The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-01-19

tient in suffering it. Still, he who
passes from one of these conditions
| into the other is conscious of the ex
ercise of different graces. A man
may be strong to do, swift to run,
who finds it hard to wait, and is not
strong enough to sit still. "Their
strength is to sit still"
In the exercise of the active virtues,
we take excitement from the move
ment, have sense of progress, and
so of achievement. We can associate
with others, take inspiration from
their courage, feel the confidence of
numbers, join in their song in labor
and their shouts in victory. But in
suffering we are alone.
Every heart knows its own bitter
ness. Our real troubles are often a
secret, our deepest ones cannot be
told. Perhaps it is feeling OF this
kind that makes deep grief seek soil
tude. "David was much moved, and
went up to the chamber, over the
gate, and wept," > not before the
gate, or in the market-place. Osten-
tatious grief is never deep; seldom
sincere. 1t was the hired mourners,
not the PARENTS the real ones, who
laughed the Saviour to scorn when
he announced the paradox, "She is
not dead, but sleepeth."
When the Masters soul was ex-
ceeding sorrowful even unto death,
he went away alone into the deeper
shadows of Gethsemane. So incom-
municable are the souls deepest sor-
rows, that even the inner circle of our
nearest friends are far away, and for
very sorrow sleep when the real suf-
ferer wakes alone. What help, then,
can come to us from the enthusiasm
of numbers, what inspiration from
shouts and songss These but make
us realize our loneliness all the more.
Jobs comforters are often blamed for
want of sympathy, but what could
they know? They were too far off
to see the man whom God had touched.
The glow of the furnace in which he
was refined was too intense for their
weak vision. They could not under
stand him, nor Gods dealings with
him. 1t was on this account that
they uttered things that they knew
not, and spake not the thing that is
right" and needed prayer and sac
rifice for their folly.
"Take unto yourselves the whole
armor of God," says the Apostle,
"that ye may be able to stand in the
evil hour, and having done all, to
stand" How many, in the history of
the Christian church, have learned
the meaning of these sublime words
in the hour of persecution, and death
for conscience's sakes
The meek Huss, at Constance, bore
the awful flames of martyrdom, say
ing that he had mo other arms than
his endurance, for this alone is the
priests weapons" 1t may seem to
some that such passive courage is
only fortitude, that it is rather stoi'
cism than any high exercise of volun-
tary virtue. But courage is more than
fortitude. Fortitude is strength. 1t
may be constitutional, and due to a
certain insensibility, whether physical
or mental Or it may be acquired by
a discipline of. endurance or habit
of mind. As such it is stoicism, and
not Christian virtue. But courage,
as the term implies, is of the heart.
1t signifies reflection, consideration,
purpose, and SO is intelligent and
free. Fortitude simply endures a
present i'll. Courage anticipates the
future. rests upon reason, takes in
spiration from faith, and "endures as
seeing him who is invisible" The
brave soldier does not fear death, be,
cause, hurried on in the tumult of
battle, he does not think. The suf-
fering saint deliberately looks into
the valley and shadow of death, and
fears no evil, and knows why. A dash
of courage, charge on the field, may