The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-03-08
COUNTING THE SCARS.
Bearing the Marks of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
TALHAGE ON CHRISTIAN HEROIsM.
The Great w That Comes to
the Faithful Soldier of the Cross.
Heroes and Martyrs of Everyday
Life.


Heroes and Martyrs Of Everyday
Life.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24.-In this dis.
course DIR. Talmage praises Christian
heroism and tells Of great rewards. The
text is Galatians vi, IL, 81 bear in nv
body the marks Of the Lord Jesus"
We hear much about crowns, thrones,
victories, but 1 now tell the more quiet
story Of scars, honorable and dishonor-
able. There are in all parts of the world
people bearing dishonorable scars. They
went into the battle of sin and were
worsted, and to their dying day they
will have a scariication Of body or mind
or soul. 1t cannot be hidden. There are
tens of thousands of men and women
consecrated to God and living holy
lives who were once corrupt; but they
have been regenerated, and they gre no
more what they once were than rubes-
,cence is emaciation, than balm is v%itriol,
han monday is midnight. But in their de-
pleted physical health or mental twist or
style Of temptation they are ever and
anon reminded of the obnoxious past.
They have q memory that is deplorable.
In some twinge of pain or some tendency
to surrender to the wrong which they
must perpetually resist they have an IN
wholesome reminiscence. They carry
scars, deep scars, ignoble scars.
But Paul in my text shows us q scarf
fcation which is a badge of honorable
I'M self sacrificing service. He had in
his weak eyes the result of too much
study and in his body, bent and worn,
the signature Of s~courgings n ship
wrecks Inc maltreatment by mobs. In
my text lie shows those scars as he de-
clares, II bear in my body the marks of
the Lord Jesus" Notice that it is not
wounds, but scars, and a scar is a healed
wound. Before the scar is we'll defined
upon the flesh the Inflammation must
have departed and right circulation must
have been restored and new tissue must
have been formed. 1t is a permanent in
dentation OF the fesh-a cicatrix. Paul
did well to show those scars. They
were positive and i%ndisputable proofs
that with all his body, mind and soul
he believed what he said. They were his
diploma, showing that he had graduated
from the school of hardship for Christ.
They were credentials proving his right
to lead in the worlds evangelization.
Not Ashamed of Scars.
Men are not ashamed of scars got in
battle for their country. No American is
embarrassed when you ask him, Where
did yOu get that cash across your fore
head?' and he can answer, THAT was
from a saber cut at San Juan" When
you ask some German, where did you
lose your right arm?" he is not ashamed
to say, Il lost it at Sedan" When you
ask an Italian, Where did you lose your
eye?" he is not annoyed when he can an
swer, Il suffered that in the last battle
under our glorious General Garibaldi."
But I remind you of the fact that there
are scars not got in war which are just
as illustrious. We had in this country
years ago an eminent advocate who was
called into the presidential cabinet as at
torney general. In midlife he was in a
Philadelphia courtroom engaged in an
important trial. The attorney on the OPP
posite side Of the case got irritated and
angry and in most brutal manner refer
red to the distinguished attorneys disfg-
ured face, a face more deeply SCARED
than any face 1 ever saw. The legal hero
of whom / am speaking in his closing ar
gument said: Gentlemen of the jury,
when ! was q little child I was playing
with my sister in the nursery, and her
clothes caught fire, and / ran to her to
put out the fire. / succeeded, but I my
self took fire, and before it was extin-
guished my face was awfully burned
and as black as the heart of the scoun-
drelly counsel who on the other side of
the case has referred to my misfortune
The eminent attorney of whom I speak
carried all his life the honorable scar of
his sisters rescue. Albert Barnes, the
most distinguished of all commentators,
unless it be Matthew Henry, for years at
4 o'clock in the morning might have beea
seen going from his house in Philadel-
nhin 70 his Sfndu in tho chnrch ond IN
those early hours and before breakfast
TO give all those wonderful commentaries,
a theological library in themselves. He
said that as he was pastor he felt bound
to give all the rest of each day to work
connected with his pastorate. But at
what a ruinous draft upon his eyesight
he did that early morning work, first by
candlelight and then by gaslighti When
he got through those wonderful volumes
sf Scriptural exposition. Albert Barnes
was a blind man. Scars, illustrious scars,
On his ~extinguished eyesight!
A young college student in England
found all the artistic world in derisive
pursuit OF William Turner, the painter.
The young graduate took up his PENN
some respects the most brilliant pen that
was ever put to paper-and wrote those
Ere great volumes on modern painting
the chief thought Of which was his de-
tense OF the abused painter. The heroic
author by some was supposed in his old
days to be cynical and fault finding, and
sfhen / saw him q little while before his
death he was in d~ecadence; but / know
hat all his face n all over his ann
we're the scars Of heroic defense. In the
seventies Of his lifetime he was suffering
from the wounds and fatiguss Of the
twenties. Long after he had quit the
battle with authors pen and painters
pencil he bore the scars OF literary mar
tyrdom.
Rearing q Family.
But why do we go SO far for ~illustra-
ton, when I could take right out Of the
memories Of some whom / address in
stances just as appropriate? To rear
Alright for God and heaven a large fam
lily Of children in that country home
was a mighty undertaking. Far away
from the village doctor, the garnet must