Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1900-12-06
IRONTON. MO. THURSDAY. DECEMBER. 8. 1900.
NUMBER Cd

sion Bands, Student Volunteers, ant
similar organizations are new resist
less powers in the church. havins
sprung up within very recent years
It is the age of Christian Conventions
world wide in Christian influence. o
world movements and concentration O
Christian forces against the powers o
darkness.
ALI this and much more that is IN
teresting and encouraging is found il
the story Of the optimfst. With the
optimist the future contains the colder
age. Though the night be black the
stars but shine the brighter. It is vel
to listen to his story and take courage
Let us put on the armor of Christ, an6
prepare, hopefully, for the battle
against the evils which the Pessimist
portrays.
The Christian must realized there
is much good yet undone and undis,
covered. Even the most hopeful,
basing his views upon the past, is un.
able to divine all the good of the fu.
ture. We are all narrowed down by
our limitations. Ask painter what
is the most beautiful landscape in the
world and he will describe some fa
nous work of art that he has seen.
Ask traveller the same question and
he will describe some faYorite scene oil
his travels. The marvellous valleys oi
the Yosemite and the Yellowstone lay
silent and unseen many centuries be-
fore civilized man discovered their in
describable wonders. There may be
yet. somewhere on earth's surface, un-
discovered scenes which transcend any
now known.
The reports of the pessimist and op-
timist should nerve the Christian to
greater activity, that the dreams of his
soul may be realized the sooner. This
is day of deep thinking and rejoicing
over the mercies of bountiful Provi-
dence. But while we think happily of
what God has done for us, we should
think. If possible, still more earnestly
about what we have done for God. !
believe the most truly thankful Chris
tian that sits in the pew or occupies
the pulpit to-day is the one who is
grateful for having been used in the
Masters service. This is the hopeful
person.
We need this kind of Christian
optimists to-day. Not Missionaries and
dreamers, merely, but practical, SAN
guine men and women who believe in
the Christian religion, its power. its
goodness, its mighty work, it's high
destiny; who are anxious to do and be
for Jesus sake; not muir
murers nor complainers against the
church or its methods, or membership,
or ministry, but men and women who
are broadly appreciative of all good
work, no matter who is doing 1t. We
need Christian people who can be
thankful that God is in His heaven and
this is his earth below, and conditions
here are no worse than they are; who
realize that God is on the Christians
side and that that makes an overwhel-
ming majority; and furthermore that
God blesses the hopeful, and that
"hope maketh not ashamedni
We want people who believe in the
old religion of Jesus Christ, the old
morality, the old truth as taught in
the old Book; that truth once dis
covered cannot be improved, but that
there are new and better methods of
teaching and advertising the truth,
which are constantly arising, and that
these must be found and used.
The Christian optimist is not hide
bound by sect nor habit. He does not
sit apart and ssthank God that he is
better than other men are,n and say
lord bless us four and no more.n He
is hater of no man, but sees some good
in the most miserable sinner for whom
Christ died. Secular, social and even
religious differences affect him but
slightly so long as he realizes that
there are higher truths which he holds
in common with all Christians, in the
light of which the lesser differences
become small indeed. Great truths
great hope have buoyant
effect upon life; so, the optimist does
not murmur against the conditions OF
his life, his personal burdens, the petty
Injustice of his fellow men. He lives
above the discontented, restless, quar-
relsome multitude, moving majestically
among men like splendid ST. Bernard
amongst herd of snarling terriers.
The Christian optimist is hopeful.
His ambition is among the stars. He
bitches his chariot to the pole star.
He rises like a colossus above the
petty incidents of life. He walks in
deed like one, fully conscious of having
begun the endless life. Believing as
be does in the endurance and the
victory of the good. he acorks for it.
He bends his energy toward bringing