The Yale expositor., 1901-03-01

In the heavenly world? What source
of glorious "reminiscences! In that world
you will sit together and talk over
earthly experiences. Where did you
get that SCARF" saint will say to saint,
and there will come back story of
hardship and struggle and persecution
and wounds and victory through the
grace OF the gospel. Another spirit will
say to listening spirit, Where did you
get that hurt so plainly marked?" And
the answer will be: ooh, that was one
OF the worst hurts I ever had. That
was broken friendship. We were in
sweetest accord for years, together In
JOY and sorrow. What one thought
the other thought. We were David
and Jonathan. But our personal in
terests parted, and our friendship
broke. never to be renewed on earth.
But We have made it all up here, and
misunderstanding are gone, and we
are in the same heaven, on neighboring
thrones, in neighboring castles, on the
banks of the same river"
Practical Application.
Now what is the practical use of this
subject? 1t is the cultivation of Chris
tian heroics. The most of us want to
say things and do things for God when
there is no danger of getting hurt. We
are all ready for easy work, for popu-
lar work, for compensating work, but
we all greatly need more courage to
brave the world and brave satanic as
sault when there is something agrees
sive and bold and dangerous to be I'M
dertaken for God and Righteousness.
And if We happen to get bit what an
ado we make about it! We all need
more of the stuff that martyrs are
made out of. We want more sanctified
grit, more Christian pluck, more holy
recklessness as to what the world may
say and do in any crisis Of our life.
Be right and do right, and all earth
and hell combined cannot put you
down.
The same little missionary who
wrote my text also uttered that piled
up magnificence to be found in those
words which ring like battle axes on
splitting helmets: I'm all these things
we are more than conquerors through
him that loved us, for am persuaded
that neither death, nor life, nor angels.
nor principalities, nor powers, nor
things present, nor things to come, nor
height, nor depth, nor any other crea-
ture, shall be able to separate us from
the love of God. which.is in Christ
Jesus our Lord"
How do you like that, you towards,
who shrink back from aggressive work
and If SO much as a splinter pierce
your flesh cry out louder than many a
one torn in auto da fe? Many a SOL
der has gone through long war, been
in twenty battles, led a regiment up
hill mounted by cannon and swept by
musketry and yet came home without
having been once hit and without
mark upon him. But it will not be so
among those who pass In the grand re-
view Of heaven. They have all in the
holy wars been wounded, and all bear
scars. And what would the newly ar
rived in heaven do with nothing to
show that he had ever been struck by
human or diabolic weaponry? How
embarrassed and eccentric such an one
in such a place! Surely he would want
to be excused awhile from the heaven
ly ranks and be permitted to descend
to earth, crying Give me another
chance to do something worthy of an
immortal. Show me some post of dam
ger to be -'"r-od some fortress TO
be stormed. some difficult charge to
make. Like Leonidas at Thermopylae.
like Miltriades at Marathon, like MARI
borough at Blenheim, like Godfrey at
Jerusalem, like Winkelried at Sampach
gathering the spears Of the Austrian
knights into his bosom, giving his life
for others, show me some place where
l can do brave thing for God. can
not go back to heaven until somewhere
| bear in my body the marks of the
Lord Jesus" My nearer, my reader,
quit complaining about your misfor-
tunes and disappointments and trou-
bles and through all time and all eter-
nifty thank God for scars!