of Y our Calling Sph esian s 1:2,©
B j William Evans, Fh=D., Ba
H < s a it @ i tla ® B l b t e ''I n s t i t e t % @ 1 S a @ s A m g) An Address of Welcome delivered before the Institute by Dr: Evans, at the opening of the school on September 26, 1917. and alacrity to his step. His very walk was accelerated by the vision he had received from heaven. From henceforth he knew no man after the flesh. If any man is in Christ Jesus he is a new creation. Nor was Paul, the Apostle, ever quite the same man after the vision of the Christ he received on the way to Damas cus. From that very hour his mission in life was determined, characterized and guided by his appreciation of the Christ whom he had seen and the call he had received on the Damascus road. Thus the persecutor of the Church became the Apos tle of the Church of Jesus Christ. It was the appreciation these men had of their call to life and service that gave value, dignity and force to their ministry. It was the Nazarite’s appreciation of the vow 'of separation that rested upon him that gave value and character to the out ward expression of that inward call as set forth in separateness of life and action. There were many things not wrong in themselves which the devout Jew could do but which the Nazarite could not do, not because those things were wrong or even unlawful in themselves considered, but ERMIT me to draw your , attention this morning to IEphesians, the first chapter, the 15th to the 17th verses, icEQMbS' e§a noting especially the first clause of verse 18: “Having the eyes of your heart enlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his calling.” Permit me to speak to you, then, for a few moments on “An appreciation of your calling to Christian service.” It is our appreciation of a thing which gives it value. The greater the value of anything the deeper, ordinarily, our appreciation of it. So is it with our call to Christian service. The more thorough our under standing and the deeper our appreciation of our call, the more value will we set upon it as a factor in our life-control. Peter, the Apostle, was never quite the same man after he descended from the roof of the house of Simon, in Joppa, where he had received that most wonder fully instructive and rebuking vision in which he was taught that in the sight of God there is “no respect of persons.” It was the appreciation of this fact that gave value to his mission, spirit to his purpose,
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