St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-04-23
Is HERE

! / / !. !. |. / |:
Es@ HERE are three
sf references In the
IN Bible to the flu
minatiOn with SUI
pernatural glory of
the faces of men
WyN&E, 60 Moses after his
nm NSH1nEh communion with
HMEMz N#ny God on the top of
SNA% Mount Sinai; Je-
WI sus on the Mount
nm -: Of TRANSPORTATION.
wv - and Stephen be-
~ fore the Jewish
@% council. And Of
=, the three incidents
Inc last Is perhaps the most striking
ana suggestive for the Christian. Moses
ana Jesus withdrew from the active
scenes of life and upon mountain top
ielt the touch Of the radiant glory and
the presence Of God. while Stephen in
the midst of that hostile Jewish coun-
Gil, with lying witnesses accusing him
anu the angry multitude surging about
MIN, was TRANSPORTED before them, and
tney Deheld his face as it had been
the race OF an angel" It is not strange
that Moses face should shine with a
supernatural light and glory after he
mad talked face to face" with God.
That Jesus should have been transfig-
ured. so that Ills face did shine as
tho sun, and His garments became
white as the light" is but In perfect
harmony with the place and the
occasion. and the communion with
the Heavenly visitors. On the noun
tain top with God beholding His
perfect righteousness and receiving
HIS holy law: on the mountain
top with the three loyal disciples, and
the gates Of Heaven swinging open.
and Moses and Elijah stepping forth
into their midst, and Gods voice de-
claring: This is My beloved Son, hear
ye HIM" It but makes the story COM
plete to say that Moses face shone,
and that Jesus was TRANSPORTED before
them. But with Stephen, how different?
No mountain top, but judgment hall.
No quiet communion with God in which
the soul could mount up and up in its
sweet. ecstatic joy, but the angry cries
of the surging multitude. the voices of
the accusing witnesses and the con-
den1nation Of the judges And yet
Stephens face shone. There was
peace and JOY and glory withal,
which illuminated his features with
glow which was angelic and Heavenly.
e TEPHENS shining face-the love
y light cleaning In the eye, q reflec-
ton of the Divine love; the placid
brow; the strong but tender lines about
ing on his face and yet not weakening
but rather intensifying the earnest, long
ing look with which he beheld those
about him; all this was not dependent
upon outward conditions. but was the
outshining OF the inward presence OF
his Lord. His face witness to the
condition within; an index to his char
acter and confederation Of the testi-
mony Of his lips. To Stephen in this
remarkable degree was given the out
shining presence OF the Holy Spirit,
and 1t may be the possession Of every
Christian-in lesser degree, perhaps,
and yet the same indwelling presence
OF the Lord to light up the face and
make It shine for Him. One great
trouble with the Christian generally is
that he is largely Influenced and affect
ed by his surroundings. Like the cham
eleon, he takes on and reflects the hue
OF his place and condition. II 1t is dark
and forbidding, the face instantly re-
fleets the somber hues. II 1t is stormy,
and difficulties lie in the pathway, then
Is the face distorted with the frown
which is the outward expression Of the
disouiet within. II danger threatens
II stamps it's terror upon the brow.
II disappointment and privation come
the countenance quickly reveals how
deep have been the wounds. And SO,
unless everything is serene and lovely.
the surroundings pleasant and safe. and
the desires and needs satisfied. the face
reveals the inward unrest and discon-
tent The witness of the face Is dis
honorine to God and sadly contradic-
tory Of the Christian faith and profess
sion. Like Moses we may withdraw
to the mountain top OF communion
with God and our countenances reflect
the glory Of the presence OF our Lord.
Int none the less should the face shine
with Divine and Heavenly light In the
d,nfcult and trying places. even as In
the case Of Stephen.
THE LORD is skilled in Transforming
faces. He is able to take the most
ordinary, yea, even homely, counte-
nance and make 1t lovely with the re-
aected light OF Heaven. Scripture does
rot tell us what kind OF q looking man
ctenhen was. AS we think Of him with
his face TRANSPORTED with the glorious
lipht OF his risen Lord we are apt to
ricture him as a young man OF great
personal charm and manly beauty,
man with q strikingly handsome face
th.t would attract. attention anywhere.
IVA do know from the Testimony OF Scrip
ture that he possessed most Christ
,,re character, was full OF grace and
the Holy Spirit, and he may have been
. man of singular physical charm. with
face and figure Of an Apollo; but the
.nore try to imagine how Stephen
looked the deeper does the impression
that he had many physical de-
sscts not the least of which was his
.1sin and ordinary. II not positively |
p. s,aa,v countenance And If such was
+ha man stephen, the illumination OF
~, s face by the flooding light and pres
Only II Vxyr1S |