionaries. Without exception in every instance the main spring of their courago and valor has been a great memory kept in view at the hour and moment of crisis. The battle of San Jacinto, which won Texan Independence, was decided the moment some of the officers started the cry, “Remember the Alamo,” among the men in the ranks. Napoleon always appealed to memory in his famous bulletins before the battle began. A Scotch regiment In the British army noted for its Invincible courage, when the call to valor came, could be heard muttering, muttering all along the lines, “Stand fast. Crag Ellachle.” They were remembering the great mountain Crag that was standing guard over their far-oft Highland home nnd loved ones. This, too, has been the secret resource of the Christian henes. They remembered Jesus Christ and It was not hard to die. Fifteen thousand missionaries are kept at their posts in foreign lands this very hour, not by 'he money we send for their support, not' by the encouragement of revolutions they are working, but by an oft-invoked ten der memory of Jesus Christ. Matthew Arnold has told the wholo romance of Christian heroism in one of his sonnets: Twaa August, and the fierce sun over head Smote on the squalid streets of Bethnal Green And the pale weaver through his win dow seen, In Spitalflelds, looked thrice dispirited. I met a preacher there I knew and said: “111 and overworked, how fare you in this scene?” “Bravely,” said he, “for I of late have been Much cheered with thoughts of Christ, the living Bread.” “Remember Jesus Christ.” There Is power In it, my friends, keeping power, Inspiring power, sustaining power, the power of God. It was this ‘power Christ promised His followers as they faced a dead world. “All power Is given unto me* “Lo! I am with thee, oven unto the end.” How often have they remem bered Him and were delivered from all their fears and discouragements! The Grand Old Word—Christian. Again, remember Jesus Christ, be cause you are a Christian. Dr. Wharton had an amusing story he did not tell in Atlanta, and 1 will tell It now to illustrate a point: “Two young men who were college mates and had not met for twenty years were surprised one day In com ing suddenly upon each other. One said to the other: 'Hollo, Jim, how are you? How have you been all these long years?* *Well,’ said he, *1 have had a great many ups and downs since I saw you last.' ’Sit down, old fellow, and tell me some of them.' 'Well, I married since we met.’ *Ah, indeed! That’s good.’ 'I don't know whether it’s good or not; I reckon I married the meanest woman in the world.' •Well, that’s bad, too bad.' T don’t know whether It Is or not. She had lots of money.' That’s good.' 'I don't know, I spent tho money, for a sheep ranch and tho sheep all died.' 'That was bad luck.' 'I don’t know, I sold tho wool for more money than I paid for the sheep.’ That's good.' 'I don’t know, I spent tho money building a house and it burned down.* 'That's bad.' 'I don't know, my wife was burned up In tho house."' There arc a great many Christians who so mako a habit of being up and down, and off and on, that when you appeal to them to do a Christian thing in a CUristian way because they are Christians, they fail into the dumps immediately and tell you that they don’t know whether they arc Christians or not I am assuming that the appeal I am making for Christ today is made to those who are Christians and who want to bo truo and loyal Christians, even though they confess many a slip and many a fall. “Remember Jesus Christ” and keep Him. In command of your motives and conduct because you aro a Christian. If that grand old word. “Christian,” Is dragged into the filth of selfishness and avarice and wilful vio lation by some, see to it that you keep your banner up, remembering Jesus Christ whenever you would know for sure what you ought to do. Now, there Is very little doubt In the world’s judgment as to what a Chris tian is. He is one who tries to have the mind of Christ about things and. who Is not afraid to yield to prompt ings of God’s spirit—the Holy Spirit— tho spirit of Jesus Christ when he tr deciding what he shall do or say or give or take. The Christian never dares to seize the reins of his conduct abso lutely In his own hands. Ho holds himself subject to the righting and the guidance of Jesus Christ. It Is evident then that to be a true Christian you must be constantly remembering Jesus Chridt. “What did He dor’ “What would He sayr’ “What does He want of raer’ To Illustrate, and tho illustration comes handily: We are going to take a subscription today for causes unques tionably dear to Jesus Christ. Without Him they would never have been found ed, and without Him they would perish. Tho question will come up practically before you, “What shall I do? How much ought I to giver’ No one but yourself can get a right answer to such question, and you ar.e not sure you can always. But I will tell you the only safe method you as a Christian can abide by In such matters, “Remember Jesus Christ.” Remember that He stands over against the treasury be holding. Ask Him and that will leave nothing more required of your sincerity in tho sight of God. Only take warn ing that nothing less than obedience to your conscience of what Ho wants of you, the actual doing of what you are convinced will please Him with you, can range you as an honest and sincere Christian. The only weakness of this illustration is that It Illustrates too well. It touches and lays bare a mat ter about which there Is probably Jn our time, when Christians arc making a great deal of money, a greater dis position to forget to think of Jesus Christ than about anything else. Finally, remember Jesus Christ be cause He Himself asks you to. He wants to be remembered. Among the last deeds of His holy mission He appropriated the ancient and most sa cred memorial of tho Israelites to HI* longing to be remembered In tho world by those who loved Him, and said: “This do In remembrance of me." Nearly every summer of my lifo I go back to the home of my childhood at Clayton, N. C. When I have met old friends and many klnspeople and have slept, I have always gotten up early In the morning and have gone upon my tender pilgrimage to my mother's grave alone. I would not want even my only brother there then. ’Tis tho loneliness I seek. My spirit craves that, needs that—tho loneliness of memory, the solitude of communion. Is the marble slab loosened and lean ing? Then, “mother, that shall be straightened.” Is the turf scant, tho mound sunken, the rose bush wild and scraggy? Then, “mother, it shall all bo repaired.” That shall all be done because it Is in mo that her grave shall be well kept as her memory Is. But suppose her last words to me had been that I should visit her grave every year and keep it carefully green In remembrance of her, how much more would 1 bind my soul to tho dear task! Oh, then remember Jesus Christ, be cause He does'ask you to. “I think of Thee when morning springs From sleep, with plumage bathed in dew, And, like a young bird, lifts Its wings of gladness on the welkin blue; And when at noon the breath Of love O’er flower and stream is wandering free, And sent in music from the grave, I think of Thee—I think of Thee. “I think of Thee when soft and wide Tho evening spreads her robes of light. And, like a young and timid bride, Sits blushing in the arms of night. And when the moon's sweet crescent springs In light o’er heaven's wide waveless sea, And stars are forth like blessed things, I think of Thee, oh, Christ—I think of Thee!” the dinner hour and be tnay even continue his game while turning lignin ro a serious discussion of some important subject. 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