The age-herald., 1901-05-13

n1and our love and adoratlon by reason of the sDiendor of His moral character. The saying that the world needs an ex- ample has become trite; nevertheless 1t Is true. Men must learn by. example the virtue of obedience. Witness Christ 8 obedience to His Father. At twelve years He said: 'Wist ye not that must be about my Fathers business.' For three years he toiled against Che greatest odds. and with a supreme optimism taught 10 few disciples the truths destined to change the thought and life of the world In the Garden of Gethsemane, when the bitterest cup came to His lips. he cried; Thy will. not mine. be done
 The Lesson of Patience.
 ''Men need to learn the lesson of pa- tience Our plans are frustrated; our hopes are disappointed: we are baked in the midst of our greatest expectations This Savior met with resistence, was mis- understood. was resisted to the very death; yet His life moved on with that calm intensity<that marks the flow of the mighty river. No interruption initiates or disturbs Him. He was ever the same dignihed. loving nature. patient under re- straint, contempt, scorn and persecution. When He was reviled, He reviled not again.
 Men become hard and unsympathetic forgetful of the law of kindness and mercy. Christ, though he abhored sin, bade the sinful woman go. free and sin no more. When rejected from a village, and when the beloved disciple would de- stroy it. he turned and rebuked them. and said, '.Ye know. not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the son of man Is not come to destroy mems lives, but to save them" From the cross he cried: Father, forgive them, they know not what they do:' an example of forbear- ance and forgiveness followed some years later by Stephens And so. through the list of virtues. He is unfailing in any of the trying scenes of his life, not one weakness Is betrayed.
 Finally, Christ is the author of the great atonement; and for this deserved the homage of all men, I do not desire to enter into the abstractions of tho atonement. The sacrifice has been made. the blood has been shed. What Is the significance of this world tragedy to us?
 First. 1t indicates the depth of our fallen state. We were lost, undone sin ners, NRhout hope and without God in the worlG' We were in bondage to satan; and no power of our own could save us. We were all like sheep, some astray; we had turned every one to his own way. There was none righteous. no, not one. We were afflicted with the leprosy of sin. which no physician could cure; we had a hurt for which there was no balm, save that of Gilead.
 The black shadow of sin had fallen upon us; we were withered and unfruit- full trees in the vineyard of God; and justice cried out, Cut 1t down, why cum- bereth 1t the ground?' Evidently we were in deplorable condition, or the great atonement would not have been made.
 chrlst's Great Life.
 "But the atonement has its brighter side. It bears witness with overwhelming force to the great love in the heart of the Father, and if the Son for humanity. In- deed, the incarnation and the necessary humiliation astounds us with the conde- scension of God. That persecution, and shame, and death should be added to his incarnation, Is beyond our comprehension. I know not how to measure such in- finite condescension; I cannot estimate such boundiess love; I can only say with the poet:
 When survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of Glory died,
 My richest gain I count but loss,
 And pour contempt on all my pride"
 "Or in the words of that other beauti- full hymn:
 Love so amazing, so divine,
 Demands my life, my love, my all.'
 'If there Is such a thing as spontan- eous hero-worship in the human heart, 1t should manifest itself here. If there Is any gratitude in mems lives 1t should be called forth by this revelation of perfect man to the world. If there Is any principle of self-preservation, 1t should combine with wonder and gratitude to force men to accept Gods mercy. For if he that despised Moses law died with out mercy under two or three witnesses. of how much sorer punishment, suppose you, shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God. and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith He was sacrificed, on unholy things, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace"