Evening star., 1909-07-11

the lonely ana the Wedhs arc COSeTL
from the tempest"
las rivers Of water in a dry place:
men who are big-hearted enough to be
hopeful and. to make others hopeful
through the contagion of cheerfulness.
Isaiah saw his people in distress, and he
lieving that religion Of the right sort had
power enough to transform even govern
ment SO that rulers would rule In right
ecusness had a hopeful view Of life and
the world. He believed that the time
would come when even the wilderness
would blossom as the rose, when men
would know God and love one another.
when instead Of greed and crime ruling
human society, righteousness. peace and
joy would flood the earth. In the very
center of his hope was the messianic fig-
ure; him whom God should anoint to
preach deliverance to the captives and to
heal the brokenhearted. The Bible says
we are saved by hope" and saving hooe
is often the gift to our own hopeless
hearts from some great heart which does
not believe that men will aways be little,
sinful and distressed. When life is a dry
land. without dew. rain or springs, De-
cause hope is departed, the hopeful man
is a refuge to his fellows.
THE shadow of great rock in weary
land" the great rock being the fortress
walls about a city and the shadow fall
ing on the inside; perfect shelter, perfect
refuge, perfect safety In land weary CT
war and desolation.
That description applies to Christ as to
no other man; and this man receiveth
sinners. this man loved every other man;
this man was tower of strength to
trembling souls and wall of defense to
the penitent, and In His unshaka BILE faith
in the Fatherhood OF God. the brotherhood
of man and the coming of the kingdom
men of His own day and men Of all sue
ceeding days have found refuge and
strength. 1t is not surprising that around
Him gathered the weary-hearted, the
troubled. the sick and the penitent, for
He had sympathy, strength, hope and
faith to give as freely and as healngiy
as the sun gives it's light. His heart was
so big that no man, woman or child was
shut out Of it. men grasped His hand,
women knelt at His feet and little chill
dren nestled unafraid in His arms. Hun
dreds I'm His own day felt as Wesley after
ward wrote:
Other refuge bave I none,
Hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave. oh, leave me not alone.
Stil support and comfort me-
1t is the object of Christianity to pro-
duce men like that-men who shall be big
hearted enough to be sympathetic with
out harsh criticism, kind without re-
proach and generous without reservation.
There are men like that everywhere, and
they are in the best sense OF the word
religious. The religion Of Christ develops
such men, broadening their already broad
sympathies. deepening their already deep
compassion and making their tender
hearts even more responsive to humin
need; men who face human weakness
without contempt, human folly without
sneer: whose strong personality combines
the strength of integrity with the cour-
ge of love: who have compassion on the
ignorant and them that are out Of the
way; who listen with aching hearts to the
worlds sob, and out of their abounding
strength give hope and good cheer 10
those who seek shelter. To this big
heartedness Christ's gospel is ever calling
us. each and every one. 1t is comfort
to have such man as our refuge, but
it is far, far better to be such refuge.
A scrawled epitaph in neglected cem-
etery on a cheap pine headhoard read.
He was kind to everybody" What bet
ter eulogy could God or man pronounce?