The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1896-04-17

for the body and soul; elizabeth Fly
going to the profiigacy Of Newgate pris
on to shake its obduracy as the ange
came to the prison at Philippi driving
open the doors and swapping loose tho
chain, as well as the lives of thousand.
of followers Of Jesus who have devoted
themselves to the temporal and spiritua
welfare of the race are monuments OF
the Christian religion that shall not
crumble while the world lasts. A mar
said to me in the cars: what is re-
ligion? Judging from the character Of
many professors of religion l do not adj
mire religion. " l said: "Now, suppose
we went to an artist in the city of Rome
and while in his gallery asked him,
What is the art Of painting" Would he
take us out in low alley and show us
a mere daub of pretender at paintings,
or would he take us down into the cor
ridors and show us the Rubens, and the
Raphaels, and the Michael Angeles:
When we asked him, What is the art
of painting he would point to the
works of these great masters and say,
That is painting. Now, you propose
to find the mere caricature of religion,
to seek after that which is the nero
prete1fsion of holy life, and you call
that religion. point you to the splen-
did men and women whom this gospel
has blessed and lifted and crowned.
Look at the masterpieces of divine grace
if you want to know what religion is. J"
Result of Parsecutiou
We learn also from this story of
Joseph that the result of persecution is
elevation. Had it not been for his being
sold into Egyptian bondage by his ma
licious brothers and his false imprison-
ment Joseph never would have become
a governor. Everybody accepts the
promise, Blessed are they that are per-
secuted for righteousness sake, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven, - but
they do not realize the fact that this
principle applies to worldly as well as
spiritual success. 1t is true in all de-
partments. Men rise to high official po-
sitions through misrepresentation. Pub
lie abuse is all that some of our public
men have had to rely upon for their ele-
walton. 1t has brought to them what
talent and executive force could not
have achieved. Many of those who are
making great effort for place and power
will never succeed just because they
are not of enough Importance to be
abused. 1t is the nature of men-that is
of all generous and reasonable men-to
gather about those who are prosecuted
and defend them, and they are apt to
forget the fault of those who are the
subjects of attack while attempting to
drive back the slanderers. Persecution
is elevation. Helen Stirk, the Scotch
standing with her husband at
the place of execution, said: Husband,
let us rejoice today. We have lived to
gether many happy years This is the
happiest time of all our life. You see
we are to be happy together forever Be
brave now, be brave. l will not saw
Good night to you, for we shall soon
be in the kingdom of our Father togeth
er - Persecution shows the heroes and
heroines. | go into another department,
and find that those great denomina-
tions of Christians which have been
most abused have spread the most
rapidly.
No good man was ever more violently
maltreated than John Wesley-belied
and caricatured and slandered until one
day he stood in pulpit in London, and
a man arose in the audience and said,
You were drunk last night" and John
Wesley said: THANK God the whole
catalogue is now complete. l have been
charged with everything but that!'' His
followers were hooted at and maligned
and called by every detestable name that
Internal ingenuity could invent, but the
hotter the persecution the more rapidly
hey spread until you know what a
great host they have become and what
tremendous force for God and the truth |
hey are welding all the world over. 1t |
was persecution that gave Scotland to |
Presbyterianism. 1t was persecution
hat gave our land first to civil liberty |
md afterward to religious freedom. |
Yea, l might go farther back and say it |
vas persecution that gave the world the |
great salvation of the gospel The ribald |
the hungering and thirsting,
he unjust charge, the ignominious
leath, when all the force of hell s fury
vas hurled against the cross, was the
Of that religion which is
ret to be the earth S deliverance and our
ternal salvation. The state sometimes
aid TO the church, Come, take my
land, and will help you" What YVES
he result? The church went back, and
t lost its estate of holiness, and it be-
anne ineffective. At other times the
tate said TO the church, II will crush
ou. =" What has been the result? After
he storms have spent their fury the
hurch, so far from having lest any CT
is force, has increased and is worth in
nitely more after the assault than be-
ore. Read all history and you will find
hat true. The church is far more in
ebted to the opposition Of civil govern
lent than to its approval. The fires Of the
take have only been the torches which
'hrist held in his hand, by the light Of
-hich the church has marched to her
resent glorious position. In the sound
racks and implements of torture /
ear the rumbling of the gospel chariot
he scaffolds Of martyrdom have been
be stairs by which the church mounted.
A Thousand Tongues.
Learn also from our subject that sin