The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1913-07-24
THE CHRISTIAN WHO
DARES.
BY william T. Ellis.


The long look back Owe 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 IL something o the gospel
which makes souls strong. The fear Of
the Lord drives out all lesser fears. Man
cannot Albright the Christian who Is
afraid only of offending his Lord. A vol
m of testimony could be compiled to
show that. In the opinion OF secular his
torians n 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 kindliness.
FearIessness Follows Faith,
Some persons are born timid;" but
they may be reborn brave. Take down
your bible and READ through the Book of
Acts, understanding the word bold" and
its derivatives every time they occur. At
least 10 marks will result, A little study
will show that this apostolic tboldness was
always in connection with speech: the
word itself In the Greek means free ut
~terance." Also 1t Is q direct fruit Of the
Spirit. The Christian church's first re-
corded prayer was a prayer for boldnes
The first and last records Of Pauls
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: THE bible
Is a fountain of courage; 1t is not only
the Sword Of the spirit but the spirit of
the sword"
These are the gifts I ask
OF Thee, Spirit serene.
Strength for the daily task,
Courage, to face the road,
Good cheer to help me bear the travellers
n 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 indulgtng In con~tentiousness, 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 u
strife. A homely illustration Of the I'm
maturity Of quarrelsomeness Is the OBJ,
vious fact that school boys frequently
fight, whereas 1t is rare for grown men
to do so.
Make OF disaster an opportunity for our
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 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:
Tall men, suacrowned. who live above
In public duty and in private thinking.
Holland.
A tonic for courage is the eleventh chap
ter OF Hebrews. A person cannot rise
from the. reading Of this roIl Of heroes
without being more heroic. Courage is
contagious; we become brave by associat-
ing with the brave, In literature and in
life. The mind that Is stored with the
great words of heroism 10 least likely
to stoop to deeds OF cowardice.
Courage is the soil for most of the other
virtues. 1t is elemental character. Gu Of
t grow the qualities which make strong
manhood. The bible, with It's oft-repeated
Injunction to "be strong" Is not singular
in intoxicating bravery. all great itera-
ture does so. The souls which dared to
stand alone are the spiritual emancipators
Of the race.
The braggart Is SELDOM brave, because
he has not learned to conquer his own
spirit.
A line cannot be drawn between faith
and courage. Simple trust In God makes
= person Needless Of lower considerations.
Becanse we believe His word we dare His
work.. When He commands. fear cannot
eountermRnd. y. .F=.'
.yThs Dravest are a. tsa.derest.