Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1903-10-22
NEW SERIES--VOL. XXI. No. 90

OF our seminaries to-day Vas re7ey s-r-
passed. But Why does not tEs claim Il
this great vocation press upon every sucn
an one until it is soberiy settled one way
men are afraid. There was no difficulty
IN filing UP the ranks of the Rough Rider
regiment, though every man knew thai ne
was taking. his life in his hands when he
volunteered: There, was no Jack of vos,n-
to be sunk at the mouth of Santiago har-
nor, though it meant voyage into the
jaws of death. Eight men were needed;
you know the response to the call for VOL
unteers.
[ viii not believe that there is among
our young men lack OF courage lack Of
willingness to suffer. Can it be thar young
men have made up their minds that with
the present spirit in the church there Is
little demand for. the heroic in her minis
try? They say that minister makes his
church. He does leave his stamp upon the
| church, but it is no less true that the
church makes the ministers. And the
minister will not 60 far beyond what the
church requires, or at least lie will not go
far beyond the point to which the church
will follow him. If the church OF the law
| ing God is to any considerable degree hon
| eycombed with Indifference, permeated
with the dry rot of lethargv. if the heroic
element in the church is dying. then the
| church may hold itself responsible for any
|
ing of stalwart efficiency in its leadership.
| No man of strength and self respect is
| going to submit to being regarded mercy
as convenient adjunct to weddings and
/ funerals, a kind of family pet to le
| coddled ard fed with sweetmeats II the
leaders, she must have much that is heroic
| in herself. There must be recognition
Of the fact that the foes of Christ and Of
His followers are neither dead nor sleep
ing; that eternal vigilance, eternal SELF
sacrifice, everlasting and strenuous stri1g-
gle, are the price Of progress and OF vic
! tory now as always.
Second-The insistent cal for service
has not ceased. Dean Frederick w. Far
rar, who has but recently passed from
among, us, has, said: rs not this fatally
| true, that the lives OF very many are -friv-
olous, useless, egotistical; that the lives OF
very many are wasted and seif-ruined by
their own vllest passions; that the lives
of some are like a mere poison and pesti-
lence to all around them; that it is the
erous, brave and unselfsh, mercifui and
just, pure and true? And the main curse
of most lives is that they think only Of
self and live only for self" I hope that
the words contain an exaggeration. can
but believe that each of us knows in his
own circle lives which, though they be
hidden from public view and knowledge.
are .sbrave and unselfsh.' "pure and
true" But the words of the great church
man are challenge and an appeal. The
insistent call for servicethas not ceased.
, Thank God. history shows that the cal,
: has not been in vain. In the social stream
! of the life of this world it is good to thinl,
! OF men and women who have not pleased
themselves, but have gone about doing
good. great souls who in their stubborn
: devotion to the truth, in detestation oi
! falsehood and lies, have faced lyng
world and the hatred of the base and the
: storm of weak and cowardly criticism, no!
: holding their lives dear unto themselves.
| hear some one say, eve have no such
I call as they" but we have The only cal
they had we have-the call of the need
We might, the humblest of us, be useful
Perhaps very few eyes will be wet for us
and they not for long. while others, with
less Of opportunity than ourselves, have
gone down to the grave amid the benedic
tions of the poor. All, the iusistent cal
for service has not ceased. Can we no'
: strive to rise, to rise untedly. to rise in
ever strengthening fellowship. into such
life as is described by the words spoken
: Of our blessed Lord, "He went aboa:
doing good"
7 The great Methodist leader, John Yves
l ley, the bicentennarv of whose birth has
; inst been celebrated throughout the Chris
tan world, nobly said: Il desire league
offensive and, defensive, with every soldier
of Christ So say we. Let it be repeated
in ever increasing volume until the earth
shall be full Of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea- eve desire
a league. offensive and defensive, with
every soldier of Christ