Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-10-08
the stocks, and you hear him. with
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of Jesus. Look beyond the outward
yicissitudes. Seek to penetrate to the
inner consciousness OF the suffering
man. There is no thought sof pes
simism In His Gospel. He is ever
lighted up by faith and hope andsjoy.
Behold Him before Plate! His coun-'1
tenance is untroubled. plate is the
disturbed and restless one; b trou-
blesome dreams were those OF the
chamber OF his household.
Our paradox is partly solved. Both
prophecies are true. He did e a
sword on earth. He did at the same
time leave His bequest OF peace.
But our real question is not an
swered. Is it true Of human life in
general? When has come the finest
| literature, the literature OF peace, JOY,
light, hope, inspiration. triumph?
| Has it come from men whose i've
were free from suffering, pain n
disappointment? Sometimes, per-
haps, but not very often. It has not
| come from those who lived In kings
| palaces and wore soft raiment. Most
| Of it has come out Of the depths OF
dungeon, from blind poets, from dis
ease-racked bodies.
Jesus prophecy is true. The rea-
son it did not seem to be r was be-
cause we did not read it Alright. Read
it again: peace I leave with you;
My peace I give unto YOU" My peace.
"Not as the world"
1t means that this outward life is
not our realest life. It e that
our outward and inward life are in
large measure independent of each
other. It means that true peace does
not come from external situations,
but from something that Is within
us; our inward ems of our r1ghtness
with God, our consciousness of true
purpose and true heart.
It means the estimate OF things by
a view from above. 1t means that
Heaven Is not a place to go to, but a
condition to attain. It means that a
man, within himself, may be like one
embodied in the comfort of his home
while the storm RACES outside. q
ultimate victory Of human life is this
triumph OF the inward spirit over the
outward life.
I am trying to give to men a vital
meaning for the cross Look at the
Master this morning, fresh from Geth-
semane, facing that cross, with not
one brave soul to stand by Him to the
end. Hear again the calm, majestic
utterance, 81 have conquered the
world" Imagine yourself there with
the disciples, facing their life. and
hear Him as He says to you, you
may suffer and yet dwell upon sub
lime heights" "The storm of ruin
may come and yet there need never
be any truce Of the spirit" 1t was
lust what He had been saying all
along to them, 81 will give you rest.
III 1oNlynd a,,f IN tho aifv nj HIS
day: He saw men as we see them to-
Cay, racing each other for wealth,
looking upon each other with mutual
suspicion. He was saying to them.
do not be like the frail craft, like
the little steam yacht; be like the
great ocean steamer with her iron
hull, as she moves on her way with
her ponderous throbs; do not lei
yourself be tossed about upon the
ocean, but ride through her pillows.
He was bidding men as He bids
you men to-day to seek and possess
the great ultimate realities of life
: He was saying, Forget to watch your
; little engines and look out upon the
: ocean and up into thersky."
Do not guard your business, your
paltry pleasures and little interest!
!. while you forget to think about thu
|. deep things OF life. Try this morning
, to catch His spirit as did the grea'
Apostle Paul, who learned how tt
abound and also how to be abased, tt
, rejoice in adversely and to let all tn.
experiences of life give their lessons
and their strength. Do not long fol
some soft pine-laden balmy southern
air, but be made stronger by tn
bleak winds of the rock-bound coast
Get hold of something that is be
yond the reach of men, some 30.
which no man taketh from you. b
= like the rock unmoyed by the surgin.
of the waters. When stricken down
: rise again mightier than before. Sucl
\ is the voice Of these great gospels
! My dear men (and women, tn,
peace Of Jesus Christ does not com,
through some mythical contempla
ton, nor through some vague expert
. ence. 1t comes by our sharing of tn
4 spirit of the Master, by the earnes
following Of duty, the noble facing o
responsibility, the bold confrontin'
q of difficulties, the patient bearing o
y calumny, the quiet endurance of per
secution, the brave carrying of sor
row and the prayerful sanctifying o
4 our joys. Gethsemane and Calvar
are the price of this spirit. Rest ca
only follow labor. The overcomin;
q of outward things is the condition O
inward peace.
! You men here, you young me,
here, religion is not simply something
for women, or for you when you ar
h sick or, dying. In those closing day
of Jesus they left this noble man t
be admired and %worshiped by a fey
. faithful women. So you men hav
q done: but now I ask you, do !
humbly, do it modestly, dol 1t KNOWN
that. you are not worthy to unloos
4 the latchet OF His shoes, but be Hi
d~isciples,I admire His character, d
- things "for His sake" give Him !.
great, manly affection.
IL