Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-10-24

the deck In the midst of a tempest and
then looked out upon the wrath of the sea,
and coming home to his studio he pictured
the tempest Il is not the copyist who
succeeds, but the man who confronts the
natural world So if man in literary
composition resolves that he will initiate
the smoothness of Addison or the rugged
vigor OF Carlyle, or the weirdness of
Spenser, or the epigrammatic style of
Ralph Waldo Emerson, he will not succeed
as well as that man who cultures his own
natural style. What is true in this respect
is true in respect to character. There
were men who were fascinated with Lord
Byron. He was lame and wore a very large
collar. Then there were tens OF thousands
of men who resolved that they would be
just like Lord Byron, and they limped and
wore large collars. but they did not have
any OF his genus. You can not success
fully copy a man whether he is bad or
good. You may take the very best man
that ever lived and try and live like him.
and you will make failure. There never
was better man than Edward Payson.
Many have read his biography, not UNDER
standing that be was a very sick man, and
they thought they were growing in grace
because they were growing like him in
depression of spirit There were men to
copy Cowpsr, the poet a glorious man.
but sometimes afflicted with melancholy
almost to insanity. The copyists got
Cowper's faults, but none of his virtues.
There never was but one Being fit to
copy. A few centuries ago He came out
through humble surroundings and with a
gait and a manner and behavior different
from any thing the world had seen. Among
all classes of people He was a perfect
model. Among fishermen He showed how
fishermen should act Among taxgather-
ers He showed how taxgatherers should
act Among lawyers He showed how
lawyers should acs. Among farmers h
showed how farmers shOuli act Among
rulers He showed how rulers should act.
Critics tried to find in His conversation
or sermons something unwise or unkind
or Inaccurate; but they never found it.
They watched Him, oh how they watched
Him! He never went into a house but
they knew it and they knew how long He
stayed and when He came out, and
whether He had wine for dinner. Slander
twisted her whips and wagged her poi
soned tongue and set her traps but could
not catch Him. Little children rushed
out to get from Him a kiss and old men
tottered out to the street corner to see Him
pass.
Do you want an illustration of devotion,
behold Him whole nights in prayer. Do
you want an example of suffering. see His
path across Palestine tracked with blood
Do want an example of patience, see Him
abused and never giving one sharp retort
Do you want an example of industry, see
Him without one Idle moment Do you
want a specimen of sacrifice, look at His
life of self denial His death of ignominy,
His sepulcher of humiliation. what an
example! His feet wounded, yet He SUBJ
mitted to the Journey. His back LAGER
ated, and yet He carried the cross.
Struck, He never struck back again.
Condemned, yet He rose higher
than His caluminators, and with
wounds in His hands and wounds in His
feet and wounds on his brow and wounds
in His side, He calculated: ''Father for
give them, they know not what they do"
All. my brethren, that is the pole by which
to set your compass, that is the headland
by which to steer, that is the light by
which to kinde your lamps, that is the
example that we ought all to follow.
How it would smooth out the roughness
in our disposition, and the world would be
impressed by the transformation and
would say: II know what is the matter
with that man: he has been with Jesus
and has learned of Him"
Alexander was going along With his
army in Persia and the snow and ice were
so great that the army halted and said:
1--WE can't march any further" Then
Alexander dismounted from his horse.
took pickax, went ahead of his army
and struck into the ice and snow. The
soldiers said: eff he can do that we can
do it," and they took their picks and soon
the way was cleared and the army
marched on. So our Lord dismounted
from His glory and through all obstacles
hews a path for himself and path for US.
saying: Follow Ne! do not ask you to
go through any battles where l do not
lead the way! Follow Ne"
Again remarx that we are to look to
Christ as a sympathizer. Is there any
body in the house to-day who does not
want sympathy? do not know how any
body can live without sympathy. There
are those. however. who have gone
through very rough paths in life who had
no divine arm to lean on. How they got
along l do not exactly know. Their for
vestment and few away. the bank failed,
and they buttoned up penniless pocket.
Ruthless spectators carried off the frag-
ments of an estate they were twenty-five
years in getting with hard labor. How
did they stand it without Christ? Death
came into the nursery and there was an
empty crib. One vocs less in the house,
hold. One fountain less of Joy and laugh
IL. IA n in,
sport Two feet less to go bounding and
Fomping through the hall. Two eyes less
to beam with love and gadness. Through
all that house shadow after shadow, shad-
ow after shadow, until it was midnight
How did they get through it? 1 do not
know. They trudged the great Sahara
with no water in the goat skins. They
plunged to the chin in the slough of des-
pond and had no one to lift them. In an
unseaworthy craft they put into a black
Euroclydon.
Ny brother. my sister. there is balm
that cures the worst wound There is a
light that will kinde up the worst dark
ness. There is harbor from the toughest
ocean. You need and may have the
Saviour's sympathy. You can not get on
this way. l see your body is wearing
you out, body and mind and soul. cone
on no fools errand to-day. 1 come with
a balm that can heal any wound Are
you sick? Jesus was sick Are you
weary? Jesus was weary! Are you
Jesus was prosecuted! Are
you bereaved? Did not Jesus weep over
LazarusS OBJ. yes, like a roe on the
of Bother Jesus comes bound
ing to your soul to-day. There is one
passage of Scripture, every word Of
which is g heart throb: "Come unto me-
all We who are weary and heavy laden,