Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-11-29
CHRIsT's GIFTS.
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By Rev. Charles F. Aked, ID.

CHRISTs GIFTS.
By Rev. Charles F. Aked, ID.
Ye shall sit upon twelve thrones,
| judging the twelve tribes Of Israel
Matthew xix, %.
Christ is the speaker. His words tell
His appreciation of the loyalty Of His
followers. His exquisitely sensitive
was much in Him to make diff
cult the first open recognition of His
| kingship and no less difficult continued
answering faithfulness. He was born
in a stable. He belonged to the labor
| ing classes. He worked at a trade.
When He entered upon His Messianic
ministry He offended the wealthy, rul-
ing and educated classes by His con-
| tempt for their conventions and shib-
| boleths all that makes life 'respecta-
the popular element by His deep dis
| dain of their "patriotism." His refu-
sal to lend Himself to their revolution
airy schemes and His dependence on the
silent omnipoent forces Of love and
! triumphant suffering
Frankly, now, do you find it SO easy
to stand by the side Of man misun-
derstOOd, slandered, about whom men
| lie with unexplained and inexplicable
bitterness, who can say in panied won
der, as He said: They mated me
without q cause?' Do you find this
so easy that you see nothing wonder
full in the faith of the disciples? Do
you find it a simple matter to be true
to a great principle when all the noise
| of voices is on the other side; to as
sert the cause of the poor, the wretch
| ed the disinherited in the face Of
frivolous and worldly society; to
preach peace when all your world goes
mad for war?
If you think it light matter try It,
The situation is open Try 1t tOmor-
row at your club or in the cars when
the talk runs On some great social or
! political question of the hour. Then,
| If you will live in this spirit, live al
ways in, this spirit and maintain
! righteous but unpopular cause through
the crisis Of half a century, you will
understand the value which Christ sets
upon uncalculating loyalty to Himself.
He rewards it with thrones and king
doms.
Let us not be afraid of comparing
small things with great. The child
who appreciates a hurdy-gurdy is of
the same spirit as Beethoven or Wag-
ner. The boy at school who refuses
to bully the weak and truckle to the
strong is made Of the stuff Of which he
roes are made. The man who receives
| a prophet in the name Of prophet
who recognizes prophet when he sees
one-is sure of prophets reward, and
he who gives a cup Of cold water to
disciple in the disciple spirit must
share of the disciples honor
After that night of far shining re-
2unciation which Carlyle 50 graphically
describes the excited patriots returned,
he says, their sublime heads striking
the stars" We may forgive the gibe
for the sake Of it's picturesqueness.
But these are not men to De Knocked.
And l tell you in sober earnestness,
| that II this is the spirit in which you
! live, then here and now you may walk
this earth with more resounding step
and carry your head nearer to the stars.
We own our weakness We deplore
| our faults We confess that we have
come short Of our own ideal Of manly
| fOrtitude But all the same, there
is this in your Life, and the world and
death and hell cannot take it from
you: You saw the truth when dull
eyes saw nothing in the darkness; you
followed it when your best friends
thought it a will-o'-the-wisp and the
others said you were a fool. You
owned the right when right was mis-
called wrong and took an unpopular
name amid hatred, scoffing and abuse,
when every prudent person asked,
Have any Of the leaders Of The people
believed?" In this or that
You were faithful and neither coax
ing nor coercion could turn you from
your course, and whether your cause
is lost or crowned you know and God
knows that you took 1t bravely when
you had nothing to gain by it and
everything to lose, and that knowledge
is a kingdom to you forever. These
are the things by which men live.
THE TRUE PARADISE.
Rv Henry p Cone