The Progress., 1893-04-22

joined. There is time to pray. There
Is n time to fight
THE TERRoRS or DEVOTED LOVE.
Second-That true love in Christ h2a
its terrible hours in such a world. There
are aspects of love beyond the mere ex-
preston of tenderness and of kindly feel
ing. Love has its hours of the terrible
and of tho sublime, when death is pref
cradle to dishonOr. and when violence
is to be desired above the baser things
that come with submission. A NirginluS
could kill his own child for loves sake,
and we cannot say that the awful deed
of such father transcribed the limits
of the real expression of a fathers love.
Let us remember that Jesus was not
only capable of anger. but that he was
angry. Let us remember that Jesus
was the supreme expression of the love
of God If this he so, love living III this
world must oe confronted with hours in
which wrath and Indignation rule SUI
preme. 1t cannot be otherwise. The
love which filed the soul of Christ was a
consuming fire, and before it evil must
be burned up
We are told that his baptism was the
baptism of the Holy Ghost and of fire
Upon more than one occasion in his life
we are told that he was angry. He said
himself that he came to bring not peace
but n sword. Such scenes i'll the life of
Jesus, such utterances from his lips, can
not be reconcilcd with the sentimental
slush of certain school of Christianity
which continues TO cry Peace, peace y
when there is no peace, when there can
be no peace with the forces of holl.
There is large amount of uuadulterat
ed hypocrisy in the cry for the gentle
ness of the gospel in this hour. II will
be found in scores of cases to emauatc
from men who hate the gospel of Christ
with all their soul, and who CRY for its
gentlcness and its sweetness because they
feel the touch of the sword of Christ. OF
his truth and his Indignation and his
anger in their inmost souls.
Jesus sacrificed himself Christianity
means the sacrifice of self. If we would
be the disciples of Christ, we must bo
willing TO sacrifice self The man who
sacrifices himself must displease the self
ish. 1t is an arraignmont of them and
of their life. One of the most difficult
sacrifices for the follower of Christ 10
make today is TO count his reputation as
nothing for Christ's sake; is to be willing
to be Missed and cursed and spit on 10y
the people. The most difficult sacrifice
which Christianity demands of its fol
lowers today is that they be willing tn
be unpopular. II is an easy thing TO pan
der to a vitiated public sentiment. 1t il
an easy thing to sell ones soul for thif
cheap applause. The follower of Christ
who does it has betrayed his Master, hal
belied his profession and is untrue to the
first principles of his life-the sacrifice
of self.
The world hated Jesus Christ. He was
not popular preacher in the sense that
he pleased the powers that ruled society.
They hated him with the bitterest in
tensity of their dark souls. 1t is impos
sible for any man to live a true Christian
life in this world. following Jesus iii
spirit and in truth, and not be hated
Jesus says it himself in so many words.
Hear him: IF We were of the world, the
world would love its own. But because
We are not of the world. but chose YOU
out of the world, therefore the world
hateth you. They prosecuted me. They
will also prosecute you. Yea. the hour
cometh that whosoever killeth you shall
think he offereth service unto God
THE SWORD OF CHRISTIANITY.
There is and there must be of neces-
sity a point of contact with evil at
which Christianity bursts into con-
suming flame The Christianity inca
pable of such consummation. of such
violence, if you please, is dead. not liv-
ing. Nor is this in any wise incon-
sistent with the highest conception OF
Jesus. In his personality was blended
the tenderest, the divinest love, with all
the elements of sternest, moral warfare. /
We see these elements combined fire.
quently in the character of the stern
warrior. Prince Henry, the brother of
Frederick the Great, king of Prussia, /
leads his army through Saxony, upon
mission of death, and yet he is careful
of every field of grain. If a soldier
stepped out of the direct road the cap.
tain was punished.
One day in the harvest season the .
prince saw the peasants hurrying to save .
their crops from an approaching storm. /
Immediately he had every horse taken
from the baggage wagons and sent to the
assistance of the farmers, who were
amazed at this sympathy from grea.
general and an enemy. On one occasio
800 French officers were taken prisoners
and brought before him. He was indis-
nant that they had been deprived of their
swords and restored them at once. Ths
wounded among the prisoners he cared
for as carefully as if they belonged to
his own army. When he learned that
so of them were without money, he pro
vided for them from his own purse and
at considerable inconvenience to himself.
1t is possible to fight and yet to love your
enemy. 1t is possible to fight for princi-
pie and truth and right and in the very
battle seek the salvation of those against
whom we fight.