Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-04-14

and feeling, SHINING and suffering, mortal
and immortal, must know? What lore OF
man will unveil to me the face OF the great
God my maker, and roll back the cloud
that enwraps His throne?
What mechanic skill will suffice for un.
raveling the dread secret of this dark wool
of evil which is woven into human expe.
rience? What scho,ar, though he have
drunken at every Castalian fount, can
tread with me the brink of the grave, and
peering down into that abvss of dreadful
night give me any assurance that confined
dust will rise respiendent III some resur.
rection morning? What pupil of the most
cultured Gamaliel cal sit by my bedside III
the hour when heart and flesh are failing
and set one single star of hope aglow in the
dark midnight that gathers around me:
Just one star beam to tell me that beyond
the cloud and darkness are the many man
sions of an eternal home, that wonder
waits "A fathers welcome to love. and light
and JOY incifahle? Most majestic are the
achievements of intellect.
Greek tragedy tells us how King Edipus
at the close of life heard a cry-a strange,
weird, imperious summons. far off, yet
near. in some distant world, yet c'ose at
hand; A voice that drew like Cravitation:
So does every man, in virtue of that royal
nature which allies him with heavens
throne. hear at times Just such cry re-
sounding from some distant sphere. even
from that spirit realm which is his true
father,and, vet near, within his verv SOU,
that beckons him to his highest destiny.
ooh, soul of man, awake. awake, shake
off the chains OF spiritual slumber and
sloth. Escape the earth. bound life. HeaV:
on. born and heaven.aspiring. live for God!"
The Hindoo palace echoed with that cry,
and Buddha swept out to brood in the vii
derncsS depths over its mysterious mean.
ing. Those a. aucents hoated over the land
of Pallas Athenc, and in academy and por'
tico there gathered groups OF thinkers thaa
sought to follow its leading as the wise
men followed the Orient star. Every
dweler in Christian lands hears that cry
more plainly. 1t is borne to him In the
quiet peacefulness of the Sabbath that
whispers to his toil.worn spirit of that rest
that remaineth when the toll of this work
odav world is done 1t comes to hm from
the open church door that tells him OF a
home shelter for his mbeaten soul. 1t
speaks to him from the Scripture, where IT
svlables the splcndors of the Christ, and
declares that such is the glorious image
which God has planned to reproduce IN
him now sullied and sickened with SIN
But where. in all the ages. is the man that
girding himself at this signal call has won
in the race for holiness? Are we not some.
times glad that thoughts are not audible!
that motives are not visible! that we ara
rot breastpated with transparent glass
through which the workings of the inner
life might lie open to the curious eye
Are we not glad that it is sometimes
function Of language to conceal, as well as
to convey thought? If our struggles alter
holiness be as honest hearted as that OF
the old pagan seekers after God, we viii
unhcSitatingly echo their sad avowaL
! voiced bv one of that hgh-souled but dls
couraged company, II approve the better
courses, but | follow the worst And II
our own hearts, sin-darkcned and SIN
warped, condemn us, how can we meet tins
scrutiny of Him who Is greater than our
hearts and knoweth all things!
"If thou contendest with the footmcn,
and they weary thee, how canst hou con
tend with horses" There is but one
method by which this problem Of the He
brew prophet can be wrought out to an
| encouraging solution. Let its terms he IN,
vertcd. Read the formula backward. II
the h0rsemen could be conquered first, who
would waste a thought upon footmen: 1T
we could meet the mightlest foes and over
ride them there would be little difficulty
in outmatching lesser needs. If we could
run with horses and outrun them. we
should shake the dust of a sanda ed scorn
in the face of the iootmen. Such sou
ton is limited at in scripture t lurn tna tna
Bible page. Put the apostle against tha
prophet Reply to the challenge OF .lere
miah with the triumph shout of Paul
| can make money in the market place.
7 can obtain pleasure in the playhouse.
can win culture in the school room But
the remission OF my s,ns ] can secure only
upon Calvary. Christ is the solitary Sa'
viour.
When the sin want Is appeased all want
is met. When this is righted all ls right
With the regal robes OF righteousness go
the sceptre of power and the diadem OF
peace. Bring the matter to test OF
personal experience and see 1t 1t is not so'
and imagine that every one IN tins assem-
bly was a Christian; that each one, OF US
began the weeks work as saved soul
You 90 forth tomorrow morning, your
heart aglow with a brighter splendor than
the gorvbath with which sunrise Hood,
the earth. The light of the knowledge OF
the glory of God as it shines in the lace OF
Christ" You go downtown, not knowing
what the hours may be bringing to meet
YOU. Every footstep carries. you INTO
realm untrodden. Every clock tick swings
YOU into a mysterious future. But you
know some things now. You know that
,Jesns died for you; that God loves 'ou'
that, as far as the setting OF the sun IL
from the rising, SO far has your SIN oeen
carried away from you. Toll begins. Jesus
worked Trial approaches, Jesus suit
fered Your truesc words are twisted,
your pob1est acts are mlslnterpreted, for
your manifest endeavors mean motives arc
suggested. Jesus drank the same bitter
cup He who told Capernaum fisher foiK
to launch out and ctst net calls you to
take up the pen or the plane or the yard
stick or the needle or the loom he VINO
said to Peter Feed My lambs has SAID 10
YOU: "Sit by the cradie-side and 90 nurs.
erv work" He who SAID to Ma tnew
'Take up the cross and follow Me has
said TO YOU: Come after Me into the lone,
" pavilion of pain, keep midnight vigil
with Me in the shadowed paths OF Geth.
semane." Evenng-tide draws on. Home
shelter beckons to rasE Freside reunions,
with their heart deep satisfhctions, whisper
TO vou of another home that waits beyond
the toll of earth Empty chairs and van
ished faces stir your heart with tho G'or'
ious certainty that the Saviour Is placing
chair for you where the home clrce ls
forming, never to be broken. 80 me Oh
work resolves itself into life of worship.
So the davs, with ever quckening step,
shall hasten by. SO the night time shall
draw on apace. And the lengt thening OF
the shadows and the waning of the light
shall bring to your Christ-enriched nature
the message which life's setting sun
flashed into the heart of an old nnrsemaid,
who. becoming blind and deaf, ssid:
"You'rc worrying about me, dsa7. There
is no need of that | am happy as little
child sometimes think am Just little
child whom the Lord is hushing to, my
long sleep, for when l was a nurso girl aly
mistress always told me: Speak very, soft
and low and darken the room so the llttls
ones may go to sleep and now the noises
are hushed and still to me and the bonny
earth seems dim and dark. and / know it
is my Father lulling me awsy to my long
sleep"
When General Grant reviewed the B1t.
ish troops in India he was asked what