The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1910-04-21

criminal, the moving idiot, all beau
ty; the love OF q mother, the sacrifice
of friend-these must be his.
Above the din of the factory he must
hear the shrek of the child; through
the city's roar must como to him the
low sob of the oppressed, the mudled
groan OF the underworld, where men
wr the, the hot curse in the palace
where men sin, all selfishness, all
mosal grandeurs must be his, and all
the wandering cries of earth must
bre1k at last upon his heart.
Ills commission is the SD of
1sa al, his Inspiration is Calvary; in
Fin, In his soul. God and man must
flow together, two vast tides meeting
and minsling and blending--not a
flare of fire, not an altar and ritual,
but a man; living soul; sweating
blood droDs, agonizing and interpret
Ing. and bringing together man and
God. This is the pulpit and its mean
ing.
Humanity is not long out of the
woo is, standing erect and looking at
the stars is a recent achievement.
The life of the spirit Is still somewhat
alien. The airs from that land touch
our brows strangely; but the marvel,
the wonder, the incredible blazing
wonder Is that we respond at all!
That we hear. however d,.llY. that
we apprehend, however dimiy: Jnat
amid the fierce multitudinous cries we
do detect this one high note and, how
ever falterlngly, respond This is
the wonder, For through thick dark
ness and across unknown heights a
far journey have we come! But we
h Though In efs
crude moments we may teer at our
own spiritual aspirations, neverthe-
less the church. the pulpit, and the
speaking, interpreting man, witness
to our final conviction OF the reality
OF the spirits life.
And 1t svmbolizes and reveals at
last the loftiest and most powerful
achievement OF the race. Greater
than industry, greater than COM
merce, greater than government, or
philosophy or literature or science or
art, It reveals the hidden forces OF
the human heart, and by 1t we declare
the secret conviction of our soul
that we are spiritual beings related TO
vast thrilling spiritual order whose
meaning is thus revealed. The man
who believes himself called to oc-
cupy II may we'll cry: "Woe, woe is
me-" for he shall stand between the
living and the dead. .
Has the pulplt justified Itself; has
1t revealed the secret? Has 1t
brought God and man together, maxi
ing valid his dimmcst aspiration?
Witness Paul: tortured, wrung, until
at last he sings his hymn of love and
the world grows suddenly gentle and
It'll TO listen. Witness Joseph Parker
or Philips Brooks. Have not these
succeeded? Witness Brown, the
drawn face of the man; his tragic
mien. What crushes him so terribly?
Wherefore art thou red in thine ap-
parel, and thy garments like him that
treadeth in the wine vat?" What is
1t but the cruciflxion of a soul trying
to relate q sorrowing. suffering hui
manity to loving, suffering, sorrow
ing Father! Day and night the cry
breaks UP against his heart; the cry
of mans pain and his sin; day and
night he hears the vOicc Of God
Speaking tenderness and love; and ne
Is trying to bring them together, to
make them orc.
Wherever in any pulpit stands ono
who brings God down into life, one
who can translate the confused voices
of mankind and speak them up to
Him, there stands one who reveals
and interprets mans place in the uni
verse.
| know not what Gods expectations
may be, nor how bitterly we fall
short of the achievement which might
be ours, but this I know: the way has
been long and very rugged. see the
2rudeness, the confusion, the impo-
tence; but through these running l
catch strange and marvellous light
CLEANS as from the very throne OF
Cod.
No, not meeting Gods expectations.
and yet perhaps God smiles even
while He weeps. perhaps He IS
pleased and proud little bit, even
while He holds us to be broken in
the shadows AS / look over the
process, the fearful process of Crea-
tion; as l behold the first dull face
blinking at the stars; as I hear the
first awed whisper God" as. l see
dynasties, nations, civilizations, races,
move shadowy across the horizon; as
I behold the savage bending low be-
fore his fetich; as ! see this act be-
come the gorgeous ritual; as | see at
last father ascending the mountain
to bind his son. his only son Isaac,
as a living sacrifice upon the flaming
altar; as | behold men sinking them
selves in the slums; as | hear the call
from the plains of China where mar
tyred men and women gave their
lives; as / hear the voice OF prayer
ascending and the clarion call to
righteousness, | sometimes think we
have discovered and revealed the
meaning at last.
And when again l behold Himself,
even God, binurng His own Son, the
Child of His heart, upon that same
mountain top, as I witness the cross,
the dark heavens open and through
the rent veil catch glimpse of the
Heart of the Eternal, and 1t seems to
me that ut last in Jesus Christ, God
and man have come together. That
In Him we have found the way. For
we gave Jesus to God; He gives us
the Christ. And to-day wherever men
live that Christ, wherever father
carries love into his crushing service.
wherever a mother brings Joy and
tenderness. wherever a sacrifice is
made and unselflshness prevails,
wherever men find themselves In los
ing their lives Into sweet helpful up
lifting service, there is verified the
reality of the spirit and man finds
his place In the universe with God.
Taxicab Trick.
I'm Just pinning on my braid"