Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-09-19

this life But what a contrast they pEe-
sent! for their life note is ioyous and tri-
umphant, notwithstanding the cross oin
their backs. Simon is the man who Us
bearing his lot in gloomy and sulen ST.
lence. and bearing it in a way that makes
YOU feel he is none the better for having
to do it. Paul is the man whose suferings
and losses you can plainly see are the
explanation of ais huoyant and Goafageous
spirit. His lot, disagrccabie and difficult
as 1T Is, he accepts, not as the other man.
with bitterness and rcsentacEt. hut III that
spirit of faith and obedience that God
has a right to expect from all Ills chill.
,ircn.
l know there are some to whom this will
sound strange and perhaps impossible. and
l know they are conscientious and religious
people. They accept it as a fact that men
must expect to be suddenly halted in life,
- !, like Simon of Cyrene, made to bear
some heavy and humiliating cross, and they
andeavor to be stout-hearted and brave
under the ordeal. but it is always and only
a disagreeahle and unfortunate circum-
stance in their lives; and they resent it and
hate it as did Simon; and that is all. They
| never seem to find the source Of strength
and happiness in their cross. Now, is it
true that the Paul attitude and the Paul
spirit are possible? Possible to the aver
age man, mean? Or do they require the
Paul conversion and the Paul visions? Is
t true that the Paul spirit is possible i'll
glimpse of the third heaven? l ask YOU
20 ponder this query, in the hope that we
may clearly see and be convinced that it
IS no unattainable principle for any man,
, anywhere in this world.
Here are two young men-cassmates at
same Office or factory. The one is about
rs diligent as the other and about as sue
cessful. Nevertheless. there is marked
difference. The one finds study or bust
ness. as the case may be, irksome and
! slavish. it neither inspires nor develops
him. He simply does what he docs be-
cause he ought to or must. and his whole
! life is nothing more than stoiid persist
ence lacking the heartiness and the hope
fitness Of the other. The other man is no
better scholar, no better workman or bust
ness man, but he is contrast notwith-
standing. Whether it is study or business.
, he finds his joy and inspiration in what he
of love. There are the same restraints,
| the same burdens upon both, but the one
exults in them and is develcped by them,
where rs the other is full of resentment,
and is i'll no way benefited. While the one
is full of enthusiasm and anticipation. the
other is heart.ess and crushed The one is
Paul, the other is Simon.
People used to wonder why George VIII
liam Curtis. the distinguished and gifted
editor OF Harper's Magazine. entered t!x
lecture field He was known TO have a
lucrative position and considerable in:
come from his writings: and so it seemed
strange to many people that he should
take up lecturing, with it's inconvenience
and risks. Some We're inclined to regard
him as mercenary, bat on his death the
explanation appeared. Years before, so it
is said, Mr. Curtis had engaged in bust
ness enterprise with friend which proved
unfortunate for both. 1t was in order to
meet all the obligations incurred by the
firm which bore his name that necessitated
and Mr.. Curtis lived long enough to retire
from the lecture platform-and that, too.
after he had paid every dollar of indebted
ness, with interest. Some might say that
is superfluous honesty, and vet many men
there are to-day who would dc" this very
thing Mr.. Curtis did. and as matter Of
fact the number OF men who have done
so in the past is not small. Indeed. there
ere men living il or midst who are striv-
ing to do this self same thing. But all
men do not manifest the same spirit in
this otherwise noble task. One man will
act as il he were a bond slave. and while
be is, faithful to his duty, does it in a
inding nothing in his hard experience to
rejoice in or be thankful for. He goes
about his task as Simon bore the cross =
:ursing the luck that brought him to the
hour, ard full Of bitterness and resentment
on account of it. Without heart or in
spiration, and without comfort or joy, he
takes up his cross and trudges toward
Calvary. On the other hand, there are
men to whom these heavy tasks become an
inspiration and source of strength; who
are finding their happiness and their de-
eelopment in carving til" cross, hap
2iness and a deve.onmere that they would
otherwise never have known.
If Won and I are to have the Paul spirit
Of courage and cortentmcnt, even while
we stagger under the heavy cross. it can
only be by the WAY of the Paul attitude
, toward God ard til" Paul relationship to
Jesus Christ. This is the same Paul who
wrote. 1--WE are children of ID and if
children then heirs; ), eiirs OF God and Joint
heirs with Christi" the same Paul who
wrote. can things works together for
good to them who love God" Afterward
Simon of Cyrene understood the cross of
Christ. and then he became Paul. Though
the authorities turned him out of the syn
agogue as defiied. though he and his family
became ostracised, it mattered little to
them, since they could clearly see how
great good had come to them in the form
Of misfortune.
And do we not see how true this is. Of
many people about us9 DO we not see that
the burdens of the family to that Young
mother. and that the new and heavy re-
sponsibility to others were just what they
needed to round out their characters and
to fill their careers with force and
strength?
And whatever may be the form of the
, weight OF the cross laid upon us in this
life. my friends. let us remember these
.wo things: That it is possible. like Paul,
The apostle, to find the inspiration and Joy
So f,1rt hcr. hot
t must be so if our attitude toward God
IS one OF faith and obedience and our
relationship to Jesus that Of loyal c1.l
owing disciple.