The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-03-24

very first reaching out to the one great
object of His life. That tendency began
at His birth, and it never ceased until
He was hanging on the cross outside the
CITY gate. Then he had come to Jerusa-
lem. and it was finished
The angels sang about Jerusalem, When
the shepherds heard them. The boys
thoughts were full of Jerusalem. as he
worked in the carpenter shop. The visit
to the Temple when He was twelve years
old was but nearer view Of that Jerusa-
lem which He then accepted as the only
sufficient issue of His life He was bap-
TIED in conservation of the lifelong
Journey TO Jerusalem. For this cause
was / born For this cause came l
into the world" MY time is not yet
come" These words, and words like
these, dropped here and there along his
path, are like footprints in the road lie
trod. all pointing to Jerusalem. At last
he came there. and In the tragedy OF the
cross He laid down His life.
He had reached Jerusalem at last The
most intense, persistent purpose that the
world has ever seen had reached its com
rletion. He had come to the Jerusalem
of His intention and mankind was saved.
With Christ as the great image and
pattern Of our lives. let us speak this
morning of the Jerusalem of every life.
] take but one of many examples Here
is a, man who had heard, and wishes to
apply that doctrine to himself. Where
and what is my jerusalem" he says. He
finds himself by character a scholar, and
by circumstances citizen OF America
in this twentieth century after Christ.
These two things he must put together
AS a result the ideal image of scholar
ship--humane. practical, broad, hopeful
burns before him on the bill. On that
his eve must be fastened. To that Ms
feet must struggle lie must know NM
self, and he must also know his condition.
You cannot simply look at what other
men are doing, and fling yourself out into
their plan of action. Nor, on the other
hand can you only study yourself, ana
then demand that the age and place shali
Use YOU however out Of harmony You
NAV be with both. From these two causes
have come great failures.
1t is in every young mans place TO
realize both himself and his clrcum-
stances-wlat he is and where he is Are
the Young men doing that? If they are
not their lives are stagnant, or drifting,
and who can tell of these which is worst:
But if they are, then there is certainly
shaping itself in the misty future Il pur-
pose of their life, which slowly will form
more clear to them, and which they VIII
pursue with ever deeper joy and ardor'
hunbly rejoicing in it when they come to
die. ana Cor which men will thank God
long after they are dead!
What does this mean for us? What is
its bearing on our lives? Something very
direct and definite, 1 think. You are
going up to Jerusalem, and, as you go,
you become aware that You can only
reach your purpose through much suffer-
ing. and perhaps through death. What
then? When shall you look for your
release? If your Jerusalem is really your
sacred city there is certainly a cross III
it. Shall YOU finch or draw back? Shall
YOU ask for yourself another life? Oh!
not another life, but another self. DO
not pray for easy lives. Pray to be
stronger men. Do not pray for tasks
equal to your powers. Pray for powers
equal TO your tasks, Then the doing of
your work shall be no miracle. But you
shall be a miracle. ASK God to fill you
with Himself, and then calmly look UP
and go on. Disappointment, enmity,
pain, sorrow, death-these may all come
to you but if they come i'll doing your
duty all is well. 1t is dreadful to suffer,
except in doing duty, but to suffer then
is glorious.
Jerusalem and then TO attain unto it.