Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1909-04-01

~ movlng-the goal OF a redeemed,
perfected and glorifed humanity.
From this viewpoint, we begin to
understand that there is a divine
philosophy in, the expression, the
Kingdom and patience Of Jesus
Christ" In it is hidden the mystery
Of redemption; above 1t is lifted the
blood-stained cross; upon. the Q
hangs an innocent Victim, an in
finite Sacrifice, vicarious and saving,
Gods great love argument. to the
world. Time, Providence and Cal
are the forces that conquer the
soul, and, therefore God waits to give
them a chance, waits for us to weary
Of our rebellion, waits for the fever
of sin to cool, waits for the black
blood of passion to run out, waits
with infinite patience for US to re-
turn, demanding no more than obedi-
ence, and asking only the homage of
our hearts; and then He embraces us
in the rapture of long delayed recon
Citation.
Standing thus before Calvary, and
gazing into the tranquil face Of Jesus
Christ, we begin to realize what is
meant by the patience Of Jesus
Christ. His patience meant Infinitely
more than the popular conception of
patience: more than the power Of
physical endurance, more than drift
ing and dreaming in silence. The
patience Of Jesus Christ is a con-
structive force; it inspires a des-
perate. persistent struggle for spirit
ual manhood. It Is a power which
makes a kingly man and not a stoical
petrifactfon, insensible to "the sings
and arrows of outrageous fortune"
Now, there car be no kingship in
the absence of patience. Protracted
discipline is the condition of exalted
character. It is thus that man wins
himself from the w%recking forces Of
life; thus that he learns the truth
and feels the power Of Christ's i'm
mortal maxim, I'm your patience We
shall possess (win) your souls" It
was thus that John, the author Of our
text, won self-mastery. Think Of it.
The man who in the early stage Of
his Christian life desired that he and
his brother James might sit on the
right hand and on the left hand in
the kingdom of Christ; the man Of
dignity and Of ambition; the mar
who in his unbridled rage wanted to
call fire down from heaven upon tho
fnhospitable Samaritans; the man OF
pride and resentment; that man,
~chastened, subdued and exalted, de-
spised by the world, prosecuted, ex-
lied and everything but martyred,
sits down in the lonely solitude Of
that volcanic cinder called Patmos,
and writes Familiarity and lovingly
about the "tribulation and kingdom
and patience OF Jesus Christ" What
brought about the change? Patience
was the stern and rugged school
master hat led him from pride and
arrogance and s~elf-assertion to the
heights Of a spiritual manhood sweet
and tender and fraternal; a state of
repose and vision enriched by the
gain of loss, and filled with the JOY
Of ~tribulation; a kingdom in which
he became a partaker Of suffering
with every other sufferer, and could
sign himself with kingly courtesy, II,
John, your brother in the kingdom
and patience of Jesus Christ"
Not only does patience thus en-
noble and exalt character, but it i'm
parts to life it's only true and abiding
| perspective. An art student once said
to Titan, II saw it IN a moment. /"
"Oh, you did," replied the great mas
ter; ut took me twenty years to see
it." You cannot stand before a work
Of art, every square inch, every color,
every shade of which has been trans
figured by toll and tears, and gather
It's wealth OF meaning in a few sec
onds. You must stand there, sit
there, surrender yourself to the
theme, until you feel like the pilgrim
before Reubens' descent From the
Cross" who forgot time and comfort
and place, and after standing from
morning until evening and being re
minded that the time, to depart had
arrived, exclaimed, wait a moment
until they get Him DOWN." Such is
the patience which brings to light the
hidden things of God, discloses the
divine intent in the workings Of time
and enables us to hear what the cen.
turtles say against the hours, and thus
Ind deliverance from the tyranny Of
the Instant It is this spirit Of what
has been called @immediateness" that
becomes greatest peril. We be.
come impatient in awaiting results
| It is the child who tomorrow digs
up the seed he planted yesterday, tc
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