The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-09-20
THE TRUE CHRISTIAN


MUlEH nsfaINHHI nf he LfFN IsssTf- To-
! tiiy the gospel % thegHee OF God-Aets NN-2i
Paul was about to bid farewell tC
the elders Of the Church at Ephesus
where he had preached and toiled Sc
long In his farewell address he uses
the language OF affection, while he
gives utterance to great thoughts con
corning God. the church and duty
which have come down the ages and
win be read and pondered until the
end Of time Paul thought was
speaking to a few men. but he was ad-
dressing future generations; he was
speaking to states unborn, truths that
were to- be repeated in accents then
unknown. We can as little measure
the results Of that which We do and
say.
There is a great principle which
dominates and controls every true
and noble life, whether that life be
lived in an obscure corner and in an
humble sphere. or whether it be spent
in an exalted position in the fierce
light which beats upon those who are
honored above the multitude. Every
noble man and woman consciously or
unconsciously, day by day, lives to
make the world better and happier for
having lived in it, There are many
noble people who have never taken
the time in their arduous and con-
Stunning duties to put in words the
principle which controls them, but It
is there nevertheless. However great
may be a mans talents however
fierce and unceasing the energy with
which he assails the tasks of life, Elf 1t |
is not his purpose'>to make the world
better and to serve mankind for the |
good of his race. that mans life is
projected on a selfish basis; his life /
will be unworthy his influence will be
bad. true peace will never dwell in
his bosom nor rest on MS pillow, ana
his character will be the opposite Of
that which God would have 1t to be.
AS much as any man ever lived, st.
Paul was the living embodiment of
the principle under discussion.
The time has never been, perhaps
it will never be, when it will not be
for men to die for the truth.
AS far as history carries us into the
past the earth has been stained with
the blood of martyrs Within the last
few years in China thousands of Chris j
tians have been called upon to shed |
their blood for the Gospel. and they {
laid down their lives with as much +
faith and fieroism as the early dis I
,iples in the first century of the Chris /
ian era. Paul was ready to die for
he Gospel If need be. He would
gladly have laid down his life any
ime rather than to endure the suffer-
ngs, prosecutions and trials which
anne to him, continually. II by dying :,
lie could do more for the world than
" living. He had been stoned, beat
n with a rod and whipped with a =
ash, chased from one city to another =
nd hunted down like wild beast.
heath to him would have been a hap
y release, but Paul was too true a
hristian to choose to die when 1t was :
ecessary for the cause Of the truth :
nat he should live. It sometimes re-
uires more strength Of character and
lore faith in God to live a life loyal
, duty than 1t requires to die as
artyr Someone has said, "men Will =
Tx for their religion, write for their II
,ligion, fight and die for their re- Tl
yion @everything but live for it," But Tn
is gracious truth that men and ye
omen have lived through the ages 10
the breed of Paul. as ready to live w
res of sacrifice and suffering for the CT
lrist they worship and follow as to We
e at the stake or on the cross. Such ye
ristians are needed now and they at
list now. To them the richest bless ha
vs - cod oro nledood ora into tbe,r he
50 VI soOu are piOuSCu anu thCIt
thway the light of heaven comes. a.
ul declares that he desired to finish no
J course. He desired to visit every oi'
y possible to proclaim the truth IN In
cry land, to which he was called Of a.
ID, to deal personally with every ae
iividual whom he might lead to my
rist and to better life. II hei uu
re ever tempted to think that he 'n'
suffered and toiled enough. he
the temptation under his feet II
, suggestion ever came to him to
to some secluded place and as a (Ri
t-maker, earn his bread by making
t cloth out Of goats hair, and pray l
| live christian life in secret he is
elled the suggestion. And here he fact
4 great example for us. There are con
istians who are tempted to con- rec,