The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-09-19

@4N~a -
himself. You cannot impute charac'
ter. A guilty man may be treated as
though he were innocent, but he can
not be made innocent unless he is trans.
formed within.
This is what Jesus Christ came to dc
Not to show how we can escape bell
and get into heaven, but to show how
we can escape from ourselves and be-
come other selves; to show how we
may cease to be what we are and be-
come what we desire to be. He came
that he might teach US how, and en-
power US to be the men we want to be;
we ought to be.
For this salvation in character, for
this change and transformation, which
alone is salvation I think we shall see
that at least three things are necessary:
First-that the man should desire to
perceive goodness and appreciate it.
Secondhand he should have a purpose
to attain it; and, third-that he should
have help from one stronger than him
self in attaining it. And these three
things Christ has come to do; I do not
say that he does not do more; but at
least these three things he has come
to do. He has come to show us what
manhood is, he has come to put in us
the hope of attaining it, and he has
come to give US help in accomplishing
that hope.
Eighteen centuries ago a babe was
born in Bethlehem, and grew up to
mRnhood-We know not how. He saw
the corruption about him; the vice
that had entered into society; the des-
potism in the government; the dis
union and disruption of the homes; the
ignorance and the superstition, the
greed and s%elfishness and cruelty in
mems hearts; and he set himself to
deliver men from themselves. He had
wonderful power; he never used it for
himself. He might have been rich.
He says Of himself: The birds Of the
air have nests, and the foxes have
holes; the Son of Man hath not where
to lay his head. He might have SC
lected his companions where be would;
he took them from the humble, the
lowly, and the ignorant; not only that,
but often from the dull headed and the
10 spirited and the poor in mind as
we'll as in estate. h never saw sorrow
that he did not try to comfort it; a
need that he did not try to help it.
There was no physical condition so dis
gushing that it barred men from his
sympathy. There was no sin that
could separate men from his sympa.
thies. The woman that was a sinner,
whom other men would not touch o
look at except in scorn (whom they
will not touch nor look at even to day
except in scorD), he looked at with
pity, and said: Go in peace and sin no
more. Men did not understand it. He
loved them, but they did not love him.
They applauded him at times; at other
times they scofed at him. Three
short years passed, and then the men
whom he loved, the men whom he
sought to save hung him en- a Cross
and put him to death.
All that love me is interpreted in
that unselfsh lite. Aud the first
thing that Christ says to US il this: Is
that the kind of life you want to Liver
Is that the kind Of person you want to
be9 Do you want to live IN TIL, world
to see what you can get out OF i5, or
do you want to live in this world to see
what you can put into it, Is your
object self service or the service of
others2 Do you want to make your
self rich or your neighbor Tich9 Do
want to make yourself famous, or are
you willing to use all your powers only
to make others better and happier9
What do you wants H3 has told US in
one Of his s3rmons what are the condi
tions Of happiness. Blessed, he says,
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. Is that what NE
Want7 What we admire3 When we
read the story of this Christ, spit upon,
beaten, reviled, and answered not, we
think we must admire it, because it is
the story Of the Christ, and in church
we do; but when, in public life, a man
is abused and villified, what is it that
we like best-to see him suffer in 81
lenca and make nc answer, or to see
him write a keen letter to the newspa
per, that puts his enemy to fightY
Which do we like9 BLESSED are the
meek, for they shall inherit the earth"
In an Asbury auditorium on a Sunday
morning we believe in that, of course,
because it lie in the New Testament
but how about to morrow9 How about
MI wnoka Hnw mill Zou think nnd