The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1903-12-12

NJ UElM atty and iaitniui
ESASH W. service. Hear his
brief, modest sum-
mary in the elev-
enth chapter of second Corinthians.
and remember. too. that 1t was made
before his Imprisonment at Caesarea
and journey to Rome and cruel bondage
there: "Of the Jews FIVE times re-
ceived forty stripes save one. Thrice
was beaten with rods. once was
stoned, thrice suffered shipwreck, a
night and day have been In the
deep; in journeyings often. in perils of
waters, In perils Of robbers. In perils
by mine own countrymen, In perils by
the heather. IN perils in the city. in
perils in the wilderness, in perils in
the sea. in perils among false brethren;
In WEAKNESS and painfulness, in watch
ings often. in hunger and thirst, In
hastings often. in cold and nakedness."
A battle-scarred warrior, surely! The
prosecutions, the trials. the sufferings.
the dangers began at Damascus at the
time he first enlisted In the cause OF
Jesus Christ when the Jews went about
to kill him and he escaped over the
wall Of the city in basket, and they
had followed him wherever he had
gone, to Jerusalem, through Asia
Minor, into Europe. His back was
scanned and gashed with the innumer-
able blows which had fallen thereon.
His wrists and his ankles bore the
cruel marks of the irons and stocks
which had encircled them. Upon his
face and head might be seen the livid
scars left by the jagged rocks as they
fell upon him at Lystra. But every
scar, every pain and ache, every hard
ship was a testimony for the Lord
Jesus, and he was proud OF them.
THE soldier bears with honor the scars
l which he has won In battle. The
empty sleeve or trouser leg, the cis-
figured face and form through which the
shot and shell have plowed their ugly
burrows, are eloquent tribute to the serv-
ice which has been rendered. The soldier
is proud of that empty sleeve, OF that bull
let wound. Paul, too, was proud OF his
scars, but II was with no spirit OF boast
fulness that he pointed to the cruel evil
dences In his body of his warfare In the
Gospel He was proud of them and calls
attention to them because they were the
visible evidences of the presence Of the
Lord Jesus in his life. In the same
breath with which he declared that he
bore in his body the marks of the Lord
Jesus" he had exclaimed: God for
bid that should glory save In the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christi" and 1t was
because those marks we're an expression
In his life of the cross and sufferings Of
Jesus that he gloried. To him 1t was one
Of tie proofs Of his discipleship. AS in
those days the slave was branded with
the mark or initials of his owner, so
was Paul. 1t was his pride to count him
self the slave of Jesus. and to regard the
scars which had eaten into his flesh as
the brand-marks OF his Master
WITH sublime contempt he utterly
w ignores those who had so cruelty
tortured his body and sees only Jesus.
He knows that nothing can harm him
and no one lay hand upon him, except as
his Master permits, and save as II shall
be to His glory and the advancement Of
the Gospel. Therefore when the Jews
beat him, he ices Jesus and rejcices In
Him; when the rods Of the heather fall
make the light Of Jesus shine brighter
and farther into the darkness; when he
Is stoned, he rises up to bless; when he
is imprisoned, he sings. for Jesus is with
him. The marks in his body were the
marks OF the Lord Jesus-not those OF
the raging mobs at Jerusalem, at Ly stra, |
at Ephesus. at Thessalonica; not those
of the magistrate and jailor at Philippi.
1t was Jesus, his Master and Lord, mark |
ing his body for the furtherance of the |
blessed Gospel which he preached Each
stroke, each trial and hardship deepened |
the proof Of his dfscipleship. II was full |
fillment of the promise and prophecy Of |!
Jesus; II was proof Of Divine favor; 1t |
was the evidence of fellowship with |
Him; It was the making complete of the |
sufferings of Christ.
THE suffering of the disciple OF Jesus
] Christ for the sake Of the Gospel Is
fulfillment of prophecy. Over and over
again Jesus told His followers that they
should suffer persecution. III they have
prosecuted Me, they will also prosecute |
you. The servant IL not greater than
his Lord" And how the storm of perse-
cution has ragged about the church Of |
Jesus Christ! 4 he prison and the stake; |