The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-04-28

before dcath. In the throes of torture,
or by ths subtle enervation Of prison
life, the lips have retraeted what the
heart stu believed. savonarola, Huss,
the English bishops. all dld 20. Pcl
they failed not to withdraw the confess
slons made in the dellrlum Of pain. Let
any one who would crltlcIsa listen to
Thomas Fuller. as he cries: 20, there
is more required to make one valiant
than TO call CEanmer and Jewel cow
ards; as Il the FIRE in smithheld had
been no hotter than what is painted In
the Book Of Martyrs 80 Even Jesus
himself though he was straitened to b.
baptized with his baptism Of death,
shrank from It with all the inexpllcable
terror and agony of Gethsenaue. Every
holy martyr has had priest who could
be touched with feeling OF his inHr1ni-
ties, And John the Baptist had
Christianity does not 50 much need de-
Tense as propagation. Its effects ara
It's defenSos. Its best arguments are
in boots-not in books. at desk ana
bench and counter, in parlor, mart, and
acknowledgements in library shelves.
The guileless tongue. chaste eye, SYM
pathetic ear, helpful hand. pure heart
these are tho, seals to the divinity Of
the religion, Of Jesus. To every inquir-
ing embassy we.can gay, 60 tell what
you sec. - John RaDtIst Is the sub
FINEST example Of self-a6negation the
world contains. His humility was I'M
exampled. he felt himself unworthy
to unloose the Messlah's sandal-thonG.
He recognized the limitations Of his
comparatively humble sphere, and kept
within them. This was the fulfilling
Of his Joy. The moral grandeur Of his
lofty soul well expresses itself in the
words, "He must increase. but l must
decrease" ''' Belfrage has eloQuently
said: John was not like the evening
star, sinking into the darkness of night,
but like the moJnIng star. lost to
our view in the brightness Of the day.
And he chose wisely for himself; for
thus retiring he has secured a fame
brighter than the applause Of multi
tudvs could have given, and he is now
In possession of an honor which can
never be diminished" "''' Longfellow,
in "'Diylne Tragedy" chants stately,
requiem for John Baptist:
1.-THE prophet Of God is deRdl
At drunken HloRarch's call;
At dancing woman's beck,
They have severed the stubborn neck,
And Into the banquet hall
Are bearing a CHASTITY head"
Why did not Jesus mlraculously open
the dungeon Of MachRerus, and set
John at liberty? Had He not come to
proclaim liberty to the captives, and
the opening.of the prison to the bound?
II this question gives US difficulty, how
much more II must have given John.
Peter and Paul both had miraculous
delIverances from prison. But 1t will
be remembered they were in the very
midst Of their careers, while John had
finished his work. The greatest thing
that remained for John to do was to
die. This he did with magnificent he
roism. :, But even the less and
inferior ones, who are completely In
Quoted into the kingdom of grace 30 as
to apprehend and partake Of its spirit
ual nature, have the advantage over
even the chlefest Of the prophets. Such
a one will not fall into the palDable err
ror of John, and imagine that the heav-
emily kingdom can be gotten or advanc.
ed by force. (Matt. xi, II, 12)