Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-01-03
Theme: Jesus Christ; an Estimate.

worla To-Day Is que to the fact that.
in His capacity of Revealer and Saw
ious, He measured .vue to divine de-
mands. Truth triumphs. Sincerity
counts. To stradGle Is unsafe. In
spiritual power is the greatest
strength. The straight way is the
safe way. Principle is potent to gain
respect. Sham and shoddy are soon
discovered. Christ claimed divinity,
and He lived a godly life. He insist
ed that His was the way unto life
eternal, and we know He spoke the
truth. Investigation of His life finds
His action and speech in harmony.
The measure of His conduct by His
uttered ideals can find no flaw. He
Is as He claims to be. and His glory
is as the glory of the Father.
The Christ was Stalwart man.
AS the Anglo-Saxons had 1t. He was
a man who was "fOundation-worthy.'
Fixed firm and constant the Christ
was never guilty Of detection from
the strict, straight path of loyal duty.
Full worthy was our Lord to be the
founder of spiritual and moral rem
aissance that will overcome the
world Built strong and firm and
true was He, upon whom the hopes
of humanity are fixed.
The Christ was a man of courage.
He was Il man of heart. Courage is
heartiness. TO be hearty Is to be
full of heart. He did not shrink from
danger. Without sign of fear or
fright, our Lord defied the very
prince of the powers OF darkness.
Calamity. bravely. nobly He cleansed
His Fathers house. How nightly
He inveighed against the powers OF
Palestine we may all attest. The
Chri-t was not weak hearted. Hav-
ing work to do He did it with will.
Conscious of the odds against Him,
lie VI no fear.
Out in the open, despised, fOrsaken
even by His friends, trusting only In
the power Of the truth, He battled
ever on for human liberty. Bearing
upon His broken body the sins of an
OWL world, He was yet courageous;
He had always heart. The Christ was
sound to the core.
The Christ was man of deter.
mination. He was a man of resolu-
ton. Having determined His sphere
and His call in life. He was resolved
to fill it. To be determined is to be
ready to go to all lengths-that is to
say, to see the thing through to the
finish. The Christ was true to His re-
solves. even unto an ignominious END.
Having marked clear line OF duty
lie walked without swerving. Hear
ing the call of the dying world, lie
saw and conquered Calvary.
The Christ was sturdy man. he
had power of resistance, and lie
could not less well force tho fight.
Born with antipathy to evil. He stood
against sin firmly. Seeing the inhu.
mainly of mankind to man, He forced
the issue, and He fayed, with burn
ing words, the evil Of His day. Strong
as the oak He stood against the
storm. Keen as the tempered blade
He smote His adversaries. Were
they wary He was more. Were they
subtle He was shrcwder. Did they
lay a snare, He did but tangle all OF
them in the meshcS OF their selected
net. When they were mos cautious
than did the Christ confOund them.
They smote Him and He did not flee.
They showed him Caesars image. but
lie was not caught. They prcdicatcd
marriage in the heavenly country and
He pointed their mistake. They asked
a sign and got not one.
But sturdy and stalwart and strong
of purpose and of will. as the Master
was, He was yet the soul OF sympa'
thy. Hating iniquity and scoring evil,
He had yet healing hand for men.
Disdaining sin, His heart held pity
for the sinner. Crucified by wicked.
ness, He could yet pray mercy for HE
prosecutors. His was the sympathy
| that cured. His was the tenderness
that touched Filled with divine com.
passion, He knew the suffcrings oil
human souls, and He preferred heal
ing and a rich release.
Men, like nails. lose their useful
ness when they lose their direction
and begin to bend" runs piece OF
| sterling wisdom. The Saviour had
His bearings, and He kept the goal
| in sight. For Him the straight way
was the surest, and He walked the
middle of the path of duty. The
offer of whole worlds wealth could
not swerve Him from His course
Get thee behind Me. devil" was the
! motto of His life as He dealt With
sin. His fidelity should be the fash
ion of our faith. His directness
should insure our zeal. His sympathy
should sustain our love toward men
and for God. His stalwart energy
and sturdiness of soul should be oul
pattern. Our lives should radiate
His light. Our spirits should sunuse
His love.
What Titan and Corot and Turner
did for art; what Bach and Beethoven
and Mendelssohn did for music; what
Tennyson and all the lyric host have
done for the conservation and the
culture of the minds of men, that
and infinitely more, can Jesus do to-
ward the saving Of a soul. Sturdy
and stalwart and strong He stands
to-day the Saviour of the race, the
incarnation of the Word. His ac'
lions are an open book, and he who
runs may read. His words are mighty
unto life that Is eternal, and he who
hears and needs may live. The imi'
tation of His character is the calling
of the Christian. The representing
of His strength. His power, purity
and love, is the sign of Christly grace.
Have you much or none?
TO RIDE OR TO DRAW.
For some days I have been much
Interested in two little boys playing
in the street with a cart. They are
about the same age and equally we'll
dressed, but one rides and the other
draws the cart At almost any time
of day you can hear the insistent