Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1901-02-27

/
VI, IL, II bear in my body the marks
Of the Lord Jesus"
We hear much about crowns,
thrones, victories, but L now tell the
more quiet story of scars, honorable
and dishonorable. There are in all
parts of the world people bearing
dishonorable scars. They went into
the battle of sin and were worst ted,
and 10 their dying day they will have
scarification of body or mind or
soul. IL cannot be hidden. There n. e
tens of thousands of men and women
now consecrated to God and living
holy lives who were once corrupt;
but they have been regenerated, and
| they are no more what they once
| were than rubescence is emaciation,
than balm is vitriol, than MONDAY Is
midnight. But in their depleted phys
ical health or mental twist or style
of temptation they are ever and anon
reminded of the obnoxious past
| They have memory that is deplor-
able In some twinge of pain or some
tendency to surrender to the wrong
| they have an unwholesome remin-
iscence. They carry scars, deep scars,
tgnoble scars.
But Paul in my text shows us q
scarification which is badge of hon
orable and self-sacrificing service.
He had in his weak eyes the result
OF too much study end in his body,
bent and worn, the signature of
scourgings and shipwrecks and NAL
treatment by mobs. In my text he
shows those scars SIS he declares, 81
bear in my body the marks of the
Lord Jesus" Notice that IL is not
wounds, but scars, and a scar is 4
healed wound. Before the scar is
well defined upon the flesh the in
hammation 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 fiesh-a cicatrix.
Paul did well to show those scars.
They. were positive aud undisputable
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 ere
dentials proving his right to lead in
the worlds evangelization
Men are not ashamed of scars got
In battle for their country. No
American is embarra ssed when YOU
ask him: Where did you get that
cash across your forehead?" and he
can answer: THAT was from saber
cut at San Juan" When YOU ask
some German: Where did Won 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 answer: II suffered that
in the last battle under our glorious
Gen. Garibaldi." But / remind YOU
of the fact that there are scars not
got in war which are lust as illus
trlors. We had in this country years
ago an eminent advocate who was
called into the presidential cabinet
as attorney general. In midIife he
was In Philadelphia courtroom en-
gagged in an important trial The at
torney on the opposite side Of the
case got irritated and angry and in
most brutal manner referred to the
distinguished attorneys disfipured
race "a face more deeply Scared than
any face / ever saw. The LEGAL hero
OF whom ] am speaking in his clos
ing argument said: "Gentiemen of
the jury, when l was little child
was playing with my sister in the
nursery, and her clothes caught fire
ana ran to her 10 put out the fire.
l succeeded, but / myself took fire.
and before 1T was extinguished nv
face was awfully burned and as black
as the heart of the scoundrelIv conn
sci who on the otner side of the case
has referred 20 my misfortune" Tho
eminent attorney of whom speal,
earrled all his life the honorable scar
OF his sisters rescue. Albert Rarnee
the most distinguished of all COM
mentators. unless il be Matthew
Henry. for years at four o'clock in
the morning might have been seen
gong from his house in PhiIadelnbis
TO his study in the church and In
those early hours and before breol,.
last 20 give all those wonderful com
mentaries, theological library in
themselves He said that as he ,vas
pastor he felt bound to give all tho
rest Of each day to work connected
with his pastorate. But at what a
| ruinous draft upon his eyesirrbt ne
uId mat early morning work, first bv
candlelight and then by pasligbt,
When he got through tnosc wonder
fui volumes Of Scriptural exposition.
Albert Barnes was a blind man
Scars, illustrious scars ON his extip-
guished eyesight!
People think .hey must look for
martyrs on ba,tlefelds or 20 through
a history TO find burninps AT the
stake and fortunes on racks when
there are martyrs all aborN US. At
TINS time IN this capital city there are
scores OF men wearing themselves
out in the public service. In ten
years they will not have a healtbv
nerve left in their body. In com
mittee rooms. In consultations TINT
involve the welfare Of the nation nm
der the weight Of great responsible
ties, their vitality il being subtracted