St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-09-12
ReIiaions Rsadina.
Courage :!
BY REV. THEODORE L. CUYLER.

There were other mental qualities
which promised success; but the want
of "back bone" proved as fatal to char
acter as spinal disease does to the body.
No young man can afford to under-rate
a virtue which is SO strenuously insist
ed on in the Word of God. L lind In
NV concordance that the command OF
God to s'fear not I" occurs about thirty
times. In the first chapter of Joshua
there are no less than six distinct in
functions to Israel's leader to "be not
afraid" and to ''be strong and of good
courage"
This noble trait is that moral quality
or force which enables one to face dan
gers or difficulties without fiinchlng.
1t is not physical virtue of Drawn and
muscle dependent upon strength OF
nerves. Truly has it been said that
"moral courage is not so much matter
of temperament as it is of trust" David,
the STRIPPING, knew that Gods arm was
behind him, and so he did not quail at
the giant stature of the Philistine bravo.
Bullies are often great towards; the
duelist is always coward, for he has
not the moral nerve to withstand the
sneer of fools, and to refuse to do a
wicked deed. The nation owes GER
tain debt of gratitude to the two con-
h. fnIN
"code of honor" a laughing stock, and
pilloried themselves as poltrOOns.
We do not wonder that the Bible de-
lights in men and women of courage.
The foremost place in its hero gallery
is accorded to Noah, who withstood the
SCOTS of his generatiOn-tOJ Joseph, who
was never afraid except to commit sin
to Daniel in BabylOn-tO Elijah be-
fore Ahab, and to the SCARED and grey
headed veteran who faced Nere's tribu-
nal without turning white in the lips.
These last two cases bring out the Pc
culiar essence of spiritual courage,
which is the secret trust in an unseen
God. "All men fOrsook me-" is Paul's
own account of himself, "but the Lord
stood lUith me, and strengthened me-"
Here is a golden hint for the young who
are put to their mettle in refusing sim
full fashion, OF in bearing jibe at their
conscientious scruples. The young man
who can be laughed into glass of wine
or n game of cards or a ball room, may
set himself down as pitiable coward,
who can be pushed back by straw.
If he is more afraid of a companions
sneer than of Gods frOwn, he is doom
ed.
1t often requires genuine courage to
be willing to be misunderstood. A GER
tain young printer kept aloOf from his
r-Io,u-wOrkmen, and rsr-~-a TO CON
tribute towards their ''junketings" and
social entertainments. One day whe1
approached by workman with a sub.
scliptiOn paper for some convivial pur.
pose, he, as usual, refused. ''You are
the stingiest man in this building y
This cruel taunt reused his blood. He
Indignantly replied, ''You have insult
ed me-" This drew the printers all
from their cases, in anticipation of a
brawl. The young man, with honest
indignation, said to his associates, "For
a year | have worked faithfully here,
and minded my own business. have
starved myself in order to save up
money to send my sick sister to Paris
to be treated by physician who I'M
derstands such difficult cases. Would
any of you do as much 7" The printers
were silenced, and went back to theiI
type-setting, fully persuaded that there
was at least one hero among them
The peculiar merit OF that mans eour-
age was that it was fed and supported
by secret cORUictiOn of right. Many
time in life true Christian must ex.
pect to be misunderstood. If God un.
derstands him, that is enough.
The test question with many an anx.
ious inquirer is simply this-Will yor
trust an unseen God, or quail before th,
face of MANI Thousands yield unde
this test, and are laughed out of thei
souls. Every young convert must ex
pect to be seasoned" with more thai
one sharp encounter with the scoffe
who either stares at him as "odd," o
sneers at him as puritanical. An Incl
dent which has been published before
illustrates finely how the standing b,
our colOrs often makes an enemy sur
render:
LAST night" said Christian soldie
to his chaplain, sin my barrack, befor
going to bed, knelt down and prayed
when suddenly, my comrades raised
loud laugh, and began to throw boot
and clothes at me-" "Well," reptile,
the chaplain, suppose you defer you
prayers till after you retire, and the
silently lift up your heart to God.
Meeting him soon after, the chaplain
said, "You took my advice, suppose
how did it answerf" "Sir,n replied tn
soldier, 81 did take your advice for tw
or three evenings; but began to thin
1t looked like denying my Saviour; S
l once more knelt down and prayed a
at first.n "What followed ~ "Wh,
sir, not one of them laughs now. III
'0hOte fifteen notU kneel do,cn, too, and
pray with them.n
Every man or woman who turns I
Christ must bear in mind that they al
breaking with their old master, and er
listing under new leader Convars;o