The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-06-01

Confederacy the Southern army was flee
ing toward Appomattox courthouse. On
account of the awful bombardment 1t had
dwindled into a mere handful General
Robert e. Lee, one of the grandest char
aCters in history summoned a prominent
general to his side and asked him what
he should do Anything. General Lee"
answered the subordinate, Except sur
render. We do not want your enemies to
say that you had to give up your sword.
But your soldiers scatter. and we will
Join the armies in the South. Do not spoil
your grand record, Do not surrender.
No" answered General Lee; Il cannot
think of myself The war is homeless. II
the men dispense they must live off the
country and cause useless suffering.
must be true to what Is right. I must
not think of what people might say.
shGll surrender" If such men could drop
the personalities out Of their lives.
all true Christian soldiers should be ready
to travel the twain mile for Christ s
cause We should forget as well as fer
give. We should no longer have the en-
mites wica tome of us bear our fellow
men.
Jesus has been given us as an example
for all his disciples to copy. What did
Christ do when he was scoffed at and spit
upon? Why, tne enemies made SO many
charges against Christ that PLATE. In
amazement, asked him to say something
ana refute the charges. "Hearest thou
rot how many things they witness
against thee? nd he answered him
never a word insomuch that the govern
or marveled greatly" Christ same to
save the world. Jesus did not have time
or inclination to spend the last moments
of his earthly life fighting his detractors:
neither shou.-, VIC.
Hates Worst Enemy.
The twain mile is the place where the
enemies of the true Christian are either
mellowed or completely conquered by
love. As the willingness to love ones enc
mics makes a man strong to go forth to
the battle of life, so that willingness to
love an enemy dulls the battleaxe of al
most every foe. Love is the most dan
gerous enemy hate has to combat. Love
Is the duolist which viii disarm many
fatal d .versary. Love is the shield which
can blunt or sn p every plunging SPEAR.
Love is the dazzling light which can woo
a smile from many scornful lip and
the tear of remorse from many flash
Ing eye
Ny brother, the friculty v 18th you an
myscl- is we have been lighting our en,-
mics with the wrong kind of weapon. We
have been fighting fire with fire, hate
with hate bitterness with bitterness,
Islander With Islander, death with death.
But now Jesus has given use n new way
to conquer our enemies. We must dis
arm hate with love; we must submergc
SANDER with forgiveness; we must an
swer a curse with a prayer; We must
offer to the clinched fist an open palm;
we must extend 20 every enemy a help
ing hand. Surely this idea is the inter-
probation of the words, whatsoever shall
smte thee upon thy right check. turn to
him the other also" "WhosoVer shall
compel thee to go with him one mile,
go with him twain"
In ancient times, so goes the story,
Roman commander at the head of his
legion went forth to capture a great
city With rattle of chariot wheel and
flashing of spear and defiant standards
and signaling bugle blast the invading
army approached the city wall. Much
to their surprise, they found every gate
wide OPEN The merchants were work.
ing in their stores. the women were work
ing in their kitchens, the farmers We're
in their fields. The Roman commander
asked in surprise of the inhabitants who
came forth to greet him: where are
your soldiers? We have come to fight"
I'VE have no soldiers" was the answer
of the inhabitants. I'VE are people
of peace. We welcome you to our homes,
wish to stay" well" answered the
Roman commander, "if there are no
soldiers to f, ght we shall march on"
The Roman army came to battle with
sword and with spear. They were con-
quered by love. So our enemies have
been for years attacking the walled and
fortified citadels of our hearts. If we
would open the barred gates of love to
those enemies and lower the drawbridge
of affection. we would capture nearly all
of our foes by the power of love. The
twain mile may have its thistles and
thorns and stony highways, but most of
those thorns can be blanketed with the
roses of Sharon. Most or those pebbled
pathways can be covered over with a
soft quilt of grass which once grew at
the foot Of the tree out of which was
cut the beam of the cross.
What True Love Means.
The twain mile is the place where
Jesus becomes to every Christian a
treasured, loving personality. Well sub
Stimulated is the fact that love grows as
much upon what we do for others as
what others do for us, upon what we are
ready to give as upon what we are ready
to receive. In order to have true love-
we must be ready to lose our lives be-
fore we can have those lives come to
their true development. We must be
ready to die if we want to truly live as
we ought to live.
Why is a mothers love the purest of
all earthly love? Because the baby di-