Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1896-04-22


the Reubens, and the Raphaels. and the
Michael Angeles? When we asked him:
What Is the art of paintingY he would
point 10 the works of these great mas
tiers, and say: That is painting Now.
you propose TO find the mere caricature
oil religion, To seek after that which is
mere pretension of holy life. and you
call that religion. point you To the
splendid 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"
We also learn from this story of Jo-
seph that the result of persecution is
elevation. Had it not been for his be-
ing sold into Egyptian bondage by his
malicious brothers, and his false i'm
prisonment, Joseph never would have
become governor. Everybody &C
cepts the promise, blessed are they
That are prosecuted for righteousness
sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of
heaven" but they do not realize the
fact that this principle applies TO word
~ as well As spiritual success. 1t is
true in all departments. Men rise to
high positions through misrepresenta-
ton. Public abuse is all that some of
our public men have had TO rely upon
for their elevation. 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 sue
coed, inst 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 attacks while attempting to
drive back the slandcrers. Persecu-
ton Is elevation. Helen StirlI, the
Scotch martyr, standing with her hus-
band at the place of execution, said:
Husband, let us rejoice to-day; we
nave lived together many happy years;
this Is the happicst time of all our life;
you see we are TO he happy together
forever. BE brave, now, be brave. |
will not say Goodnight TO you, for we
shall soon be in the kingdom of our
father together" Persecution shows
the hero and hcroincS. | 20 into an
great denominations of Christians
which have been most abused have
syread the most rapidly. No good man
was ever more violently maltreated
than John Wesley-belied and carl
caturcd and Slandercd until one day he
stood in pulpit in London, and IA man
arose in the audience and said: You
were drunk last night" and John Wes-
ley said: THANK God, the whole cat
alogue is now complete. | have been
charged with everything but that
Ills followers were hootcd at and ma
ligned and called by every detcstahle
name that Internal ingenuity could in
vent, but the hotter the prosecution the
more rapidly they spread, until yon
know what great host they have be-
come and what 4 tremendous force for
God and the truth they are welding al
the world over! 1t was persecution
that gave Scotland to Presbv-
tcrians. 1t was persecution that gave
our land first to civil liberty and aft
erward To religious freedom. Yea,
l might go further back and say
1t was persecution that gave
the world the great salvation Of the
Gospel. The ribaid mocllcry, the hun
gering ana thirsting. the unjust charge.
the ignominious death, when all the
force of hcll's fury was hurled against
the cross, was the introduction OF that
religion which is yet to be the earth's
cclivcrance and our eternal salvation.
The state sometimes said to the church:
Come, take my hand and | will help
you. What was the result? The
church went back and it lost its estate
of holiness. and it became ineffective.
AT other times the state said to the
church: II will crush you" What has
been the result? After the storms have
spent their fury the church so far
from having lost any of its force.
has increased, and is worth infinitely
more after the assault than before.
Read all history and you will find that
true. The church is far more in
debted to the opposition of civil gov
eminent than to its approval. The
fires of the stake have only been the
torches which Christ held in his hand.
by the light of which the church has
marched TO her present, glorious posi-
ton. In the sound of racks and imple-
ments of torture hear the rumbiing
of the Gospel chariot The scaffolds OF
have been the stairs by
which the church mounted.
Learn also from our subject that sin
VIII come to exposure. Long. long ago
had those brothers sold Joseph into
Egypt. They had made the old father
believe that mis- favorite child was dead.
They had suppressed the crime. and it
was profound secret well kept by the
brothers. But suddenly the secret is
out. The old father hears that his son
Is in Egypt. having been sold there bv
the malice of his own brothers. How
their checks must have burned and their
hearts sunk at the flaming out of this
long suppressed crime. The smallest mi
guilty has athousand tongues, and they
viii blab out exposure. Saul was sent
TO destroy the Canaanitcs, their sheep
and their oxen; but when hc got down
there among the pastures. nc saw some
fine sheep and oxen too TAT 90 kill. so
he thought he would steal them. No
body would know il. lie drove these
stolen sheep and oxen toward home. but
stopped 20 report TO the prophet how
he had executed his mission, when i'm
the distance the sheep began TO blcat
and the oxen TO below. The secret was
out and Samuel said 10 the blushing and
confused Saul: What mcaneth the
bicating Of the sheep that / hear and
the believing Of the cattlc2' An. my
nearer, YOU can not keep an iniuuitv