The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1905-02-10


changed, Christianized lives that is most
needed. The books arc strong-and UNI
| read. The uncommon, marked cases are
maryland unobserved. Our lives are
daily before our fellows, closely read, con-
stantly observed. These are the worlds
arguments. And what is cought is not
some impossible perfection. Many of our
fellows are not unreasonable. No, but
there is wanted an alignment between our
professions and our actions that shall indi-
cate that something higher and better has
actually taken hold of us. We claim to be
servants of the best Master; we are not
faultless servants; we do not claim to
we do not claim to be better than other
people. We claim only this, as Christians
that we are seeking to do as Christ APP
proves, that we re seeking to live the
kind of life He lays out for u.s. The practi-
cal James in his New Testament episte
puts it in succinct way: You say you
are honest; very well; show me your hon
esty without paying your debts and / will
pay my debts to show my honesty. 1t is
the practical outworBing which convinces
other men. Men are saved by their faith
in Christ. But other men know that
they are saved by the way they act.
Argument resulting so is worthy OF
study. But it would be so wild as to be
silly to expect men who look on the re-
over 600 pages of profound work. We are
turned back again to the easier argument
in Christ's behalf-the visible effect He
has on life around. 1t was possible to
study Jesus in His own character. The
crowd came that day to see Him and to
see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the
dead. Indeed, Lazarus, changed into new
life, was so strong an argument that his
enemies would have killed him to silence
him.
And it is still the commonest method to
explain away or to deny the effects of Je.
sus in the world. If He has laid hold on
people, we must find out how climate and
ancestry and customs have been the real
uplifting agencies. If He makes a charac.
ter attractive and winsome, we tall about
disposition and training. That is, we want
Lazarus explained away unless mean
to acknowledge the power of Christ. The
changed life is the argument which the
word finds most forceful. The world is
interested, not il Christ's theory, but in
His success. That argument can be made
IN large way. His influence can be
traced through the long stretch of years.
Our own race and nation could be made
an illustration. Or the minds of men could
be pointed to peoples only yesterday in
savagery and now lifted into well begun
civilization. l read recently the life of
James Chalmers, the missionary in the
South Seas. just after he became ac-
quaintcd with the people one of his wife's
friends, as mark of respect and affection,
brought her piece of human flesh, nicely
cooked, as dainty for her own table.
They were often invited to cannibal feasts.
On a new island, only four years ago,
Chalmers was killed and his body eaten.
And the gospel of Christ, with the arts of
civilization, has taken hold upon such peo-
pie and make them fraternal and safe and
helpful. There is no Christian island in
the South Seas where a voyager is not
safe; there is no non-Christian island where
he is safe.
1t is life of hope. 1t has not yet re-
ceived it's best things. The best times are
not past nor present. however glad they
may be. There are better things to come
out of the Fathers love as we go on in the
Fathers world. And this hope works into
the sight of men in the form of cheer, of
brightness, of encouragement. Some one
asked the other day what I thought of
laughing Christians. 1t was new phrase
to me. We do not think much of silly
Christians, | suppose, of shallow Chris
tians whose iov compares with real Joy as
o giggle compares with laugh. But what
can one think of a Christian life whose
hope never comes out into the cheer and
brightness of a joyous life? heard a
child say little piece once, in which was
that one day in heaven God be-
came weary of the dinging of the harps |
and the singing of the angels, so He 81 /
and ere it had died away He
caught it. threw about it beautiful plu-
mage and cast it into the air, and so the
songbirds came to earth. They are Gods !
music sent into life. And are we other? |
Who so well as we may catch the glad |
strain of joy and make our lives gladden.
ing influence in the world? And IT instead |
we droop and pine, and will not bear the |
sorrows as though they were charged with |
glad meaning from our Father and will |
not cast radiance of Joy into other lives,
where is the changed life!
The Kings of the Holy Roman Empire
were crowned with a triple crown, IN one
Of which was nail of the true cross. And
in the triple browning which marks the
changed life, one bears the nail of the
cross. For supremely the changed life is
the life of love. and love means sacrifice,
love means service, love means helpful
ness. No man can see another's love save
rs it shows itself in the service of helpful
ness 1t renders. When men seek the SUI
preme example of love they look upon a |
figure which glorifed the cross, which had
the pierced hands and feet and side-a |
figure of One who came as : ecsenger of |
glad tiding5 of peace-His feet beautiful |
upon the mountains, but bloodstained.
And love is the hid fact of that best life,
coming into sight of others as helpfulness
md service. This is the supreme mark OF |
5he Christian life-such love as makes us
helpful among men for Christ's sake. It
S no mere pity of other mems needs; it is
10 shallow sentiment which cannot bear to
see suffering It is far deeper thing
han that 1t is the commanding motive in
al Iife-to serve. 1t means laying out our
ives for that wherever they are lived.
Sometimes it demands large things. Some
lines it comes out in the daily, common
ife. We may not do for men what they
want, but we learn to do for them in one
Measure what they need. And so life be-
ZONES constant help to others.
These are the plain marks OF the
changed life, which stands as argument
'or Christ. Faith, within which comes
mt in view as faithfulness everywhere.