The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-04-20

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Jesus. such utterances from his lips, can
not he reconciied with the sentimental
slash Of a certain school Of Christianity
which continues to cry Peace. peace,
when there is 10 peace, when there can
be no peace with the forces OF hell.
There Ii large amount Of unadulterat-
ed hypocrisy in the cry for the gentle
ness Of the gospel in this hour. IL viii
be found in scores OF cases to enanate
from men who hate the gospel Of Christ
with all their soul. and who cry for lis
gentlsness and its sweetness because they
feel the touch Of the sword Of Christ, OF
his truth and his Indignation and his
anger i'm their innoat souls
Jesus sacrificed himself. Christianity
means the sacrifice OF self. If we would
be the disciples of Christ, we must be
willing TO sacrifice self. The man who
sacrifices himself must displease the self
ish. 1t is an ar-aignment Of them and
of their life. One Of the most difficult
sacrifices for the follower Of Christ to
make today Is to count his reputation as
nothing for Christ's sake; is to be willing
TO be Kissed and cursed and spit on by
the people. The most difficult sacrifice
which Christianity demands Of its fol-
lowers today is that they be willing to
be unpopular. 1t is an easy thing to pan
der to vitiafed public sentiment. 1t is
an easy thing TO sell ones soul for this
cheap applause. The follower of Christ
who does it has betrayed his Master, has
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. II is impos-
sible for any man to live true Christian
life in this world. following Jesus in
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 l 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 a con-
suming flame. The Christianity inca
pable of such a contamination, 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 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
dSSloldACC VI lIc 1d1 HITS, WHO W0TG
amazed at this sympathy from a great
general and an enemy. On one occasion
300 French officers were taken prisoners
and brought before him. He was indig-
nant that they had been deprived of their
swords and restored them at once. The
wounded among the prisoners he cared
for as carefully as if they belonged to
hic "hnn ha
so of them We're without money, he pro
vided for them from his own purse and
at considerable inconvenience to himself.
It is possible to fight and yet to love your
enemy. 1t is possible to fight for p1inci-
pie and truth and right and in the very
battle seek the salvation of those against
whom we fight.
And after these wars for righteous
principle it happens again and again in
the history of the world that those
against whom we fight are brought to
see that they were wrong and that the
battle was for their own good, even
though they were blind and could not
see it. We have a most striking ex-
ample of this result in remarkable con-
fession recently made by Arab Pasha,
the Egypt patriot. Twelve years ago
he was the most powerful man in Egypt.
He headed a rebellion, nominally,
against the khedive, but which Arab
insisted was really on the khedive's be-
half. He desired, he said, to deliver
Egypt nom foreign domination and pre-
serve her for the Egyptians. He madea
brave and desperate fight, but was beat
en- and has since been living in retire
ment in Ceylon. He declares that his
interest in Egypt and love for his coun-
try are as intense as ever. He declared
recently that his whole life had been a
mistake. He regretted opposing the
English occupation of Egypt. He de-
clared that he had found the English
had done for his country what he had
hoped to do, but could never have sue
ceeded in doing.
mot one of her own sons" said Arab,
".ould have given Egypt the release
from oppression and injustice and the
good government which she now enioys.
All that I have fought and struggled to
attain is accomplished. In my blindness
l was resisting the surest means of
achieving my own aims. was fighting
for the liberation of my country. I am
sorry now did SO, and I am glad for
my country's sake was defeated" So
the men against whom Christianity
wages its righteous war will in the end
rejoice in their own defeat. Such a war
is waged against them not because we
hate them, but because we love them.
THE POLLUTION OF MODERN CITIES,
So today the church of Christ in our
centers of civic life is confronted with
Just such crisis. The hour has come
for the righteous indignation of the
church of Jesus Christ in our great mod
ern cities. 1t is the hour for righteous
wrath and for the action-yes, the yio-
ience of the Christ under the influence
of that wrath. This is SO.
% Because of the tremendous growth
and Importance Of these great modern
centers OF life. The city is the heart of
modern civilization. 1t is the kew to the