Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1904-03-23

fects. not the least of which wan his
plain and ordinary. if not positively
homely. counteNance. And if such was
the man Stephen. the illumination of
his face by the flooding light and pres
ence of the Holy Spirit would make IL
all the moro striking and noticeable
II does not need a pretty face to be-
come beautiful under the touch OF the
Divine hand Time and time again
have | seen faces which in themselves
were positively homely and repugnant
transformed and made beautiful by the
light which shone out from the soul
where the Christ had been enthroned
II was beauty and charm which be-
longed not to the face. but TO the life
and character. and shone out through
the face. You have seen II. too. You
can recall faces which lacked every
graceful line and curve and yet faces
which glowed with radiance that
spoke eloQuently OF the Cbrist-life be-
hind the face.
q A LII THAT sat in the council. fas-
n tening their eyes on him. saw"
stephen was the observed of all OBJ
servers. Upon him were focused the
multitude OF eyes of that large and dig
nifed and learned company. They were
searching for the sign Cf fear. confu-
sion. trouble. doubt. retreat. but in
stead, they saw the lights Of Heaven
playing over his features and making
II glow with a supernatural radiance.
And as that council searched the face
OF Stephen. so is the world searching
the countenances of the followers of
Christ What does ii see there? Does
1t see the light which reminds OF Christ
and Heaven? or does il behold the
shadow cross the countenance, does II
see the frown knit the brow. does 1t
witness the angry flash. or the disa-
greeable. unkindly sneer: what is II
the world sees? What witness is your
face bearing for the Master? II is not
pleasant TO be looked at. as was
Stephen. but the scrutiny of the world
is upon the Christian even as that OF
the council was upon Stephen. The
Christian cannot escape It, Because
the Christian makes professions which
place him in a class distinct and sep
arate from the world, the world is
eager to watch and see If there is any
real difference. II watches the face,
for through the face II largely reads
the character. and may guess the con-
duct from the lines and expressions
which mark the face. What think you
is the judgment of the world when it
sees a gloomy Christian? VIII such
visage attract ard be a good indorse-
ment of the religion which the individ-
ual behind the face processes? Will
it make the world long for the same
kind of religion? Nay. verify, the
world will turn from such with the
sheer OF disgust and say: IF religion
stamps the face in that way, none of
IL for me-"
A ND in contrast to the gloomy
- Christian there is the careless.
frivolous Christian. the Christian who
is glad to feel safe in Jesus and yet
who thinks only of having good time
generally; perhaps not indulging in
any positive sins, but nevertheless
only seeking and caring for the supe:
fatalities OF life, living on the surface.
The character of such person is writ
ten upon the face. The expression OF
the eye; the selfish. sensual weak
lines about the mouth; and the curl
of the lips which are ever busy franz
ing careless. light speech and never
know the wholesomeness OF grave and
reverent conversation; all these things
in the face betray the person behind
the face. And when the world sees
such face. what is its verdict? Is that
face witnessing for the Lord it pro-
fesses to love and serve? Is the world
able to read there the Christ express
sion? Is IL made to think of angel :
and Heavenly things? All, Christian.
with peTishing souls all about you.
with sin performing its awful work of
death on every hand, how dare you
bear such witness with the face which
should shine for your Lord? Let God
work deep work in your heart and,
your face will begin to light up with
that radiance which comes from know
ing Jesus and having Him as an in
dwelling presence in your heart
7 HE face OF the Christian should be
a benediction. a sermon TO those
who look thereon. / remember hear
ing a man who was net a Christian,
say of certain person whom he
passed frequently upon the street in
his neighborhood: II knew she was a
Christian by the expression upon her
face" In Longfellow's Evangeline the
poet pictures her in the closing years
of her life. after the tragedy Of her
young womanhood and her long. fruit
less search for the loved one from
whose side she had been torn. as giving
her life in sweet Christ-like service to
others. and then goes on to tell how
The dying
Looked UP into her face. and thought. in
deed TO behold there
Cleans OF celestial light encircte her fore
head with splendor.
Such az the artist paints DER the brows OF
saints and apostles,