Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-02-07

needs him, refuses to witness the agony
of body and soul that is tearing his
dearest heart, not because he can't
bear the sight of suffering, but because
he will suffer himself If he stays; suf-
fer with sympathy, suffer with re-
proach, suffer with pangs of guilt; and
he isn't man enough to stand such suf-
fering.
''The one who does these things
rnshes from the death chamber of his
truest friend from the cries of torment
and from the appeal of love, leaves
him to die alone in his agony and
keeps his mock tears and his worth
less sympathy to pour out In effusion
on some mimic tragedy
Obligation of BaptIsmaI Vow.
There is no obligation laid upon any
one of you except the obligation of your
baptismal VOW of obedience, and the
yet higher obligation which forces
itself on the conscience of every hon
est child of God as. he gazes at the
cross of Jesus and the sufferings of
his Savior.
"a great many will be guilty this
Lent of what has been called the most
popular sin in the world the sin of
ingratitude, for in it's worst and last
analysis that is what it amounts to,
and the wonder of all is why He cared
to died for US. Perhaps it will be ex-
planned some day with that other mys-
terry, the wonder of a mothers love-
But for those of us who do want to
do as the church bids us, who would
not consciously turn our backs on One
who suffered for us, who feel that the
least we can do is to be thankful, what
shall we do in our HASTINGS and aims
givings and prayers and sacrifices?
Nothing Funny In Lent.
my dear brethren, let us be real. 1t
isn't like dolls or playhouse. 1t isn't
play at all. There isn't funny thing
in Lent from beginning to end. 1t is
serious enough business, every minute
of the 40 days. It's mans task. every
hour of it. 1t is sturdy discipline. 1t
is renewed struggle. 1t is weary bat
tie, every single day of 1t. There isn't
a place at all along the march for rest,
for recreation, for self-indulgence.
There isn't a loophole for escape, there
isn't an excuse for turning back, there
isn't place for compromise, for treaty,
for surrender 1t is 40 days fight on
short rations, but with the finest equip
ment of armor that soldiers ever had.
1t is man fighting with God; or, better.
God fighting with man, together, on
the same side, united. 1t has the no
blest end in view, increased character,
strengthened manhood, which comes
from the union with God. Don't go
into it blind. It isn't easy. It is the
hardest battle in the world. 1t isn't
short. It's the longest 40 days you'll
ever know. 1t isn't happy altogether
that comes later, when accumulated
Lents have wrought their perfect work
in you. 1 wouldn't for the world have
you approach this Lent with light
heart. It's too serious business. l
wouldn't for the world have you think
that without going without little dab
of butter every day you were keeping
Lent; that by staying at home from. a
party you were really a partaker of
your Savior's suffering The one Is
almost too vast for us to accomplish.
The other is too trif1ing to count
Sacrifice of Broken Hearts.
Don't lose sight of the tremendous
sacrifice of Calvary. Don't magnify the
fact that on Wednesdays and Fridays
you go without meat Lent has no
place for light hearts who can frivol
about little things. Lent is the altar
erected in the church's holy of holes
on which is to be poured out the sac
riflce of broken hearts, broken hearts
these are the offerings that God will
not despise; broken hearts, from which
emerge, like a understanding SAVIOR,
temptations resisted, sin conquered,
real sacrifice, things which a light
heart cannot comprehend. Lent must
be approached in the spirit of King
David, who said: Neither will l offer
burnt offerings unto the Lord, my God,
of that which cost me nothing The
burnt offering stood for the total dedi-
cation of the man who offered. There
was nothing kept back. The only thing
In Lent that is worth anything is sac
rif1ce, and the only sacrifice that is
worth anything is the sacrifice that
costs. We don't give flimsy things to
God. God doesn't want tinsel and
gauze, and gilt and plaster of paris.
God wants the finest gold. We get the
richest altar we can. and on it we pour
out the sacrifice that cost nothing less
than the death of Jesus Christ That
is the pattern for all gifts and for all
sacrifices.
Must Cost and Hurt.
eff Lent is to be worth while to you,
you must put into it something more
than a general sympathy with the
churchs customs, something more than
languid effort to attend church more
frequently. There must come out of
your life and go into the lifes of the
church something that looks remark
ably like your hearts blood-it may be
devotion, it may be money, it may be a
sin from whose power you have
wrenched away. it may be an outpour-
ing of love, but it must cost, it must
hurt, it must be something that you
connot give without the help of Christ,