Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1904-04-21

phere renders us. Our Wanted know.edeo
largely consists Of shrewd guesses concern
ing surface appearances. The last result
OF culture IS the coronation of nescienee.
Its proudest achievement is fixing the Enn-
its Of thought. The MOST sinewy prsm
cannot scale those adamantine barriers
that convert reasons highway into a mo
thoroughfare." There are nuts of faek
which Te t the stoutest blows Of the hammer
head OF human knowledge fail to crack
There are Gordian knots of thought whIalx
turn the edge of the most finely temDered
blade of human research.
Nineteenth century intellect, the human
mind. IN that age when mind touches the
meridian is not able to tell the story of the
little 5n hchen that elings to the stone ia the
wall, root and all and all IN all.' How,
then, shall human wisdom answer for me
those awful questionlngs concerning origin
and duty and destiny which 1, reasoning
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 clo1d
that enwraps His throne?
What mechanic skill will suffice for un-
raveling the dread secret of this dark woof
OF evil which is woven into human expe
rience? What scholar, though he have
drunken at every Castalian fount, sznN.
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 resplendent in some reK-
rection morning? What pupil Of the nnns&
cultured Gamaliel can sit by my bedside I'm
the hour when heart and flesh are failing
and set one single star of hope aglow in the
dark midnight that gathers around znc2
Just one star beam to tell me that beyond
the cloud and darkness are the many man.
slons of an eternal home, that yoB0er
waits fathers welcome to love. and light
and JOY ineffable? Most majestic arr the
achievements of intellect.
Greek tragedy tells US how King Edipas
at the close of life heard a c1y-a strange
weird. imperious summons. far of, yes
hand; voice that drew like gravtation~
So does every man, in virtue of that royxk
nature which allies him with heaveuhs
throne, hear at times just such a cry .e-
sounding rom some distant sphere eVe1a
from that spirit realm which is MS true
that beckons him to his highest destiny
ooh, soul OF man, awake. awake, shake
off the chains of spiritual siunDer and
sloth. Escape the earth-bound life. Heav-
en-born and heaven-aspiring, 1--we for Godt@
The Hindoo palace echoed with that cry,
derness depths over it's mysterious mean
ing. Those accents hoated over the land
Of Pallas Athene, and in academy and por-
tico there gathered groups OF thinkers that
sought to follow its leading as the wise
men followed the Orient star. Every
dweller in Christian lands hears that cry
more plainly. It is borne to him in tine
quiet peacefulness of the Sabbath thzt
whispers to his toil-worn spirit Of that RESI-
that remaineth when the toll Of this wosSs-
aday world is done. 1t comes to him frozss
the open church door that tells kim Of X
home shelter for his storm-beaten soul. It
speaks to him from the Scripture, where il
III {l,1 fIo p1e,f ~
declares that such is the glorious image
which God has planned to reproduce IN
him now sullied and sickened with san
But where, in ali 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 auoibie2
that motives are not visible! that we are
not breastplated 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 a.
function of language to conceal, as well as
to convey thought? II our struggles after
holiness be as honest hearted as that Of
the old pagan seekers after God, we viii
unhesitatingly echo their sad avo~sA
voiced by one of that high-souled but dis
couraged company, Il approve the better
courses, but follow the worst" And ii
our own hearts, sin-darkened and SIN
warped, condemn US, how can we meet the
ScIUlEIy Ol Hill WIZ Is RICdtCI tu.sis oAs
hearts and knoweth all things?
eff thou contendest with the footn2enz
and they weary thee, how canst thou eoss-
tend with horses?' There is but .oae
method by which this problem Of the He
brew prophet can be wrought out to zsE-
encouraging solution. Let its terms be ~,
verted. Read the formula backward Ii
the horsemen could be conquered hrst, who
would waste a thought upon .footInens IL
we could meet the mightiest foes and, over
ride them there would pe little difficulty
in outmatching lesser needs. Ii we COULD
run with horses and outrun them, we
should shake the dust Of sandaled scoIn
in the face Of the footmen Such solu-
ton is limited at in scripture. Turn the
Bible page. Put the apostle against the
| prophet. Reply TO the challenge Of 5ere--
miah with the triumph shout of Paul
Over against the impotency of man array,
the sufficiency of God and cry, 'We ars.
conquerors, yea, more than con4uerOFs
through Him that loved u.s." A divine
hand extends to us the crown which, tn
assisted, we are helpless to win yhat
helper of men needs no other name than ss
personal pronoun. The whole OF His Won
drous story, the initial sentence of whIcfxs
/ was written before the n1eTning stars sang
together. the sequel OF which shall reInasla
the stars are cold, and the leaves Of tfsss
| Judgment book unfold, = can De condensed
into three words: ''He loved US" toved.
US? Do you ask how did He display ti.as
| love? "There is a green hill far AWAY
without city WALL" and there upon .sias-
| death instrument of slave, His back fMr-
! rowed with the scourge, His brow bleed
| ing with the thorn crown, His side rsnk-
with the spear thrust. spiked upon the
cross wounded in body, broken Of hear1,-
troubled in spirit, in agony, IN 1gnon1,Iy,
! in strange majesty, died the Christ. What.
is the meaning OF that spectacle which has
so strangely fastened upon Itself the gaze.
| of the nations? Was it theatrical ses--
| play Of the divine estimate Of sin? Was IL
| an heroic winning of the ap.endid crown OF
,nartyrdcrn by an adherence 70 tG;atf that
! death could not shake? II it be no noxe
/ than this, then that cross IS Of little vaiEse
! to a sinful world, a2d Jesus ia OF little
worth to me- The ignorant need teacher
| The wandering need a guide. The lost ssesssa
needs a Saviour. Error can De reasoned
away, evil habit can be reformed away
| The stain of sin can only be w.il.ened ns
! sacrificiai blood.
! When General Grant reviewed the tsr1s-
| ish troops in India he was asked wssat
| feature of the spectacle made the nseszt
| impression upon him. Ills reply Is slg1nsA-
| cant He did not refer to the sunerb DIS