The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-11-12

But there is another fact which forces
itself upon me. God not only details
us TO certain positions in the line Of
battle. but he Expects Us to bear our
part we'll in tie heat of the struggle
and be ready to suffer with fortitude
in the conflict. He does not send US
forth as Christian soldiers for dress
parade He Goes not want us to While
away the pleasant summer days in a
seaside encampment. He places US
upon the line of battle to fight in his
name The Christian soldier. like ev
cry other good soldier, must struggle
and suffer and bear the pangs of hun
ger and thirst and prove his valor by
the honor marks of many wounds. The
Christian life is not time for sport
1t is an opportunity for conflict and
for warfare and for attacks and for
bleeding wounds and for suffering and
agony and for grave trenches. And yet
to hear some peop!' ~,ou would
never suppose that - poke with
any meaning when be So. :. Think, not
that | am come to send r...., on earth
but sword" Or in that other pas
sage when he said, blessed are We
when men shall revile you and perse-
cute you and shall say all manner of
evil against you falsely for my names
sake" Does that imply that God is ex
pecting his Christian soldiers to have
an easy time and not suffer in the
strife of a bloody battlefield? What
commanding general ever placed his
soldiers in line of battle unless he in
tended them to fight?
Hancock's Action.
Furthermore. does he not place his
strongest and bravest soldiers in the
most dangerous places? A regiment
may be a small part of the army Ell
gagged, yet the result of the whole bat
tie may turn on the way it acts in
crisis. AS Hancock shouted to his men
as he rode along the lines at Gettys-
burg, when Pickett's valorous columns
came surging upon them, Men, stand
fast; hold the lines; the safety of the
whole army depends upon it: you
must hold the lines" so the Divine
Commander details us to positions in
the line of battle where the onslaught
may be directed. He says: Take the
stand there Fight there! Bleed there,
If necessary, die there. Thou art q
Christian soldier. and Christian war
fare is time for unlimited sacrifice"
My friend if you are not today in a
line Of gospel battle, if you are not
today suffering for Christ'S sake. then
one fact is self evident-you are not
doing the work God has given you to
do Oh Christian warrior. where are
your scars? Where are the marks of
struggle? Where have you been Win
ming triumphs for your Divine Master
and King? Is your name today upon
the honor roll of those Christian sol
diers who have come through great
tribulation and have had their robes
washed in the blood of the Lamb?
The Legend Of the Tree.
DR.. N. D. Hills in one of his books
tells this beautiful legend: Many years
wonderful region in the far east to
which they longed to go and in which
they wished to settle. They decided to
pull down their tents and gather Their
focks and herds together and emigrate
But, though many things were willing
~ left behind the king was loath to
leave famous tree on the side Of
which were carved the names of his
ancestors and the deeds of his heroic
people. But the tree was heavy to
carry, and the king was almost per
suaded to leave it behind But there
was one youth in his household who
loved the king much and begged the
honor of transporting the kings treas
ure 1t was heavy tree to lift, but
the young man shouldered it. Day aft
er day the emigrants journeyed on
Because the tree was so heavy the
youth at first had to fall behind. and
often 1t was late at night before he
reached the camp. But he learned to
love his task Then it was found that
each day by carrying his burden the
youth grew stronger. Then 1t was
found that his comrades in the en-
campment who carried the lightest
loads grew weaker. Then it was found
that the youth who bore the famous
tree was able to carry it easily up
steep mountains, for this magic tree
put forth clusters of richest fruits to
quench his thirst. At last when the
pilgrims reached the far country in all
the tribe there was no one SO strong
and happy as the youth who had car
ried the heaviest load. Then said the
king and his people, BLESSED is he who
hungers for the hardest tasks" So
God places all his Christian soldiers in
the line of gospel battle. The men
who are willing to make the greatest
sacrifices and do the most valiant
deeds for their Divine Commander are
the Christian soldiers who grow the
strongest and are the heppiest in his
dear service. Where are your scars,
O Christian soldiers? What burdens
have you borne for him in the heat of
the day?