The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1913-07-24
THE CHRISTIAN. WHO
DARES.
By william 7. Ellis.

AL EYl H 4
The long look back over Christian his
tory enables us to make certain general
izations. One is that when tested,
Christians have proved courageous. Men
of the book have been brave men, from
the days of the apostles down to the
prosecuted Koreans of the present year.
There is something about the gospel
which makes souls strong. The fear of
the Lord drives out all lesser fears. Man
cannot alright the Christian who Is
AFRAID only of offending his Lord. A vol
urne of testimony could be compiled to
show that. In the opinion Of secular his
torians and observers, men of God have
been men of courage.
The gentle Jesus was also the strong
Son OF God. ChriSt's courage Is as clear
as His kindness.
Fearlessness Follows Faith.
Some persons are born tinid hut
they may be reborn brave. Take down
your bible and read through the Book of
Acts. underscoring the word bold" n
Its derivatives every time they occur. At
least 10 marks will result. A little study
will show that this apostolic ldnes was
always In connection with speech; the
word itself in the Greek means free ut
terance." Also it is q direct fruit of the
Spirit. The Christian church's first re-
corded prayer was a prayer for boldness.
The first and last records of PauIs
preaching are linked with this significant
quality. The Christian who meditates up
on this book of boldness will find himself
acquiring the Christian courage which is
learned in the school of scriptures. AS
Amos r. Wells pointedly says: 9TH bible
is a fountain of courage; it is not only
the Sword of the spirit but the spirit of
the sword"
These are the gifts 1 ask
OF Thee, Spirit serene.
Strength for the daily task,
Courage to face the road.
Good cheer to help me bear the travellers
load,
And for the hours of rest that come
An inward JOY in all things heard and
seen.
Henry Van Dyke.
Sometimes we think we are courageous
when we are merely quarrelsome. We
are INDUCING in contentiousness, which is
but a cheap imitation of courage. The
really brave are peaceable. The best SOL
diers we ever have met have been the ones
most averse to war. Real strength shuns
strife. A homely Illustration of the i'm
maturity of quarrelsomeness is the OBJ
vtous fact that school boys frequently
fight, whereas it is rare for grown men
to do so.
Make of disaster an opportunity for your
courage.-G. S. Merriam.
Courage comes from conviction. The
way to learn to dare anything is to learn
to believe something.
God give US men;-a time like this de-
mands
Great hearts, strong minds. true faith
and willing hands;
Men whom the lust of office cannot kill;
Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy:
Men who have opinions and a will:
Men who have honor; men who will not
lie;
Men who can stand before a demagogue
And brave his treacherous batteries with
out blinking;
TAI men, s~uncrowned, who live above
the fog
In public duty and in private thinking.
Holland.
A tonic for courage is the eleventh chap
ter or Hebrews. A person cannot rise
from the reading of this roll Of heroes
without being more heroic. Courage is
contagious; we become brave by associat-
ing with the brave, In literature and in
lie. Inc mind that is stored with the
great words of heroism is least likely
10 stoop to deeds of c1wardice.
lilC SUI u IIlOSC OF the other
virtues. 1t is elemental character. Out of
| grow the qualities which make strong
manhood. The bible, with its oft-repeated
function to BE strong is not singular
N inculcattng bravery; all great litera-
ture does so. The souls which dared to
stand alone are the spiritual emancipators
of the race.
The braggart is seldom brave, because
ne mas not learned to his own
spirit.
me cannot be drawn between faith
and courage. Simple trust in God makes
q person needless of lower considerations.
oecanse we believe His word we dare His
york When He commands. fear cannot
co~untermand
"The bravest are tAs ten.derest,