The Life and Experiences of a Layman by Charles Boller

Pages 103 - 107


completed for the walls of the building. Because, if my stone is not placed as designed, the "City Building" will not be completed. The lesson is this: To carry on the Sunday school work, the Lord needs Workers. Workers of different grade, age and ability, filled with enthusiasm and fervor. Yes, if the Sunday school structure is to fulfill its mission, then the church, with all her talents and powers, must elevate it to its rightful place in relation to the needs and opportunities of the times.

Having completed our work along this line, and the Lord calls us to receive our reward, we shall meet each other again yonder, where you will understand me better than you understood me this evening, because there one language only is known and spoken; and that language is: The grand German language. (Applause)

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37. The Gift That Is In Thee

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How can a man stir up the gift that is in him? By consecration. The gift is of God. Take it to Him, and devote it to His service. We all have observed how Jesus developed the


gifts of the men who became his disciples. Behold Peter, what a remarkable man Jesus made of him, and of the common publican! He can develop the gifts which are in us, if we consecrate them to His service. By education, we understand that the intellectual faculties are developed. They are likewise developed by training, and by discipline. Likewise the spiritual gifts in us must be unfolded. Faith must be exercised, as well as the intellect and memory. Love must be schooled, as well as the reasoning faculties. Prayer requires as much practice, as the musical talents. Patience must be learned, as well as mathematics. The singer learns to sing, not merely by studying music, but chiefly by singing. The poet learns to write poetry, by writing poetry. The results of his first efforts are crude, but by and by he produces gems which enrich the literature of the world.

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38. A Soldier of Jesus Christ

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First he must allow himself to be recruited.

Second he must exercise so that he can be used skillfully as a weapon.


Third he must faithfully serve his king.

Fourth, above all else he must heed the command.

In the battle near Gravelotte towards the end of the French War, the trumpeter sounded the retreat. In the din of battle one soldier did not hear the signal. Soon after he was surrounded by the French. He fought like a lion and he won. The king heard about it and sent a message that this soldier should appear before him. He appeared befor the king and the king spoke to him as follows:
"My son, how did it come to be that you and the French cavaliers faced each other?" He responded, "Your majesty, I did not hear the signal and cease fighting." "You are a brave soldier and this time you shall receive no punishment, but listen, my son," the king said," a soldier must heed the command, hear the signal and obey!"

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39. How a Young Minister gave up Unreasonable Shouting from the Pulpit

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A young minister delivered a sermon for the first time in the First Church in Buffalo, N.Y. He started in a loud voice and became ever louder


until he finally screamed in full voice towards the end. I wondered if he was never made aware of this by an older preacher and corrected, so I decided at the first opportunity to have a brotherly discussion with him about it. The next afternoon as I was going to lunch he met me. I winked at him. He came to me and I congratulated him on the good sermon he gave yesterday. He smiled a little. "But listen, my dear brother," I added, "I have two boilers in my planing mill and I can accomplish my work very well with eighty pounds of steam and the boilers have lasted for 25 years. But if I were to increase the steam to 100 pounds, which is not at all necessary, my boilers will be used up in 10 years." I said to my horse, "Getty-up, Billy." I looked around when I was a short distance away and I saw that he was still standing in the same place holding his finger in the air. He nodded to me as though he wanted to say, "I understand it." This brother later professed that he had been cured of the named evil —one hot Sunday afternoon he preached in Ebenezer and a large calf stood before the open church door,


stuck its head in and bawled so loudly that the entire assembly was startled. The cry was so deafening for him that he saw his error. Thus the calf helped and of the two it was the best teacher.

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40. Jesus

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The only perfection of which I can think, is spelled with five letters — Jesus.

This, and this only, is holiness, Jesus received. Jesus fellowshipped. Jesus welcomed. Jesus served. Jesus pleased in all our temper and spirit of life. Look up to Him now. Claim Him, and welcome Him as your own. Willing, and able to do as much for you, as He ever did for anybody. Constrain Him to abide within the heart, which He seeks to make His dwelling place.

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41. The Co-operation of God

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To be made holy requires the co-operation of God the Father, Jesus the son, and the Holy Spirit; the blood of Jesus and the Word of God, coupled with human obedience. There


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Text provided by Lockwood Library, State University of New York at Buffalo, BX8080.B65

Susan Kriegbaum-Hanks