St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-08-13
THE COURAGE OF CHRIST.
Rev. j. III. Lhamon Tells of What
it Consisted

What is courage? Look on cowardice
and see it's opposite. Cowardice brags
when danger is distant, runs when it
should stand, retreats when it should
advance, betrayS the truth, puts up
breastwork of lies for defense, leaves
honor to perish, courts popularity at the
expense of principle, seeks plausibility
at the sacrifice of rectitude, winks at
the evil it should abolish, compro-
misses when it should prohibit. Cow
ardice retaliateS, accepts challenges,
fights duels, keeps up standing armies,
dares not forgive, shrinkS from self
sacrifice, manufactures battle clubs, and
cultivateS the WarWhOop.
True courage is the opposite of all
this. 1t has conscience; it seeks
peace; it is brave enough to forgive; it
chooses rather to suffer than to wound;
it is rigid in righteousness, betrays not
the truth, makes no compromise with
error, stands by its work in the world,
counts duty dearer than life, and at
tains its own high ideal or dies in the
attempt.
We seek the highest form of courage.
Can Christ satisfy our search in this?
We admire the man who trem bles not
when he faces foe; we love the man
who hazards his life for friend; we
reverence him who dies at the stake for
the truth that he holds; but we adore
Him who, out of devotion to truth and
obedience to God, works the redemp-
ton of man.
The life of Jesus had plan. From
the first He looked forward and saw the
opposition of His foes, the discourage
ment of His friends, the betrayal, the
crucifctiOn and the resurrection. In
His pathway there were thorns and He
knew it, but walked bravely on. Be-
fore Him there was mOckery for His
teaching, cruelty for His love and curses
for His prayers; He knew it and went
forward to meet it all.
Small souls cannot we'll understand
the motives and purposes of great ones.
Christ when he might have been
proud and popular Pharisee? Why did
Luther oppose Rome when he might
have been an easygOing monk? Why
did Savonarola prefer martyrs crown
to a cardinals cap? What induced Huss,
and jerome, and Latimer, and Ridley,
and Cranmer, and Bunyan to preach
doctrines that were diStaSteful to their
respective ages till they got themselves
into prisons and flames? What impelled
Cary and JudSOn to go as missionaries,
ana JONI HOWARD anu clara Barton to
visit the prisons and care for the sick?
What is it that makes philanthropist,
OF moral hero, or a fearless prophet?
When you have understood the mo-
tives of the martyrs, and philanthro-
pists. and prophets of humanity; when
you know the spirit of love
and righteousness that will not
let its pOSSesSor rest till
his work is done; when you realize the
impelling power of a great conscience
responding to the love of man and the
voice of God, then will you know what
makes a true hero, and why Jesus went
to Jerusalem. Emerson says: so
man, come into port grandly, or sail the
seas with God" Jesus says: "Follow
me-" There is nothing better or Drawer
that we can do. You who are Christ's
go forth to your little work as Jesus did
to his great work. Have plan to your
lives large enough to include both the
fairest weather and the foul est, but be
sure to come into port at last grandly.
having sailed the seas with Christ.