The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-09-30

1 lUIlOW hAA1 Wlbu an
which they never felt in any other cause.
And this magnetism does not diminish
with the lapse of generations or the roll
Of centuries. Jesus, though He has left
the earth, still exerts this power in the
world. He so attracts men as to make
them not only love Him, and live for Him,
but willingly and gladly to die for Him.
Napoleon, standing on the brow of st.
| Helena, said to Montholon: "Can you
tell me who Jesus Christ was?" Without
waiting for an answer he continued:
"There is something about him which l
can not understand. Alexander, Cesar,
| Charlemagne and myself have founded
| great empires. But upon what did these
creations of our genius restp Upon force.
| But Jesus founded His upon lore; and this
very day millions would die for Him.
| have inspired multitudes," he continued,
"with an enthusiastic devotion, such that
they would have died for me; but, to do
this, it was necessary that l should be
| present with the electric influence of my
looks, my words, and my voice. When
| Sdlo men, and spoke to them, l
| lighted up the flame Of devotion in
their hearts. But Jesus, by some myste-
rious influence, reaching down, even
through the lapse of eighteen hundred
years, so draws the hearts of men toward
Him that thousands, at word would rush
| through fire and flood for Him, counting
not their lives dear unto him." And there
are thousands of men and women who are
as bold and enthusiastic for the cause of
/ fba Too char n cTrya @ GtaY,hap I'd ba
shower of stones, as was Paul when he
was led to execution, or as Ridley and
Latimer were when they were burned at
the stake.
We may well say that there was never
| any other such teacher as Christ. Place
Him where you will, and under any cir
cumstances-place Him beside Socrates
and Plato, and speak of Him merely as
good man uttering the truth-strip Him
of all the glory of His Divinity-divest
Him of His Heaven-given commits
sion, and even then, when the his
tory of His life passes before you, you
can not but admit that He was "Teacher
sent from God"
Back of organs and nerves, in the inten-
tions and principles of the man, is vice or
virtue. Therefore, to make men better,
you must make them to have better hearts.
And this is the grand design Of Christ's
Gospel, of all His teachings. Every lesson,
maxim, precept and principle Of the Bible
points in this direction, is given with this
great end in view. Hence, it is said: ga
neU heart will l give you. will put
nelo spirit within you" David under-
stood thic yvhan ba prayad. NCroa 70 IL,
me clean heart, o God, and renew lUithin
me a right spirit" And the Saviour
Himself says: "Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they shall see God"
He taught us the oneness of our nature
taught us to regard the world as one
vast brotherhood, members of the same
family, and that wherever we find fell
low being, no matter what his condition
Or complexion, whether he be rich or
poor, bond or free, he is our bro ther;
and as such has a claim upon
our sympathy. Sympathy Yes, this
is the great element which humanity.
poor, tempted humanity, most needs. 1t
is what this great stirring, jarring, cold
world wants. We want it in all our busi-
ness and social relations. We want it in the
church, too. The church should in no sense
be an apologist for sin, nor for moment
hide error or hypocrisy behind her altars;
yet, were she, in many instances, to ex-
tend the hand of sympathy to a weak and
erring brother, might not he, instead of be-
ing turned out of the way rather be healed?
"Restore such an one," saith the Apos-
tie, sin the spirit of meekness, consid-
ering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Bear ye one another's burdens, and so full
fill the law of Christ"
We want this sympathy in the ministry.
Would to God that all Christ's ambas.
sadors were more fully clothed with
this Heavenly grace! 1t is easy for
the minister 20 preach about the de-
pravity of man-to expose his frailties,
to rebuke his errors, to thunder from the
pulpit Gods threatening against the Of
fender-and ] would not have him fail to
do his duty faithfully in this respect-but
would it not be better, often, for him to go,
like his divine Master, and visit the way
ward ones, and give them the warm clasp
of a brothers. hand, and make them feel
that he sympathizes with them in all their
struggles against sin, in all their sorrows
and trials, and assure them that he is
willing and ready to do any thing within
his power to Tighten their heavy burdens
and soothe their troubled hearts.
This is one of the very important lessons
which Jesus taught US. He taught it in
the pure principle of love which He incul-
Gated, love to God and love to man; love,
not only to our friends, but to our enemies;
not only to Christians, but to sinners. He
taught us lessons of faith and holy trust in
as our Redeemer, Preserver,
Sanctifier and atoning High Priest. He
said: aye believe in God, believe also in
Me. Whosoever liveth and believeth in
Me shall never die" We are to trust Him
in life amid our battlings with the
world and the cares Of business; amid
the tolls, temptations and Affections
through which He may call us to pass in
our journey to the skies.
We must trust Him, too, in the hour Of
death. How many examples we have to
assure us that He may be trusted in that
trying hourl David, when dying, with
unfaltering faith and step walked down
into the cold stream, saying: "Yea,
JnOuSu walk uuTOuBH Oue Ndlley OIL bno
shadow of death, will fear no evil, for
thou art with me, Thy rod and Thy staff
they comfort me-" Paul, when antici-
pating death, said: 81 have desire to
depart and be with Christ" And then, In
the language of Christian triumph, he ex-
80 death, where is thy sting?
o, grave, where is thy victory9 Thanks
be unto God who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ" And how
did the sanity Stephen die, that noble
hero of God, and martyr for the great
Teachers cause? When expiring amid
the shower of stones hurled against him
by the merciless mob, he turned to his
murderers, and looking upward with the