The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-09-03
THE TESTIMONY OF LOVE.

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Love of enemies is the mark of the
highest Christian life. This brings
the greatest happiness to its posses
sor, and greatest blessing TO loved
ones and to the world. It may not
always be possible to win the enemy,
but it is always possible to have
personal victory. We T COM
manded: Gas much as in you lies,
live peaceably with all men" This
spirit of forgiveness presents a testi-
mony which is irresistible. Mission
srv TAYLOR in New Zealand once
called all his converts together for a
season of fellowship, TO close with a
communion service. While they
were kneeling around the Lords
table, he noticed n man rising
from his knees and returning to his
seat, then, after a little while, COM
ing back to the place of kneeling.
After the service was over he asked
him the cause of this strange con-
duct. The heather convert said sI
suddenly found myself kneeling be-
side the man who murdered my
father. I once vowed that if ever 1
saw him I would kill him. All this
came over me, and I could not bear
the sight or the thought. Then, in
my seat I seemed to see Christ hang
ing on the CROSS, and TO hear him
praying for his enemies and I heard
a voice saying in my soul: BY this
shall all men know that ye are my
disciples, if ye have love one for an
other I gladly forgave him in my
heart, and received great peace and
blessing"
Sometimes gracious works of grace
follow forgiveness of enemies. An
evangelist in the South was preach
ing on this subject subject not
often preached upon, because too
personal-and a woman in the audi
ence arose and walked to another
part of the room and took the hand
of another to whom she had not
spoken for many months. Many
eyes were filed with tears, the ice
was broken, and a blessed revival
was the result. That woman's> two
sOn and daughter we're converted.
The evangelist told this in a church
in Virginia, and one of the elders
reached across the seats and said {:
"Neighbor, here is my hand" An
other gray-haired elder did the same
to one against whom he had held an
0ld-time grudge, and his enemy re-
Piled: "This is the very thing 1
have long wished for" A revival
was also the result in this place.
Study the life of Joseph in forgiv-
ing his brethren; David sparing
Saul Christ and Stephen and Paul
forgiving their enemies, and the
many e-xhortations in the New Tesla
ment on this subject and then pray
erfully, deliberately, and persist
entity practice the teachings, and
great reward will follow. eff thou
bring thy gift TO the altar, and there
rememberest that thy brother hath
aught against thee leave there thy
gift before the altar, and go thy
way; first be reconciled to thy
brother, and then come and offer
thy gift" Reconciliation before
ritual, pardon before prayer, obedi-
enCe before sacrifice. Write the
apologizing letter go in person and
make the confession exhaust every
resource to restore mutual love /;
make sacrifices that will prove the
reality and intensity of love cruelty
self and be filled with love and the
peace which passeth all understand
Ing will be the result. "Let all
bitterness, and wrath, and anger,
and olamOr, and evil speaking, be
put away from you, with all malice A:
anu Re ye kind one to another, ten
~uer-hearted, forgiving one another,
ever as God for Christ's sake hath
forgiven you.'-Rev. w. J. Mosier.
as ~