The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1910-01-27


is yet Character in His human ma
ture alone, Whose shoe latches he is
not worthy to stoop down and I'M
loose-a Character which in its puri-
ty and power as far surpasses the
noblest of tLis world as does day the
night.
PROPER ATTITUDE TOWARD
.-.-- CHRIST.
What ought to be your attitude
toward such a person? | answer,
you ought to impose in Him the most
implicit confidence.
Faith in His character as standing
out from the ranks of men, infinitely
superior to the worlds wisest and
best. So pure, so sympathetic, so
holy, just and good, so unselfish
and self-denying, that even the enc
mics OF His divinity praise Him as
the best of men. Faith in His mis-
sion as being one OF infinite self-sacri-
ficing love, turning His back upon
His glory and dying that men might
live. Faith in His promises that free
and full salvation is for every man
that will accept it. Though your
sins be as scarlet, they may become
as wool; though they be red like
crimson, they may become whittier
than SNOW" Faith in His power,
that he is able to save unto the ut
termost all that come unto Him,
giving them strength to overcome
and bringing them off conquerors,
and more than conquerors. Faith in
His wisdom, that in all the exigen-
cies of life, whether of JOY, or sorrow,
difficulty or doubt, success or failure;
in the mysteries OF life, in the myste-
ries of providence, in the mysteries
Of faith that He doeth all things we'll;
that however strange may appear
His dealings, to know there is back
OF all an infinite mind and an infinite
heart.
Truth forever on the scaffOld,
Wrong forever on the the throne,
Yet the scaffold rules the future,
And beyond the dim unknown
Standeth God within the shadow,
Keeping watch above His own"
| have read that in the battle OF
Tel ell Kebir an English officer in the
darkness of the night led his regiment
without chart or compass over a
trackless desert guided by a brilliant
star. In the early gray dawn he met
full-faced the advancing column o.
the enemy and fell mortally wounded
at the first volley. Looking up into
the face of Sir Garnet WOlsley he
said, "Did not that star guide me
straight, sir?" There is a brightel
star to light our pathway through
the maze of this earthly life, ever
the Sun of Righteousness, which il
the Son OF God He is the brilliant
fixed point in the heavens by which
we may direct our actions and steady
our judgments, and if, in the sorrow
OF your earthly lives, the confusion
of your doubts, the furnace Of your
temptations, the pollution of your
sins, the consciousness Of ignorance
and your need, you will put your trust
in Him, He will guide you through
| the darkness, across the desert, anC
bring you with the gray Of the eter
nal morning safe into your Father
home.
| Ii.
/ would state in the second place
that your attitude ought to be one
OF the deepest personal love.
1t is one thing to have faith in 8
leaders character and genius, it is
| quite another to regard him witt
the deepest personal affection. There
was something more than ordinary
in the place General Lee held in the
hearts of his men. Theirs was love
that amounted almost to worship.
! In certain sense there has never
been a general that could inspire
greater enthusiasm than Napoleon
Returning home after his first exile
he had but to put his foot on French
soil when men aocked to his stand
ard. There is no doubt to many to
day he is the model of military great
ness. You have heard the story how
one of his soldiers when wounded
and the surgeon without anestheti
was probing for the bullet, said
doctor, if you go much deeper yO1
will touch the Emperor" meanin!
that Napoleon was enthroned in hi
| heart.
The historian relates how on an
other occasion be called for vOlun
teers, explaining that he did no
command DIS the effort meant almos
certain death. Now" said he, lie
any man who is willing to die for hi
emperor step out OF the ranks A
the word the entire regiment leape'
forward as a man and rang thei
muskets at his feet.
The historian will not forget hoy
in the dusk Of that evening at Chan
cellorsville when General Jackso
fell mortally wounded and the bullet
continued to come one of his sta
officers, Captain James 2. Smith i
the depths OF his love, sought at til
risk of his own life to protect hi
fallen chieftain. | would not for on
moment question your love and ad
miration for this great soldier. Nor
than once you felt the grip OF hi
conquering hand. But realizing a
this, | yet believe there was neve
a general who was more ardentl
admired and more fervently love
than was General Lee. Ihaveno doub
that many a Confederate soldie
would have gladly given his life i
his behalf and considered it tn
greatest earthly honor.
Faith in his genius but love for hi
person.
| shall only give two incidents illu:
trativ' OF this fact. That at SpOtt
| sylvania when Gen. Hancock in on
OF the most brillia Mt charges OF tn
Civil War rushed with such sudde
fury against that part of the Coined
crate line commanded by Genera
Edward Johnson that he carried i
almost without resistance. Throug
the breach becoming wider with ever.
l b. T--,on