Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1901-03-01
CHRISTIAN HEROLSM.
Or. Talmage Says Those Who Bear
Scars Shall Be RecOmpensed.
Me3 Are Not Ashamed of Scars Got in
Battle for Their Country.-God
viii Homer Them.
copyright 1901. ]

We hear much about crowns, thrones,
victories, but l now tell the more quiet
story OF scars, honorable and dishonorable.
There are lii 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
sacrficatiOn OF body or mind or soul,
1t cannot be hidden. There are tens of
thousands of men and women now conse-
Grated to God and living holy lives who
were once corrupt, but they have been re-
generated, and they are no more what
they once were than ru0esence is emacia-
ton, than balm is vitriol, than nooday is
midnight. But in their depleted physical
health or mental twist or style of tempta.
ton they are ever and anon reminded of
the obnoxious past. They have 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 unwholesome Renaissance.
They carry scars, deep scars, iguoble scars
But Paul in my text shows US a scariG
cation which is badge of honorable and
self-sacrihcing service. He had in his
weak eyes the result OF too much study,
and in his body, bent and worn, the sigma.
ture or scourgings and shipwrecks and
shows those scars as he declares, Il bear
IN my body the marks of the Lord Jesus"
Notice that it is not wounds, but scars,
and scar is healed wound. Before the
scar is we'll defined upon the flesh the in
hanmation must have departed and right
circulation must have been restored, and
new tissue must have been formed. 1t is
q permanent indentation of the flesh-a
cicatrix. Paul did we'll to show these
scars. They were positive and indispGta-
bic 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.
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
heaa." and he can answer, THAT was
from sabre cut at San Juan" When
you ask some German, "Where did you
lose your right arm" he is not ashamed
to say, 81 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 Garibaldi." But / re-
mind you of the fact that there are scars
not got in war which are just as illus
trious. We had in this country years ago
an eminent advocate who was called into
the Presidential Cabinet as Attorney-Gen-
eral In midlife he was in a Philadelphia
courtroom engaged in an important trial.
The attorney on the opposite side of the
case got irritated and angry, and in most
brutal manner referred to the distin-
guished attorneys disfgured face, face
more deeply Scared than any face | ever
saw. The legal hero of whom l am speak
ing IN his closing argument said: Gentle
men of the jury, When was little child
l was playing with my sister in the nurs-
cry, and her clothes caught fire, and l ran
20 her to put out the fire. | succeeded,
but [ myself took fire, and before it was
extinguished my face was awfully burned
and as black as the heart OF the scoun-
drelly counsel on the other side of the
case who has referred to my misfortune"
The eminent attorney Of whom l speak
carried all his life the honorable scar OF
his sisters rescue.
"A young college student in England
found all the artistic world in derislve pur-
suit 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 five
great volumes on modern painting, the
chief thought OF which was his defense of
the abused painter.
The heroic author by some was sup
posed in his old days to be cynical and
fault finding, and when | saw him little
while before his death he was in decad.
ence, but know that over his face and all
over his manner were the scars of heroic
defense.
in the seventies Of his lifetime he was
suffering from the wounds and fatigues of
the twenties. Long after he had quit the
battle with authors pen and painters
pencil he bore the scars of literary mar
tyrdom.
But why do we go so far for illustration
when | could take right out of the memo
ries OF some whom l address instances
Jus; as appropriate! TO rear Alright Tor
God and heaven large family of children
IN that country home was mighty under
taking. Far away from the village doctor,
the garnet must contain the herbs for the
cure OF all kinds OF disorders. Through all
infantile complaints the children of that
family went. They missed nothing in the
way OF childish disorders. Busy all day
was that mother in every form of house
work, and twenty times night called up
time with the same contagion. Her hair
is white a long while before it is time for
snow; her shoulders are bent long before
the appropriate time for STOPPING.
Spectacles are adjusted, some for close
by and some for far off, years before you
would have supposed her eyes would need
reinforcement. Here and there is short
grave in her pathway, this headstone
bearing the name of this child and another
child Hardly one bereavement lifts its
shadow than another bereavement drops
one.
After thirty years of wifehood and
motherhood the path turns toward the
setting sun. She cannot walk as far as
she used to. Colds caught hang on longer
than formerly. Some of the children are
in the heavenly world, for which they
were well prepared through maternal
fidelity, and others are out IN this world
doing honor to a Christian ancestry:
gather for her obsequies, the heating
Clergyman may find appropriate, words IN
the last chapter OF Proverbs: Her price is
far above rubies. The heart of her hus-
band doth safely trust in her, SO that ne
shall have no need OF spoil: She VIII 90
him good and not evil, all the days OF her
lie; She stretcheth out her hand to the
moor. she is not afraid of the snow for her
household. for all her household are
clothed with scarlet. Her husband is
known in the gates when he stitch
among the elders in the land; her children
arise up and call her blessed; her hus-
hand also, and he praiseth her; Many
daughters have done virtuously, but thou
excellest them all,
Then after the Scripture lesson is read
let all come up, and before the casket is
closed look for the last time at the scars
OF her earthly endurance.
She never heard the roll of gun car
rage or saw banner hoisted upon para
pet, but she has in all the features of that
dear old face the marks of many conflict
scars Of toll, scars. of maternity, scars OF
Belfsacrifce, scars of bereavement
She is a heroine whose name has never
been heard of ten miles from the old
homestead, but her name is inscribed high
ND among the enthroned nnmortals.