The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-08-07

when Gods face was hidden. Therc came
/ day wien Elijah, tlfat man with nerve
| Of steel and heart a fire. lay spent and
worn by the stress of mental conflict under
the juniper tree in the desert There same
q day when John the Baptist. that mount
| ed like an eagle 10 greet the dawn of truth,
/ felt his heart weaken and his eve film.
There comes Gcthsemne b every enc
That is FOLLOWING Jesus d0sdt a time 8f
darkness Of loneliness, II a wrestling N
che night, when those THAT love as mosg
scum wrapped IN sleep unable 70 compre-
bend the conflict that surgus within our
SOM. There are doubtng duys IN the cal'
andar of experience when thT earth trent
bles beneath the feet. when the guiding
stars Of destiny are yelled with a cloud
when the altar hame Of life burns into
ashes, when the eyes of faith are blinded
with a mist of tears. and when hope bows
her serene head and hides her radiant face.
Another element Of heart failure is Ham
ger. There was an element OF personal
peril that night which we must not forget
to introduce into orr analysis ot the Inn
pulses that drove the apostles away from
Christ In all likelihood the thought Of
danger little affected the comrades OF
! Jesus. With ms 1t Is apt to be the over
mastering consideration. The retreaung
anostles were not so much afraid Of some
| things rs We are. We tailS about aDsoIuJe
monarchy We rehearse stories of Siberian
atrocity until the blood chi,ls. There r.
/ but one absolute monarch-the car Ot hI-
man opinion The ullase which he issues
/ drags US all into a Siberia Of meanness but
/ family tipyhed by the degradation OF
/ those gloomy mines that burrow into the
/ Asiatic mountains. The opinion of the.
world exies fnesr feeling. It dungeons
truest manhood. It rivets chain and ball
on our loftiest aspirations II vetoes indie
| pendence. We dare not be'free and manly
| and genuine. II makes our feet fast IN the
/ stocks of its whims We are all the while
asking which wlv the weather-cock points
and we trim. We are diliPent in inqur-
ing how the current sets. and we veer, in.
stead of asking whittier the needle points
and setting our PROV to the pole star; in
stead Of reading the chart and laughing to-
scorn the fret and roar of tho pillows. We
serve Christ. by the worlds permission.
Whv should we be so deferential to- the
worlds opinion? IF YOU slip, will the
world help you up? If YOU have blotted
the fair page of your life. is the world
he'ning you to whiten it? If you are sick,
will the world piav physician? If you are
struggling with all the energy that IS in
your soul to scale some starry height OF
purity and of nobility will the world lend
you a hand? When yOUr path enters the
valley of the shadow will the world walk
beside Won on that lonely and mysterious
way? When your stay here is ended will
the world spend one thought upon you,
keep flowers growing on your grave or tear
the lichens from your tombstone? There
is one who loves you, one who whenever
you slip has an arm of love ready to catch
you; when you fall has messages of hope
ready to whisper in Your ear. lie will
whiten YOUR soul. He will grid your weak
ness. He will school your ignorance. He
will share your sorrow He will companion
you as you cross the frontiers of time. He
will introduce you into an unclouded
eternity beyond Why care very much foH
the opinion of the world in which we arc
but fraction now, and in which tO-mor-
row we will be a cipher? Why not very
keenly care for one whose love envelops
our being as with an atmosphere?
Turn the page and read the later story Of
, apostolic loyalty. The sequel is different
from the preface. Call the roll of that
glorious company of the apostles and hear
every compass point ring with fidelity to
Jesus. Read how they sowed the earth
. with martyr blood from Abyssinia to- In
dia. Begin the chronicle with that tradi-
lion Of Simon Peter, who was led cut TO
, death in the Roman amphtheatre while
his wife was crowned with martyrdom
, before his eyes, to shake if possible the
i
while she suffered he called her by name
! and addressed her in terms OF most endear-
! ing affection and exhorted her to remem-
her the love of the blessed Lord and to, be
+ firm until the very end. His turn came
| next. He had but a single favor to ask
) from God as he stood there in the Old
Roman circus face to face with death, and
[ that was that he might remain firm for
Q one more hour. He had but single favor
. to ask from man, and that was that he
i. might be crucihed head downward, as it
was too great an honor for one who had
n deserted Jesus to suffer in the same way
e Jesus did. The whole company of the
V apostles went sweeping home to their
e Master in chariots of fire They sealed
c their allegiance to Him with their blood.
s Since the night of panic they had come to
e known Him as a friend. He had a place
q 1T their table and voice m the home talk.
n He had a seat at their tiresides and a
, share in their plans They had strOlled
n together IN and down the field paths.
v They had paced side by SIDE through the
4 city streets. He had coiored their sym
d pathies. nodded their character enriched
n their lives; but the bond Of friendship
r broke in the hour of trial. They had
O known Him as a teacher. They had been
o fascinated by the crystai-clear form of Hi'
n statements They had thrilled to the
n searching and subtle touch Of His noun
le ain sermon. They had felt the subtle
. charm of His parallels, but the spell of His
d wisdom did not keep them true on the
d hight of His betrayal. They had seen Hin
&c As miracle worker. They had behelC
is The storm s,ceD like a child at His com
81 mand They had witnessed leprosy con
ii 7erted into purity at His touch, They haC
II seen the winter of the sepulcher bloom
n nto the spring when His sandals touched
b he lintei of the tomb. but the DoMer o