The Portland daily press., 1874-02-10
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wbo ~ G;.d Spu oy we shall see, that, like Hin
VII ,e1 and rose again he is welding great
anu ABIDING power
,,;,l; lug mis ltiest men of history have been
ara ,,,;ns; Inc mightiest men on earth
are missionaries.- What ether Ivas a., ;nau-
encing ours to-day as are those sS pN aie NM
Paui anu John? What other men whn hans az
hved 10 history are bringing to bear unon hn.
man character and human DESTINY a force "a
fresh and formative and powerful as theirs,
Paul breaches to-day imam hundred tongues
to thousand thousand bearers. Millions of
souls are catching the fire of his ardor, and
swayed by the resistless energy of his love.
And there are no men on the globe who
are welding force so solid and enduring and of
such wide result as the mis- 'ionaries OF the
cross. The worlds great men make books,
but they, by the help of God make men. The
worlds great men educate, but they, God
helping them regenerate. The day will come
wh o. not to acknowledge these as among the
greatest benefactors Of the race will be con-
elusive proof of either ignorance or prejudice.
We shall see by and by that the appearance
OF weakness which the missionaries of the
LOSS are wearing is as llusory and futile as
that wnich their Master wore when bis enc
ipies dragged him unresisting to his death.
we pass on to observe the individual
Enrlstlan lie. 1t too has its counterparts to
tne az parent weakness of the cross and the
mower
tion.
There is to the eye of the world an appear-
ance OF weakness in the lite of Christian. Its
absolute subsection to the VIII of another
gives it semblance of feebleness. The con-
fessions of sin which the Christian makes with
bitter regret seem to the world t. show an un-
manly lack OF self-respect. The mild and
forgiving spirit of Christ seem TO it to saver of
puslanimitJ. Feryor of religious feeling is
very apt TO seem 10 it the excitement OF an
Unbalanced nature.
The more distinctively Christian life Is,
the higher value il obviously sets on the uu-
seen and eternal; and the more it depreciates
the seen and temporal in comparison the weak
er must 1t seem to the eye of world which
measures mans power by his ability to get
earthly good. Each one of us must exp ct if he
would lead visiby and Jis.inctively Chris
tian life to share onr Masters crucifixiou
weakness. There viii be times when We
must say and do things which only motives
drawn from the other world can prompt.
We must, perhaps, boldly assert the yalae of
the soul, its danger of destruction and its
need OF salvation. We must, very possibly,
speak out boldly against practices or amuse-
ments whose tendency we think perlous to
the SOULS immortal veal. And we must ex-
peet that to those who do not see the things
which we see or appreciate the motives which
actuate us, our action will see m ill-timed and
needless. ...
Did not our Master tell us that 1t was
enough for the disciple to be as bis Master
and the servant as his Lord? sut f 1t be trt O
that we share His crrc'fxion weakness, is it
not also trae that we share his resurrection
oower? For our experience te Is us that ths
Christian life is one of power The DO wer OF
holy principle dvinely planted in the soul is
in it. The power of victory over sin is in 1t.
The power of growing Christian manhood
fills it with exu'ting strength. 1t has The
strength of noble aspiration. 1t knows the
might o. glorious hope. Great motives lift
the soul out Of siuggishness and urge it ore
ward. A noble service eplists s eneIgits and
fires its zeal 1t rejoices in possessing an un-
dying energy and lives under the powel OF an
endless life Crucifed with Christ aud 80
showing the sembance of weakness which he
wore when the wofd saw in him dsap-
| pointed and thwarted popular leader. and a
| feeble criminal, we are risen with Tim and SO
live as be did, strong by power of God.
| This deep resemblance between OUT n sster's
| crucitixion weakness and resurrection strength
] and the contrasted temporary feebleness and
| abiding power OF mis- people is full Of aspiring
suggestions. Does Christianity at times cen
| weak to Us, ,thework which the church does inef
ficient, her growth very slow, the power of an
! ii christian, literature very mighty? Are We
| not discouraged, and does not our discour
agement paralyzs our effors for the advance
ment ofthe Redeemer's Kingdom? And hov
dishearened wtIe the followers of the maj
who had proclaimed himself to be tine Messal
or Israel, when they saw his pretensions tram
pied upon by Israel and himself put to deaf
as a pretender. How little dreamed the
szA4s 4lS eDS t1ies ~crc accom- pfshfDg bis pur
pose while they were slay ing him: that tn
cross was but the stepping stone to the Me
diatorial throne Yet it was so, for there wa
divine life in him which could not be- hol
den OF death. Shall we, rem embering this
forget that there is in his church, too an un
| dying and growing life, that Ter hour of weak
ness is but the prelude to her hour of tri
umph? "a =
And are we never discouraged at our per-
sonal weakness? Are there not times when The
connlct with sin seems unatailiDg. Are there
not seasons when chill discourse ement
creeps into our hearts as oenumbing and par
| alyzing as winter wind? I'D
1t is our weakness, our crucifxiou weak
ness. Then let US look back tothat new tomb
wheIe the body OF Christ was laid, and think
OF the earthquake and the resurrection OF the
Lord to the power OF an endless Lille.
Beside our.sin and weakness, there is in Ms
too divine principle of life. For crucified
with Christ do We not life with him? Has
he not said that he who livetL and belieyeth
in him shall never die?