The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1898-01-29

Christ's Call II One Away from Our
Old Selnshnsss.


In attracting men TO enter His serv-
ice Christ did not appeal to the motives
which usually influence human choice.
He did not say: Follow me, and l
will give you wealth, power, pleasure.
place, ease. safety" but virtually. the
converse was true. With afl absolute
frankness which would have frightened
men who were not Of heroic fiber He
told His disciples that in leaving all
10 become His followers they were in
yited to become sharers with Him In
poverty, homelessness, detraction, per-
secution; that He would lead them into
the midst of conflict In which earth
and hell would turn their worst weap-
ons against Him and His followers;
that the time would come when 10 kill
the disciples of the hated Nazarcne
would be regarded as pious act; that
they were called to tribulation, cross
bearing, hatred of self, martyrdom.
While He did not disclose all the hard
ships OF His service at any one time.
yet He made IL plain to possible disci-
pies. that in following Him they must
be ready to forsake anything, accept
anything. endure anything-even to
the loss of life itself-follow Him an
conditionally, without stopping To
count the costs of this or that action.
But, strange as il would seem to
Caesar or n Sybarite, Christ's methods
OF appeal grappled to His soul with
something much stronger than hooks
OF steel men and women not n few who
were willing to follow Him even unto
death. Such a method of appeal at
tracted them. Ii touched the heroic
in them. IL made them unconquerablc,
for how can man be overcome who
regards death for Christ's sake as tho
browning incident of his victory?
Christ, who knew what is In man. did
not make n mistake when He enlisted
soldiers for the conquest OF the world
By appealing TO the heroic in man.
Christ's appeal Is still TO the heroic in
man. The external conditions OF dis
cipleship have greatly changed since
Jesus, the Hero above all heroes, fought
the greatest Conflict of the Ages alone;
but the essential conditions OF disciple
ship are now and always will be the
same. Christ never invited man to be
saved for his own sake. and never will.
He will not lift selfshneys into Heaven
TO sit there in the eternal enjoyment OF
egoistic felicity.
But are we not In danger OF being
made selfish by the very afiiuencc of
modern Christianity? Christianity has
made certain favored circles of life ex-
ceedingly pleasant. In her train fol-
low law, liberty, education, industry,
competence, art, and all the comforts
and elegancies of life. IL requires no
self-denial TO be Christian in these
days, so far as the external conditions
of life are concerned. Indeed, Chris
tianity Is now so rich and increased in
goods that she Is in danger of bidding
against her old rival, the World, by
! Offering great temporal advantages to
| those who are wise enough TO enter
within her sheltered fold. This is well
enough il the blessings OF our Chris
tian civilization are regarded as Incl
dental and subsidiary, but the danger
| Is that they will be regarded as pri-
mary, and that the possession of them
will unfit Christians for that daily self
denial without which religion is the
most hateful form Of selhshness.
Christ's tonic for this malaria OF mod
ern -selfishness-is the same rs OF
old, the heroic, the soul of which is
| self-denial for the advancement of
worthy ends. And there are so many
opportunities for heroism, even in low
| ly life, that anyone who is Christ-like
in his station is thereby qualified to
take from Christ's own hand the Holy
Grail OF the heroic, and drink with Him
OF His cup.
When Victor Hugo desired To find
! hero around whom 10 group the series
of books which form his great work.
LES Miserables," the election did not
fall on the great Napoleon, the chief
character i'm one OF the books. but on
Jean Vatican, the ex-conyict, the man
who was lifted out OF criminality by
| the help OF the "good bishop" who lied
so heroically TO save his guest from ar
rest ms n robbcr, the convict who be-
came wealthy manufactures and an
honored citizen, but again was returned
to the galleys by knowingly betraying
| himself 20 "A keen-cyed detective while
using his enormous strength 20 save
| man from being crushed 10 death un-
der n loaded cart: Jean Vatican, who
| for many years lived n life OF complete
enlightenment, dead 10 the world. liv-
] ing for Cosettc, Marius and others, who
did not understand the worth OF his
sacrifices, only TO have the heroism OF
his life discovered when he was found
dying alone, dying for lack of human
sympathy. staying his lonely soul by
praying 10 the Grand Sufferer" OF
Calvary. whose example he had for
many years initiated.
And the life Of our day furnishes
many opportunities for the exercise of
Christian heroism. Christ knows them,
and they know Christ, and gladly fol-
low Him whithersoever He goeth; men
and women who go TO the most distant
posts OF our Captains ''far-hung" bat
n 4 a. n.