The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-08
A Lesson Drawn From the Life of
the lmpulsive Disciple,
Peter.
"Al That u Man Hath Will
He Give For His
Life"
The Despised Chinese OGicer Returning
From Paris to Pay tho Penalty
~. for His Misdoeds.

AAOss : ~ AoAnoJs 'oo. Ds pIcdCHo0 u boA
mon Yesterday morning from the text,
John 1887, II will lay down my life for thy
sake" The speaker OF this noble procla-
NATION was Peter, the impnlsive. honest,
noble disciple, though weak, untried, ig-
norant of himself, and self aHsurant, just
the type of a man who makes many blum
ders; when he goss right, doea grand things;
when he goes wrong he does sad things. He
is no half and half way man; he is a man of
positive. earnest, quick and energetic nc
ton. He sits upon no fence, lies upon no
sofas, reclines upon NJ bed of Indifferent
ism or prudential on-committal ease.
Such men make mistnkea-but a man who
makes no mistakes is a worthless kind of a
man. The man of action, the jealous
man of energy, is the man that in
his many deeds does something amiss, but
he is the man of life, of energy, of at
tenptea tasks, ever ready even at the risk
of his life to attempt something. Better
far better the dashing spray of old oceans
roar and wave than the Shiny stiffness of a
meadow pond that browns no one, but also
gives to drink no healthy water, turns no
wheels of trade, sails 40 massive ships.
Such men AS Peter in his %impulsive de-
claration also illustrate the truth that good
impulses must have beneath them deep
seated principles or they amour to nothing.
In his impulsive speech Peter meant all he
said, II will lay down my life for thy
sake" but he did not know how severe a
srial would come upon him. Before
the morning light, this man bold az
u lion instead Of dying for his Lord,
was denying that he ever knew who He
was. Even good impulses are very tran
sient; like day dreams they pass away. For
instance, scholarship has no remarkably
valuable prizes, and a pupil ID so apt to sit
and dream his precious time away as to
what he will do when he becomes a master
in this or that science. Instead of day
dreaming, if he would win the prize Of
scholarship, he must bend to the work for
fourteen hours a day for at least ten years.
His good impulses in the direction of schol-
arship must be backed up by years offtsady
and earnest, and persistent, and skilful APP
plication to hia tasks. So the man of Gou,
means not one who has good inn ulses, Gays
noble things. takes spurts at doing good; a
good man, like a scholar, is ons of persist
emit labor and deep-seated principle. Peter
to his sorrow found it much easier to say
noble things than it was to do them.
1t is sometimes said, "All that a man
hath will he give for his life" IL is a pop
ulaf saying, often quoted as unquestioned
fact. But il men realized that Satan him
self ID the author Of it they would see that
it 10 false and proceeds from the father of
lies. Man indeed is a fallen creature. His
moral condition is sad, but like az in the
ruins of Balbek, Persspolis, Babylon and
Thebes. we find columns and temples, stee-
pies and statues that are the marvel Of
modern days, 80 man has never sunk so low
that noble pillars Of grandeur are not left,
or that he holds life above more sacred
treasures. Do MT our decoration days de-
clare the many thousands of patriots who
have laid themselves down to die for their
CONTRIBUTING on battle-ields or i'll lonely
gulches, or in wretched prisons, or in suffer
ing hospitals?
Napoleon Bonaparte was repeatedly saved
in battle by the heroic self-sacrifice of his
men, who died rather than see their COM
mander die. Alexander goes down to in
fanny because, with his own hand he struck
down in drunken frenzy the man who. on
battle field near ancient Troy, himself re-
ceived the sword blow that else would have
slain the great commander.
In cur school history of the United Ststes
is a familiar picture of Mr.. Dustan, of IIav-
erhill, N. H., defending his retreating fam
lily from the Indians. Does he escape by
flight? does he seek the post of safety?
The rather does this man urge on his fam
lily to seek safety in flight while he, SO long
rs life lasts, stands as a bulwark between
tie savage foes and his fleeing family.
This last week the dispatches tell us of a
desEised heather of the Chinese Or Japan
csc nation who, by gambling away the
funds Of his government in the bells of
home" What will that heather do? If he
returns home. the penalty is death by de-
capitation. If he saves his life by flight,
his family must vigorously suffer his pun
shment What does he do? The dis
patches declare that to-day that man is on
his way home, determined his family shall
not die. Whatever his dement's, | for one
cannot help npplauding his grand act, de
termlning to die rather than let his family
suffes.
Sec also the long line of martyrs who
have not counted their lives dear into
them.
The prisoner of Chillon says:
My hair is grey. but not with years;
Nor grew it white
In a single night,
AS mems have grown from sudden fears.
! suffered chains and courted death.
Ny Father persisted at the stake
For tenets he would not forsake,
And for the same his lineal race
IN darkness found a dwelling place.
Dying, as their father died.
for the God their foes denied
Even for science itself n,en have dared to
die, or deeply suffer, as the history of cleo
~tricity, nitro glycerine, India rubber, peol-
ogy. botany and chemistry will show.
oh, of all false statements, Satan has
Iaunefeu none more Ike nlm. as the parent
of lies, than this one: "All that a man
hath will he give for his life.' Peter-like
men are willing to declare they are ready
to die for country, home, friends and their
principles, and they do die for them.
But rs to Peter. did he die as he said he
would? No; not that time. Alas. he
knew not low weak he was. Ere the dawn ,
he had denied his Lord most shametully in
stead of diving for him most grandly. but
what he failed TO do that time he did most
nobly in after years, thus illustrating to us
the important lesson of charity for those
vino fail.
Diaraeli, when as a young man he rose to
make his maiden speech in parliament,
was laughed to scorn. In the midst of his
bushes flushing his ashen cheeks, he cried: |
Gentlemen, in my little life [ have often
failed in my first attempts and seen success
Drown my persevering struggle: gentlemen.
the time is coming when you will hear me-"
Because men fail-pity them, love them,
help them, believe in them. trust them, but
never scorn them. Peter did Mt last do as
he said he would-he died for his Lords
sake.
Peter by this sad experience learned n
lesson Wa ought to heed, namely. il ia some
times harder to live for our principles, than
to to die for them; it il custer to be n mar
tyr than to illustrate Christian principles
by our lives. The Savior calls upon II few
to die for him; but ours is eally n more try
ing task to live as he would have us live.
Peter could draw II sword and smite off the