New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-07-13
JOY OF A CHRISTIAN LIFE.
tn, P,r r. S M1.lrihw at III Calvary Blpisi church

The Rev. r. S. Macarthur preached ut the
Calvary BAPTIST Church, in Twenty-thrdst., taking for
his text Judges ", SO let all thine enemies per-
ish Lord but let them that love Him DO as the sun
when he goeth forth in his might
This verse; said Dr. Macarthur, ia part Of the grand
song Of Deborah, and it is sung by grand woman
r,s sony breaks the silence that extended from the
fines OF Moses to the times Of Samuel IL is grand
breaking forth OF the voice OF prophetic inspira-
ton. Deborah did for her people what Joan OF
Arc did for tho people of France She reused the
whole nation against its enemies She bad her
dwelling under n spreading palm-tree' and when the
Romans conquered Palestine the symbol found on old
Ie,vsb coins was the cure Of sitting beneath
a spreading palm in memory OF the great Deborah
Among tribes Of the North here was IN her tine
famous warrior named Blrak-meanlng lightning De
borah sent for him TO her people and be their de-
liyerer Barak fierce warrior, but he yielded hs
authority TO this great woman, and Obeyed her COM
mands Then all the clans Of the Iraelte aroused
and they and mustered their forces on Mount Ia
Dor The Canaanitcs. hearing OF the insurrection
also mustered their forces, and encamped In the
valley near Mount Tabor. Deborah called upon
the Lord and with his 10000 men he obeyed her and at
tackled the Canaan;es The clements favored nun as
they ala the English in the battle Of Crtcy Fierce hal
and eet we're driven by strong wind into the faces OF
the Canaanites who were terribly defeated sisera,
their commander. fled and took refuge with Jael me
wife of Heber, who was friendly TO inc Sahahl.es,
Jaei received hun kindly and gave him food but whom
he had fallen d asleep s na his head and when
Barak came up in hot pursuit lie FOUND MS enemy
Haa1 "a
hed profhcscd Deborah herself afterward completed
the victory by singing her great song In the text tne
Christian is compared TO the sun, ana TINS Is not 50
extravagant figure 1t at first appears to be: IleTe
is reason i'm this figure. FIRST on account or the sun
beauty We become familiar with the spectacle OF
the suns rising and setting that we fan To appreeao
its marvellous beauty But sometimes we see sunlIso
which awakens al our admiration, ana ms our So th
with sense OF It's perfect beauty tyy,rirg dar5
Christian comes into the world scattering Garn
ness and filing IL with the glory OF God's love
No man ia 90 beautiful his face glows with ho-
ness The analogy holds again when we reqemoef Ine
rsi6r onward When the sky is curtained with black
clouds, still above the storm the giant or the SKIES
marches on. In like manner through all clouds ana
dangers the true Chrlsah always pusuos Vi s d
il pFrhaps natural that mans Christian lie shouu
seem the beautiful to him IN its opening hours as
the sun seems larger ~ Tue cary morning E.aS' Viii
we compare it with objects on the lace OF the cart.
But when the sun reaches tue merldiah IL sesu9 ~
the progress of their Christian lie seems less
NJ The beginning. This should be To the true
Christian his experience grows ana seems DIiEnttr
he has become perfect he gives you the best evidence OF
how Imperfect he really is. Those who rest content
people in the world They have attained nothing zee
that your Christian life is always progressive one IKE
th0nght is the joyousness Of the SUMS progress. Moth
Ing can be suggestive or JOY than Tue rlsiDH prog
darkness aud night are synonyms vi sri, ,huhp
time is passing away when meh tn n,,u;Tn
ana gloom. This idea. Ike many others came
from Egypt II came III tue FORM OF alse Hedtneh
philosophy This philosophy stlZtu sOIno VI
giant words OF ST. Paul and gave thema sense that WOud
have astonshed their author This doctrine taught the
utter yleness the BODY and caused 1t to be tormented
in every conceivable that the soul might Dc DettIed
thereby God taught the other hand thht the
body Is sacred Tho prosecutions suffered by TIE carry
CHRISTIANS made them shrink from contact with the
world that treated them mercilessly and shut Them
selves up out of its ght and reach This helped along
the idea that Christian LIE was one Oh
Iopastic gloom, and OF entire seoluslOn IRON
the world. But the idea was utterly wfons.
Christians were meant to be tue lIgAJ OF the
world They can do it good II they do not mlnge
with IT, III Christianity is 10 the world It's glorious
lcaven must put into it until the whole Is eayened
The idea OF making separate sect OF Christians u false
10 the genius Christianity The notion that religious
teachers are lifted above the rest OF the worm ~
one unknown Christ. and not TO be fOunu IN
His teachings. a remarkable feature OF me Oid
Testament Is the jOyOusuess that runs thiOugh
IT. This Is especially noticeable III Tue
psalms Some OF the Psalms TEEN with JOY. inc New
Testament Is also full of joy The life Of Christ was not
life of gloom but OF pure JOY His soul was llllei
with the joy OF doing good works The Apostle TOO tens
ia 10 r. in the Lord. But this Christian JOY Is lar
removed from the coarse hilarious mlrh OF the world
II IL ioyouSucss arising from the love OF God III Is per
fcct chasteued and Chrstke. There Is said TO be JOY
in Heaven for repentant sinner snail mere tneh
be 10Y in Heaven but only gloom ON eaGth Lei the
Christian 20 forth beautiful progressive ana joyous as
the sun In his might, and when the sun - plotted out
forever he shall still shine like the stars III heaven