The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-06-18
A SERMON FUR SUNDAY
AN INTERESTING DISCOURSE BY
DR.. HOWARD DUFFlELD.
Subject: Heart Failure - The AutObiog
raphy of Our Souls is Often Stained
With the Very Faithlessness Which
Blots the Memoirs Of the Apostles.

rapny OF Our Souls Is Often stained
With the Very FaithIessness Which
Blots the Memoirs Of the Apostles.
New YORK CITY.--Dr. Howard Duffield,
pastor of the Old First Presbyterian
Church, Fifth avenue and Twelfth street,
preached, Sunday morning on Heart Fail
ure." He took his text from Mark xiv:
so: "And they all forsook Him and fled"
DR.. .Dufield said:
What towards! Comrades Of Jesus,
shall q three years. friendship with the
Master come to such an end? Shall the
lntimacies OF man months go swirling
like leaves in the wind before puff of
panic fear? Apostles of Jesus, why will
We. be piloried for poltroonery?. When
defeat brooded over the hills of Gilboa
and the remnants of the armies of Israel
Saul and Jonathan died together. When
Socrates kept tryst with death the prison
yard in which he sat became like hall of
banque.ing and the Jail stones echoed with
the converse of devoted friends wistfui of
sharing with him the cup of hemlock.
When the sun of Austerlitz that had
bathed the earth in glory at it's rising, sank
eclipsed in blood behind the plain Of Wat
erloo, the files of the imperial guard drew
up as on parade and died beneath the flag.
But in the hour OF His EXTREMIST need the
comrades of Christ ''forsook Him and
fed" Those that had seen Him walk the
storm swept lake; conquer disease with
hnger-toIch and dethrone death with
syllable, when a SQUAD Of hirelings with
swords, and the rifraf of the city with
slaves, came out to take Him, they forsook
Him and fed
Jesus walked the pathway of tears, and
no one kept step with Him The hour
has sounded for chivalry. and His friends
exhibited poltroonery. The call was for
II IL ~
backs to Christ, instead of their faces to
the foe. Occasion beat the long roll, but
the battle line became .rout. Imagine
that scene reversed. Imagine that Gordon
of apostles buttressing Christ against as
sault as with citadel of rock. We can
almost see them roofing themselves like
storm -defylng oaks, and opposing the
breastplate of their invulnerable affection.
We can almost see them converting Geth
semane into Gibraltar of affection, and
shatterlng the onset Of embittered perse-
cution upon the impregnable front of a
devotion that was stronger than death.
We are we'll nigh envious of their oppor-
tunlty of renown.
yet passed away, it has not yet become i'm
possible for one to show staiwart ale
glance to Jesus Christ in the face of con.
tempt and antagonism. "They are not yet
dead that seek the young chifd's life"
Christ does not recede with the ebb of
passing years. The men of His age are
sleeping in their sepulchers.
The first element of heart failure is dis
appointment. The apostles had very we'll
defined theory as to what. Christ had come
to do sor them, but they had thought very
little of what they were to do for Him.
They had clear conception of the prere-
quis1te of discipleship. They were deeply
concerned as to the pattern of their crowns.
They knew to a nicely the comparative
altitude of their thrones, and they were
anxiously parcelling out the cities over
which they were to rule. With their feet
treadlng the very ascent to Calvary they
were badgering each other as to which os
them should be greatest. Jesus had come
to give them life of ease and self-satis
faction. No more stormy nights out upon
Gennesaret; no more tugglng at the nets
and pulling the wet cordage of their boats;
no more weary days brawling in the Caper-
naum market place to get salt for their
meat and butter for their bread. Christ
lad whole cornucopia Of spendors to
empty into their lap-kingships, and Dig
mites, and thrones, and scepters. When
as with a lightning stroke all these fond
dreams went whistling down the wind
and their cloud palaces vanquished like
mist at sunrise, disappointment thrust its
iron into the soul, and away they went
spurred by an impulse which for the mo-
ment was irresistible. Their thought had
been centered on the good they were to
get, not upon the good they were to do.
should just as mistakenly interpret the
purpose of Christ's mission. In some piv-
otal moment the consciousness of sin I'M
expectedly leaps up and chills us with it's
shadow. We are dashed by the scorpion
whip of conscience. We shudder at the
! thought. of death. The awe of eternity
overshadows us. With timid fingers we
open the Book of God. With eager eye
we scan the page of Scripture. A wondrous
gospel ssalutes us. Glad tidings ring like
music through our hearts concerning One
who has welcome for the outcast, who
can whiten the most soiled soul, who will
uplift the fallen and recall the wandering,
and who has planted His mighty heel upon
the head of death We kneel reioicingy
at the foot of the cross. We surrender our
life into the keeping of Jesus. We yield
Him the ready homage of our hearts Then
comes the danger hour. Then we are liz
peril of thinking how much Christ has to
give, and too little of what He is training
us.to. give. Then we are prone to dwell in
imagination with the spirits of just men
made perfect, and the companies of the
shining ones who walk with Christ in glory.
until we lose. touch with the men and
women who throng about us warped and
stained with the sin and sorrow of the
world. We forget that forgiveness is
not the last word but the first
word of the Gospel. We forget that
pardon is not the last utterance but
the first utterance that Jesus has spoken
Weoverlook the fact that there is culture
of character which demands the energy of
a hero and the patience of devotee, that
there is a service of others that calls for
the crucifxion of self.
Another element of heart failure is
doubt. How was it possible for the apos-
ties to recognize a Messiah under arrest
Was tois the upshot of centuries of proph-
ecy? Was this the story that the messen-
gers of God had been telling of majesty
and glory and of victory? Was the Prince
of the house of David to be dragged away
in chains and the Lion Of Judah to be
thrust into cage? Clouded in their per-
oeptions, confused in their thought, con-
founded by the thrush of doubt. Jesus
disciples hurried away beneath the shad-
ows of a night that but family suggest
the dark questionings that must have shad-
owed their devoted hearts.
This is an age OF Doubt. Demon whis-
pers are upon every breeze. Siren songs
are at every turn. Faiths are under the
u :,