Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1910-01-06

We are ny frirras " - a. Whatsoever
] command you john U.it
THAT n title to havsi In that
| " imperial day when the title
| " was frst conferred. when
T honors we're lavishly be-
lySS slowed and osten,atiously
GS worn. vas there any honor
to compare with this md. IN our
own time. what can We place by ITS
side, All parehments. and diplomas.
and dignities are the mere fiummery
Of the hour compared with this. which
ships amid all the yempessuoas w
cares Of circumstances. and ts irsie-
pendent OF popular vhim and caprice.
My frtendsl" What a biography. and
what glorious epitaph'
What Is the path which leads to
this friendship 'Ye are my friends.
u ye do whatsoever I command you
Let Us quietly think what this condf-
tion implies First ot all. q implies an
exploration. A man who wishes 70 be A
friend of the Saviour must diligently
consult his will What says the Mas.
ter OF his Word' n ! would be in his
Intimate circle. ! must mediate IN his
law day and night This VIII give me
Principles. which will illumlne the mind
and exercise the Judgment. and make
me sensitive 10 his APPROACH. And
what says my Master IN the con.
science? must steadily consult Its
guidance as being that of a lamp m
to my feet and a Hight unto my path. -
thus must ! he an explorer in the
Kings desires. ard | must seek for
item as Tor hidden treasure In the
second place. II Implies palnstaklng dis
eriEiination. / do not always rnd that
the VIII Of the Lord becomes clear
and ohtrusive in a moment The bal
anee dues not tilt violently and make
u Immediately clear where the weight
or revelation falls. More Frequently
the balance seems 70 turn with a hair.
and I have 70 watch most ser1pulccalv
to recognize the turning. Now and
again the case Is so clear that my tiry
can give a verdict without leaving the
hox- At other times the Jury retirps 70
consider Its verdict. and Judgment IA
temporarily stayed Now. Il Il in those
emergencies. when have TO exsrcise
delicate discrimination. that I nnd
rioral discipline and moral growth. NV
Lord puts this responsibility uron me-
In order that ! may be- exercised IN
spiritual dtscerument. and NAV become
more and more sensitive in the parreu-
ton Of his will. And sfiII a third thins
Is implied. and that is a determined
appreciation. Once know the Will.
once the road Is clear before ne I
must walk Il with unwavering and an.
hesitaftrg decision Once : kaf - ~.
kinss commandments. / must euuse.
crate every power 10 chivalrous obe-
dienee. And now can bring this rea.
soning 10 bear upon the great words Of
my Lord tie graciously tells ne that
II thus seek 70 do his will the very
obedience Will be instrumental In the
creation OF vital ties OF frisndShiD he
tween the soul and him. Il Is not mere.
ly that my obedience Is labeled friend.
sh.p: Il IS that obedience creates
friendship. gsnerating those wonderful
intimacies which are the richest and
sublimest OF the soul
Intimacy Must Be Vital.
Now let Us glance AZ some OF the
primary characteristics of friendship
IN order that We may see something
Of the fair realm in which our souIs
may Ind an entrance IN the Rome Ler
Us survey some OF the outstanding
things which are significant Of excel
lent friendship. First OF ali. there are
Kindred tastes. Can two walk together
except they be agreed There mns,
be some Identity OF inclination II the
Intimacy Is 70 be one OF vital union
There Is enough similarity among the
Lake school OF poets 70 enable them
10 come together and sit at the com
mon feast And yet. even in this int
r1ate school there are wide differences
In the scale Of friendship. The fellow.
ship Of Wordsworth and De Quincy
might be placed In the outer circle Of
associates. that Of Wordsworth and
Colertdge comes much nearer the cen
ter; that Of Wordsworth and Dorothy
Wordsworth dwells Ia the tnnermos,
heart Their tastes were so akin thar
the two beings almost constituted
che soul And so II Is with the friends
Of the Lord BY a sacred obedience We
are introduced into the innermost
realm Of fellowship. where We feast
upon common delights. and drink nj
the river OF his pleasures.
And surely another characteristic NJ
friendship Is the readiness Of one
friend 10 catch the others point Of
view. Il Is quite possible to do this
with an author with whom We have
had intimate communion. We can
become so familiar with his mental
attitude. with his spiritual pose that
we can tell In any new set OF cireum.
stances how he will confront them
And so IL is with personal friend !.
We can so enter iato the biases and
inclination OF his soul that We can
apprehend his attitude before he has
expressed II Il know how he will
look at it," We are able to make
his deductions, to draw his infereuces
aAA1 " 0AAANC 1T us COuGAHSiOuS. And
are We not justified in applying this
reasoning to the friendship Of the
soul and the Lords II is one of the
characteristics OF high spiritual COM
munion that 1t Possesses a fine appre-
citation Of the Lords point OF view
We have the mind Of Christ" Nv
obedience the deliberative becomes the
Instructive. and we know. even as
also We are known"
Mutual Dependency.
And finally. there is this gracious
characteristic OF ali true fr.endsh hin.
that the friends stand ready at mu-
tSal call One is no sooner sick than
his friend Is at the gate So It Is be-
tween the soul and the Lord. stand
at attention. and IL he calls / answer.
And If I call upon him. he. too. makes
speedy reply. Before he calls { will
answer him True friends are sur