Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-02-16
AN ovERRATED VIRTUE.
Mere Submission to VIII of God
Not the stand for a Chris
tan TO Take.

Submission appears to us to be
greatly overrated virtue. To submit is,
etymologically, to be sent under; and,
by inference, to allow ones self to be
sent under, or put under the will or au-
thority of another. When an enemy
had been conquered by a Roman army
the conquered foe was compelled to
pass under yoke formed by two spears
stuck in the ground, with another fast
ened transversely over their tops This
passing under the yoke was submits
sion to the will or power of the Roman
emperor. If one has been fighting
against God and comes reluctantly to
the conclusion that it is useless to fight
longer, and accedes to the Divine will
because it cannot be resisted, he sub
mitss-that is, he consents TO pass under
the authority or the power of God; and
certainly il is wiser and in every way
better TO do this cheerfully than grudg-
ingly and whiningly. If one has been
all his life fighting God and late learns
of Gods love and yields. not to His
power. but to His goddess and His
gentleness. this is better submission.
But surely the Christian. who knows
himself Gods child. should be able o do
something better than submit TO a will
that he cannot resist. or even to VIC
torious love. IL he trusts his Fathers
Judgment, if he believes in the wis
dom OF his Fathers love. and the love
in his Fathers wisdom. he VIII not
merely consent to come under his Fa-
Their, but he will not be willing o live
except IL subsection 10 that Will
Christ did not submit when in Geth-
semane lie prayed Thy will, not mine.
be done;" II was His will that His Fa-
theirs Will should be done: his was the
burden Of His prayer; lis Will was no.
under His Fathers wiz. il was one with
His Fathers will II is mistaie TO
suppose that Christ was in agony UNI
speakable because He dreaded the
shame and the pains Of the morrow He
feared lest in this critical and culminat-
ing hour of His life He might fail TO
fulfil the mission with which he deemed
himself charged: he cup which He be-
sought might pass from Him was the
cup OF failure. Yet even this He was
willing TO drink. II in His failure His
Fathers success ight be won; and His
prayer was not My will be done
nevertheless | submit to Thine; but
THY Will not mine. be done" So in
the prayer which He has given 10 the
world its elimination is: Thy will be
done on earth as il is in Heaven" So
Paul proud and self-reliant and strong
Of will though he was. die not merely
submit 10 tribulation; he gloried in
trhuation.
When Hobson wished men to join him
in his desperate undertaking his COM
panions did not submit 10 the will, au-
thority or power of the commander.
They were but seven chosen out OF over
300 eager 10 hazard all IN a forlorn hope
for their country No one waited to
be ordered; there was no room for sub
mission. This should be the spirit Of
the child % God. and will be II he is
truly one with his Father # he believes
in his Fathers love and trusts his Fa-
Tiers wisdom. lie viii never fird oc-
casion 10 submit. He vii, be eager to
do and to endure whatever his Fathers
wise love appoints. The larger the
service. he greater the task. the heavier
the burden. the more exhilaration viii
he eel in the confidence which the Fa-
Their shows by reposing 50 great a
trust in him. u. Outlook.