Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1911-03-30

into the heart Of man is the first and
the last question OF life. After We
have traced tas working of Gods hand
10 creation and beheld the fashioning
90 sun and moon and stars and seen
the furnishing OF the earth with cattle
ami every creeping thing and hcheld
Eden blossomng with iuve until sins
sting shrivelei innocence as In fire,
then God speaks ont Of the silence OF
his own OmulYoteuce and demands an
answer from the man into whom he
has breathei the breath of a divine
life. Where art thou"
Il lifts man out from the rest OF
Gods creation. Not OF the heaven or
the earth Of the sea or the air does he
ask this question. Not OF the birds or
beasts OF tho field They are part
and parcel Of a great dumb creation
that works the will Of him who or
derei their coming and determines
their going
Not so with man. lie stands as sen
tiEel Into his hands dominion Is
given. lie is not part OF the great
creation procession. lie Is the mas
ter. the arbiter. the spectator. II Is
the frst question asked in the begin
ming OF worlds. lt will be the last
question asked when the worlds are
rolled up as scroll and all things
PASS away. Then. too. the question
will be heard. Where art thou"
How diverse and different have
hoo he D.
many stories. Even the Bible tells
US two stories. On the one hand. We
are told that he stands where the
shadows come and 20. He is as a
vspor. a dream. a sleep. story. tale
that is told. water spilled upon the
ground. thread OF the weaver that is
cut, a flower that faded. grass that
withereth. a shepherd tent that is re-
moved. Thee. too We are told that
he is clothed in light and immortality
as with a garment and crowned with
glory and honor.
Here lies man whose name was
writ in water" so runs the epitapk on
the stone Of one whose name is siill
remembered. What is mani What is
personality? Physicians tell US that
the body changes every seven years
once We We're children. now We are
men and women. yet we believe We
are the same now that We were then.
with all the changes akin to the death
OF the physical
There have been two OF us. perhaps
more. One of the past, one Of the
present and still oae OF the men that
is to be. Which is the real Paul. the
one that breathed out slaughter or the
one that wOrshiped at Christ's feet?
Which is the true Judas. the one that
listened to the call OF Jesus or the
enc that betrayed him with a kiss?
You remember how Oliver Wendell
Holmes pictures three men in each
mantle man that one thinks he is.
the man his friends think him to be
and the man whom God sees. the real
man.
Yet through it all there is one con.
tinuing personality. The Adam OF
Eden is linked with the Adam with.
out the gate. It belongs to the realm
Of the soul. TIE mind. the memory.
Son remember" is the verdict OF
heaven and the doom OF hell. John
Quincy Adams at the extreme limit of
old age when asked about his heath
replied Thank you. John Quincy
Adams is quite we'll But the house
in which he lives is dilap.dated. Il is
tottering. Times and seasons have
made their mark upon it. 1t is we'll
nigh worn out. Some day soon / shall
move out. But John Quincy Adams
is quite well. sir. thank YOU"
Gods voice is ever calling to the
consciences OF men. He Is ever
searching TO discover the best that is
In man and to reawaken the hone that
has been buried. \ good painter de-
picts the best 4 friend viewing a nor.
trait. of his friend by Sargent said II
looked like the portrait of a dissinate,l
man. The man said yes. and that's
what | have in me which | have al
ways bafiied and fought and con.
quered- Said his friend. 1T is that
better man. the victor. the conqueror.
that the painter should have painted
Yes. and God always calls US to our
best and sees far of the man who
ought to be. In Simon he sees Peter.
In Saul he sees Paul. In Jacob he
sees the wrestling prince with God
God is not a cynic hunting Ike Dioge-
mes for the doubtful discovery of a
man. God is like the shepherd who
Knows the sheep are lost. He is like
the father who knows the son is bet
ter than he pretends. He is like the
loser of the coin who knows its value
and has faith in its recovery.
So with the Lord he takes and he re-
Finds him ambassadors whom men
Wise men nor mighty for his saints h.
No. such as John or Gideon orr
1t is bad business to try to bida
from God. Personality receives sc
true perfection only in God. He is tho
atmosphere in which life flourtsbas
and abides. He IS the light in which
the flower Of a right lire blooms 10
Is the country in which the true f,ri,
OF faith comes to a beautiful matur,,,
We are all in his great garden. He
still walks its path and calls for lis
beauty.
Why should we hide? To see his
smile means heaven for us. To n,Js.
him is to miss the best.
There is only one safe hiding place
and that is the Rock of Ages. The
Lover of the souls of men. In him ia
life and the life is the light Of men,