The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-08-20

Icy mountains" came 70 know as never
before, Of the deep compensations Of their
lives. They had builded their lives, they
had builded their bodies unto the temple
Of God on earth; temple within whose
walls the nations are to be gathered, and
chant chorals Of eternal praise. They had
laid down their lives as stepping stones to
the brink of time, that on them the Son OF
man might walk in His triumphant prog.
ress round the world. Thus to build and
thus to be were compensations sufficient,
We ask, Was Christ's life happy or un.
happy, joyous or sadf It seems to me Il
must have been life in which, at once, Joy
and sadness were more complete than in
that Of any other man. No one Of Christ's
insight into human nature, of Christ's
tender heart could live thirty. three years
without seeing the sufferings Of our poor,
fallen, suffering humanity. l have fire.
quently walked, at the close Of a sultry
summers day, through the streets at the
North End of our New England Metropolis.
The thousands who burrow in cellars have
worked their way out to the pavement;
the other thousands, who Jmotherin attics,
have flown to the earth. 10, Lord, how
long, how long this suffering" is my cry.
Do you not think that the man who saw
and felt all the anguish, and woe, and suf.
fering of human hearts must have been
sad and sorrowfulp We never read Of His
smiling; we do read Of His weeping.
think He must also have wept many silent
tears. But tell me, farther, do you not
think that conipensations of infinite worth
were also His? What il one of you could
go down to the North End tonight, and
say to the hungry, suffering, manned,
perishing bodies and souls: "Come to me (;
l will give you what you most need,"
would not your heart be full with the
deepest, and richest and completeSt joy'
This was Chrisps power. 1t must also
have been His joy. He could give, He
wanted to give, He did give to all in just
so far as they were willing to receive what
each most needed. His work was simply
the work of man and Of God; the work of
the God man for the redemption of the
world. His life must have been life of
the supremest joy and satisfaction.
In the feudal period of the Middle Ages
when young man was to be made n
knight, they clothed him in white tunic,
a symbol Of purity, in a red robe, symbol
OF the blood he was bound to shed in the
service Of the faith, in a toga, a close,
black coat, symbol Of the death which
awaited him, as well as all men. They
put on his coat of mail, bound ON his spurs
and girded on his sword. With his helmet
on his brow, brandishing his lance, ho
went forth TO war in the contest Of chiv.
airy. Imprisonment, suffering, death,
might await him; honor and fame and
station might be his reward. But were he
true cievaller, his deepest compensation
was the assurance that he was fighting for
the faith with all his might, and that q
hundred deaths were a bauble compared
TO his loyalty to his Divine Master and
Lord. Irecognize the compensations Of
the passive Christian virtues. remember
the eighth Of Romans. l know that like
the anchor TO the ship is this assurance
that all things work together for good to
the believer. l know that confidence Is
founded upon the truth that "every mans
life is a plan OF God" know the blessed.
ness Of seeing the love of God as revealed
in the cross of Christ. trust feel the
peace Of sin forgiven. | know the Joy
of the perfect and eternal security
in Jesus. They are all rich bless.
ings, golden assurances, Heavenly re.
wards Of Christian service. But | would
first give TO men higher compensation,
the compensation Of the service itself.
"Behold we have left all and followed
Thee" The following is the reward. My
Lord, in His work among men for God,
suffered. If in my work He calls me to
suffer, in that suffering may find com
pensation. My Lord knew His G0thsema-
ne. II also have Gethsomane, there, in
the night, and the cold, and the loneliness,
too, may find my compensation. My
Lord was crucihed. II am also nailed
to some cross, in the very agony of death
may find compensation; all, all in the
assurance that the suffering, the dark
Gethsemane, and the cross, are the ways
In which work with God in His labors
for the redemption Of the world.
And when at last we stand on the walls
Of the city Of God, and cast our eyes down
to this planet of the earth that glows In
tho infinite distance, a planet that shines
only as it is lighted by the light of Heaven,
among the deepest causes Of thanksgiving
will be the assurance that we have worked
with the best forces on the globe, that we
have worked cooperating with God Him.
self in the liberation Of sin-enslaved
race, and in the regeneration Of sin.cursed
men.