Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-04-30
THE, TEMPORAL AND ETERNAL
How Rightly to Estimate Values of tho
Evanescept and the Abiding.


How Rightly to Estimate Values of tho
Evanescept and the Abiding.
1t is n simple truth that we are en-
tirely dependent upon one another in
many things. Few men win success
without the cooperation of others. The
whole circle of social enjoyments would
be closed to the man or woman who
should decide neither to give nor to take,
neither to help nor to be helped. One
may have a good character; but one
may not have good reputation or a
good name If everybody willed other
wise. Character is what man is. That
could not be taken away; neither could
knowledge. But one might be despoiled
of reputation, fame, friends, property,
liberty, even life, and much else that
men hold precious in spite of his ut
most endeavors to hold them.
Such calamities have frequently come
upon men who did not deserve thus to
be punished. Christ Himself suffered
most unjustly. He was declared to be
what He was not; He was pronounced
! to be not what He was. He who was sim
less was accused of being in league with
Satan; He who was the Son of God was
called blasphemer. The world took
away from Him what the world could
take, rejecting Him, disappearing
Him, mocking Him, crucifying Him.
What reputation could be left to n man
tried and convicted of blasphemy and
crucified as n malefactor in the com
pany of thieves? Did not they release
robber in preference to releasing Him?
But there were some things which the
Ienemies of Christ could not deprive
Him. OF His sense of innocency-which
of you convicteth me of sin? OF His
communion with the Father am not
alone, because the Father is with me.
OF his satisfaction in working out the
purposes of the Father-my meat Is to
| do the will of Him that sent me. OF
| the glory which He had in His work of
redemption-who for the JOY that was
| set before Him endured the cross, de-
| spising the shame, and is set down at
the right hand of the throne of God.
There are also many things which no
earthly power can take away from
Christ's true followers. Socrates, noble
pagan philosopher, sent word to his
enemies while the fatal hemlock was
paralyziDg his frame with death, that
there was that within him over which
they had no power. They could kill
the body, but they could not kill the
soul. Christ intimated that there was
n power which could commit both soul
and body unto eternal death. He
brought us tidings OF great Joy when
He showed us that we may infallibly
save our immortal spirits from the
second death by coming unto Him and
following in His way; and Paul in a
| passage of great passion and power eX.
claims with an ecstasy Of joy that
| neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things
present, nor things TO come, nor height.
nor depth, nor any other creature shall
| be able to separate us from the love Of
God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Men may kill the body, but they can
| not kill the soul. 1t Is only the powers
of darkness in league with man himself
that can do that. Men may take away
from us all our external possessions;
they may destroy reputation, friend
ship, liberty, and even life; butwe may
have that within us, that peace, that joy,
which no torture known to fiends can
touch or disturb. Was not this what
Christ meant when He said to His dis
ciples: "Your JOY no man taketh from
you" Comfort, satisfaction, felicity,
pleasure, we cannot command. They
depend in large measure upon our rela-
tons with others. But JOY is q deeper,
nobler and more lasting feeling. It
cannot be created by external circum-
stances and 1t cannot be quenched by
them. 1t comes when the Spirit takes
possession of our hearts, and so long as
we will that He abide with us we have
the joy which no man can take from us.
1t is like great spring of pure and re-
freshing water. 1t wells up from with
in, and ceases not to flow through tor
rid heat which dries up everything else,
or arctic cold which dams all natural
streams with ice.
Rightly to estimate the value of the
evanescent and the abiding is to choose
that which is not limited to time nor
affected by misfortunes nor stified by
untoward and uncomfortable circunl-
stances. 1t is possible to those who
have thus chosen. in the midst of suf-
fering from the worst Affections known
to men, 30 rejoice with JOY unspeakable
and full of glory; for they look not at
the things which are seen, but Mt the
things which are not seen, for the
things which are seen are temporal,
but the things which are not seen are
eternal.-N. Y. Independent.
The realization of Gods presencei IL
rhe one sovereign remedy against temp
tation.--Fenelon.