Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1906-03-15

Nlicn 1e taught until Ill our hte we
i've the re Of service. as He: He
served: therefore is He great. 1t Is .
,essed privilege to be ON the mount
=ssith God. but the vision must pass
Into service. as we go down. and by
words and life declare the vision which
we have had OF truth and 1--we. 1t will
mean cost. II He found that service
If others meant cost, bitter trial and
weariness, Of body and mind. can we
expect that as His followers we shall
ave naught to endure? May there
not be for us misunderstanding.
.esnptations from fortune and power
and ambition? May there not be hard
ships for us, does service cost naughtz
1t cost Him The cross. And the dis
riple is not above his Master. The
nearer we come to realizing the vision
Of the perfect man the closer We draw
% Calvary in the offering up Of self
for others. This mount OF service and
sacrifice is not far away. inaccessible
peak capped with the everlasting snow.
The service is here, where throngs OF
men pass to and fro; it is l0wly
mount. the mount Of service: in the
turmoil and dust Of the streets. among
busy men throrging the city Of man.
which should be the city OF God. 1t Is
.owly, yea. but hard to climb. Easier
f,ss, to so up on mount OF prayer aDd,
gain tue vision Of what we ought to
be than in life Of service to be what
we ought. But thanks be to Him
who is with us OH Calvary as on Trans-
fguration. His spirit strengthens and
helps us and enables us to offer our.
selves living sacrifice. holy. accept.
able unto God. MY help cometh from
the Lord"
Is this all-vision, service. death: !:
Nay. Christianity is not law OF
death, but law of life. Buddhism,
[ may hope to escape life. but Christ
came that we might have life. and
have it more abundantly. Christianity
is life. not death. A few weeks after
| the crucitixion. on another mount. was
| a gathering OF men with loving eyes
fixed on Him who was the centre Of the
group: and His form was as the form
of Him who had been nailed to the
cross. the same, yet changed. Giving
| them His command. and His benedic-
ton. He ascended into heaven. Vision.
| service, life-not vision. sacrifice,
death. Through His obedience to
| what He knew to + right. through
| Els translation into life of service
| Of the perfect vision. which He had,
/ He had come into tire higher life. and
! is seated OIL the throne with God. Il
was the fitting end and glorious CON
summation OF such life. the crowning
! With the glory of manhood. fulfilled
land. ennobled to its greatest height
7 Tile law Of sacrifice il not the Law
of death, but the law Of spiritual life
4 He. that loseth his life for My sake
! findetll it. He that humbleth himself IL
exalted. He that bendeth down il
| love. ascendeth up IL glory.
For the truth Of the Mount OF AsceD
sion is higher life for man into which
i he comes through vision and through
service. Is 1t wrong to wish to nst
Iarirht those powers which we fee
within: is it wrong to long for fuller
i life than that which now we have
must we be content with what we arr
in spiritual attainment. In character
i Nay, II we be Christians. we cann0
be content. as we behold the hills o
Traaskguration and Calvary. Of visioi
/ and sacrifice, and ou the bill Of Ascen
! sion behold manhood crowned By Gos
iu q fuller and larger life than tha
which earth affords. with clearer rang
OF vision. with larger realm OF service
with richer glory Of the man. as II
comes more aud more into the Likeness
of His Lord and Saviour Jesus Chris