The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-06-10
"HEART FAILURE
A Brilliant Sunday Sermon By DR..
Howard DuffieId.
The Autobiography Of Our Souls Is Often
Stained With the Very Faltblessness
Which Blots the Memoirs Of
the Apostles

New NoRK CITY.-Dr Howard Dufed,
pastor OF the O,d First Presbyterian
Church, Fifth avenue and Twelfth street,
preached Sunday morning on Heart Fail
ure' lie took his text from Mark xiv:
6O And they all forsook Him and fled.
Dr. Duited said:
VIVA: towards Comrades OF Jesus,
shall a three years friendship with the
Master come. to such an end? Shall She
lntlmacies OF man months go swirlins
like leaves in the wind before a puff OF
panic fear; Apostles OF Jesus why will
ye be plloried for poltroonery? When
defeat brooded over the hills Of Gilboa
and the remnants OF the armies of Israel
lay strewn through the Judean valleys.
Saul and Jonathan died together. When
Socrates kept tryst with death the prison
yard in which he sat became like a 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 Austerltz that mad
bathed the earth IN glory at its rising, sanl;
eclipsed IN blood behind the plain OF Wat.
erioo, the tiies 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
He'd Those that had seen Him walk the
storm swept lake; conquer disease with a
hnger,touch and dethrone death with a
syllanle, when a squad OF hrelIngs with
swords, and the riffraf OF the city with
stavcs, came out to take Him. they iorsooI
Him and he |.
Jesus walked the pathway Of tears. aud
no one Kept step with Him. The hour
has sounded for chivalry. and His friends
exhibited poltroonery The call was tor
heroes, and those He loved showed their
backs 10 Christ, instead OF their faces to
the foe. Occasion beat the long roll, but
the battle line became 4 rout. Imagine
that scene reversed. Imagine that Gordon
OF apostles buttressing Christ against as.
sault as with a citadel Of rock. We can
almost see them roofing themselves like
storm-dc!ylng oaks, and opposing the
metal cors.ets OF Chrst's foes with the
breastplate OF their inyulnerable affection.
We can almost see them converting Geth.
semaAe INTO a Gibraltar OF affection. and
shattering the onset OF emhttered pe-se.
cution upon the imprcgnable front Of a
devotion that was stronger than death.
We are well nigh envious OF their oppor.
tunity OF renown.
The possibility Of such loyalty has not
yet passed away, it has not yet become i'm.
possible for one 10 show a stalwart ale,
glance to Jesus Christ in the face of con.
'em1t and antagonism. They are not vec
nead that seek the young chid's life
Christ does not recede with the ebb OF
passing wears. The men OF His age are
sleeping in their sepuichers
The hrs! clement OF heart failure il dis
appointment. The apostles had a very well
dehned theory Is to wha, Christ had come
e do .or them. bat they had thought very
lite u what they were to do for Him.
They had clear conception of the prere.
qulslte OF dlsclpleship. They were deeply
concerned as to the pattern Of their crowns.
They knew to a nicely the comparative
attitude. OF their thrones, and they were
anSiousiy rarcelling out the cities over
which they were to rule. With their feet
treading the very ascent to Calvary they
were badgering each other as to which os
them should be greatest. Jesus had come
20 give them a life of ease and self.satis.
faction. No more stormy nights out upon
Gennes saret; no more tugging 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 who.e cornucopia OF splendors to
empty into their lap-kingsh 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 Da,aces vanauished 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.
II is not impossible that you and |
should Just a. mistakenly interpret the
purpose OF Chrlst's mission. In some piv.
otaI moment the consciousness OF sin un-
eNpc2tcdly leaps up and chlll5 us with its
shadow. We are lashei by the scorpion
whip o' conscience. We shudGer at the
thought OF death. The awe of eternity
oveFsh9dows ~. With timid fingers We
open the Book Of God. With eager eve
we sean the page Vi Scripture. 4 wondrous
gospel sa'utes as G,od tidngs ring like
music through Oug hearts concerning One
who has welcome for the outcast, who
can whltch the most soiled soul, who will
upitt the iDa,l and recall the wandering,
ana who has 'n,e1 His mighty heel upon
az the loot oi the ross We surrender our
lie nto the Eeeu,lg Of Jesus. We Weld
HIM the sdy homage Of orr hearts Then
comes the d1rgCr hour. Then we are liz
peru OF thinking how much Christ has to
give and too little Of what He is training
US 70 give. linen we are prone to dwell in
imagination with the spirits OF lust men
made perfect. and the comnanies of the
shining ones who wall. 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
word. We forget that forgiveness is
word Of the Gospel We forget that
pardon Is not the last utterance but
tne first utterance that Jesus has spoken
We overlook the fact that there - a culture
OF character which demands the energy OF
q, hero and the patience Of deyotee, that
there Is service OF others that calls for
the cruclhXion OF self
Another element OF heart failure is
doubt. How was 1t possible for the amos
ties to recognize Messiah under arresty
was this 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
m chains and the Lion Of Judah to be
thrust into cage? Clouded in their per.
ceptions, confused in their thought. con.
founded by the thrush Of doubt. Jesus
disciples hurried away beneath the shad.
o,ws OF night that but family suggest
the dark Huestionings that must have shad.
owed their devoted hearts.
THIS Is an age OF doubt. Demon wins.
pers are upon every breeze. Siren SONGS
are at every turn. Faiths are under the
scalpel Crecds are in the crueible. Re.
liefs are uDon the anvil. A searching and
pitiiess criticism is passing under its lens
everything that men have counted helpful
and holy in the days gone by. For one. /
do not regret 1t. Flame will never harm
gold. A files tooth cannot bite A diamond.
But an age OF doubt brings many a doubt.
a -. = 90 II