The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-07-12

that his disctples-at least in person
Of their leader-had graSped the true
signifacnce of his mission. Up to this
point he had been leading them. For
this purpose he had opened his heart
This tremendous fore they could pc
ready to carry IN the work which IN
a few months he was to lay on their
shoulders.
In his e~xultation, the master re-
minded himself and his friends that
this revelation had come from he
Father in Heaven. He never lost
his confidence in the cO-working Of
God. The witness-bearing had been
by the Father to Peter, before 1t was
given by Peter to the Son. No spirit
ual truth is ever discerned, except by
divinely-imparted insight.
The Bedrock Confession.
The bedrock of bearing is
the foundation upon which, next to
the Chief Corner Stone, the Christian
Church is built. Let the Redeemed
Of the Lord say So is the one suffl-
| cient programme for the propagation
Of the evangel. The free utterance Of
the saved, saves the world. Is 1T any
wonder that Jesus called Peters con-
fession a rock-foundation ana Peter
himself one of the foundation stones ?
Well says DR.. c.. f. Jefferson: Our
cities are crying for rock Christians.
OF gentle Christians, and atfabie
Christians, and kind-hearted Chris
tians we have abundance. Christians
should stand like rock amid the seas
which surge and roar. Like rock they
should stand around the Lords day,
beating back the social and industrial
forces which are rolling in like a food
Nothing but rock will save New York
and Chicago. Boston and San Fran
cisco, from the fate OF Sodorn and
Gomorrah.
The Shared sorrow
The chief magistrates cabinet IN
derstand the plans which are not re
Vea!ed to the public. Unto you it is
given to know" said the leader to his
little company Of intimate friends. In
this solemn retreat in Caesarea Phil
lppi he shared with them his deepest
feelings. \ sorrow shared is halved.
/ So the Lord told the twelve how he
must go down into the midst Of his
enemies in Jerusalem, be prosecuted
by the ecclesiastcs> be cfucified, and
then. on the third day, be raised
again.
This programme was too much for
Peter. His comprehension did not yet
run this far; he could not conceive
Of the S~orroWful Way as the path to
victory. So he came short OF helping
his Master to be his best. Therein
friendship commonly fails of its nigh
est office, Many g man is spoiled be
cause he listens to the en~treaties of
loved ones who in misguided tender
ness, counsel the lot Of commonplace
comfort. rather than that OF hard ser
vice and bitter sacrifice. The wise
friend, be that friend mother, wife or
conrade. will spur a loved one on to
nohlest endeavor. whatever the bard
ship involved. At its best friendship
always is somewhat Spartan in char
acteT.
"Tn Flo Sisno.'
fAu x.TI E>,x@ 4ro~ At~
symbols back oward caeir beginnings
say that the cross, IN one form or
another, ts the Oldest Of all symbols.
That It Is today the comnnonest is be
cause Jesus laid down the principle,
n this conversation and elsewhere
that the mark Of dfscipleship for all
who follow him is a cross; and that
the law Of self-sacrffce Is the first
principle Of his kingdom.
That Is what taking up ones cross
means. Every petty, trivial difficulty
IS not necessarily q cross. The cross
IS the nfe-law Of self-denial. It means
Classification, the crucifixio, OF self.
It puts the world and the word first
and self last. They who live to please
themselves constitute one great group
in human society; and they who live
to please God constitute another. The
latter, let it be said. learn the secret
of conquest which Jesus possessed.
Ry losing life we gain 1t. Yonder sits
q wonan who has spent two decades
in China She has passed through the
fires Of the Boxer prosecutions. and
the ordeal Of separation from family
and children. In the worlds speech
she has "thrcwn her life away" Act
uaily. she has won a character Of
strength and beauty which makes her
hin amid the full hundred other
women who are on the same ship
with her at the moment. There are
a dozen young women here who would
give everything to possess her charm
and dignity and poiso ard sweetness;
it came by the Christ law: 'Whoso-
ever would save his life shall lose
e and W~hosOever shall lose his life
for my sake shall find IT." Well do W.
mark the emblem of the er's
vicarfous eacrifce, I'm hoe signo
vinceS.'