Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1905-03-02
ness we can see the hand of God. be.

and peace and comfort, and because
we stood back awed by the marvels of
His force, when over and over again
we have seen the leper brought to Him
and healed, we have seen the blind
restored, we have seen the manned
made to walk in straight paths, and
we have seen the ones who had been
bound to the evil things, to the mud
and mire of this life, rise to go forth
with the strength given by the one
VINO loves us so supremely. It seems
to me that one of the most pathetic
parts of the life of the Christian is to
deliver the message and see the crowd
pass on. 0, if we could stay their
footsteps until we saw them safely al
the foot Of the cross! o, if we could
stop those who are rushing down after
their own pursuits, those hurrying to
make money and fame and fortune and
position, and we could show them how
sweet we have found the other way.
1t is so bard to stand and see men
rushing on to ruin.
Why is it? I think one reason is be.
cause there are so many people in this
world who doubt the truth of the
message. We tell them Of Christ's
love and they shrug their shoulders
and say, Il don't know whether He
exists" We tell them of the 10Y and
the happiness that comes to the hear,
and they say, Well, InaL IS your eX.
perience, but how do I know it is not
the experience Of one who has been
carried away by excitement?" And
they pass on until the day comes when,
swept away by the strong tide, they
realize how weak in truth they are
They doubt, they are blind, they have
not come to the right point from which
they can see the reality of the truths
which to us are as plain as the sun.
light, as clear as the stars, as true
as any physical truth is borne in upon
us in this life. To those who have
stepped into it the spiritual world is
something even more vital than this
life, but to those who stand without
al is darkness.
There are in this world many thou
sands of men who dare to Judge of the
message of salvation, who dare to
stand up and criticise the story of the
lear Christ, His death and passion, His
life and power and strength for us.
They stand outside as critics and then
think they are i'll position to judge.
There is one place from which the man
can dare to judge that which is di-
vine and infinite, and that is with the
light of God upon it. Come to the
foot of the cross! Come to the place
where your heart cries out for light
and God will give it to you. For when
we want to know and when we want
to see then the light will come to us;
a revelation will come and we shall
learn in truth the message of Christ,
but we must leave our position as a
critic and we must come down and as
penitent sinner at the foot of the
cross and the light and glory of rev.
elation will stand behind that divine
and beautiful figure of the loving, ten
der, compassionate Christ and we
shall see Him, not a dead Saviour.
not even q great and mighty judge
of the world i'll the future, but ou:
own tender. loving. personal friend.
What is the next thing that seems 10
me the greatest hindrance Of men WHO
should swiftly run the race, to the
men who should bravely climb the hills
of power, to the men who, with their
manhood and strength, should battle
on the side of Christ? 1t is one word
and it is that word that has done more
to fill our State prisons than anything
else. 1t is weakness. We are not ac-
customed when we speak of the human
race to think Of men as weak. Woman
is always spoken Of as the weaker YES
sci, but l speak not of comparison be-
tween men and women, but between
men and men. 1t is weakness that
has led men to go with the tide. in
stead of fighting against it, 1t is
weakness that has made them yield in
the presence of evil companionship
and do that which their manhood and
conscience rose. against. 1t is weakness
that has made them sell tLeir SOILS
to drink. 1t is weakness That has
made them, instead of being the pro-
tectors of the weak. trample even
women under their feet. It is weak
ness that has made them hide their
colors when the name of God is taken
, in vain or when ribald jokes are made,
when they should rise and proclaim
their indignation against it, and, if
you should ask me what keeps these
men between prison walls, should not
answer the desire for any of these
things, but weakness. And no man
can have strength unless the spirit OF
God is within him. It is weakness
that drags him down and strength
that enables him to mount above, and
strength can only come from the touch
of e-s