The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-14
DR.. STEPHEN SEWALL ES1EY
Pastor OF the First Presbyterian
Church.
The Courage That Never Fails.

Let courage come from>the convic-
ton that God lis working out a sure
Eplap of progress for huma nifty, and
that courage is deathless. Efforts in
civic, social and religious bettermeut
may not have brought the exact kind
and degree Of good that their origi-
majors hoped, but every one of such
movements has most certainly carr led
humanity to higher ground. Watch
the waves as the tide comes in on the
coast. With what impetuosity each
wave leaps far up the beach, only to
roll back again! But. mark this:
with every strenuous effort of the
higher and higher. The individual
wave may be disappointed. but the
great ocean is not. Calmly, resist
lessly. with the power of Gods will
| and law behind 1t, it advances. II we
look at our individual effort for world
betterment. the fact that 1T does n IT
accomplish all that we expect may
kill enthusiasm and courage in us. But
when We learn to view it as a part
OF the resistless ocean of Gods will
Tor good, then we are certain that it
counts, tho it may not count in just
| the way that we had hoped.
The man whose deathless courage is
based on God, whose enthusiasm
holds In the face of all hinderances
and rebuffs, presents one of the sub
| limest spectacles this world knows.
Horace Pitkin, the missionary, dying
In China amid the horrors of the
Boxer rebellion, sends back to his
wife in America this message: Take
care of our little son. and when his
education is completed, let him come
back here and take my place and
help save China!" The wave is hurled
back. but knows with steadfast GER
talnty that the great ocean tide will
| resistlessly advance, and that its own
effort is an essential part of that ad-
vance! Livingstone. shortly before he
was found dead on his knees in his
| hut in the African forests, said,
Nothing earthly will make me give
| up my work in despair. 1 encourage
myself in the Lord my God, and 20
forward" Latimer stands fearlessly
for the truths that bring the great
reformation. Do threats of the stake
ana a martyrs death kill his cour-
age? Hear his dauntless words as the
flames kindle about his body 1--WE
shall this day light such a candle, by
GODS grace, in England, as shall not
pc put out" The wave hurled back
helps to carry the resistless tide on.
ward!
1t Is great, great-this courage
which is deathless because it is based
not on self. not on men, not on sue
cess. but on God! The world banks
too much on the cheaper courage q
youth which is based merely or
health and good spirits and Ignorance
OF difficulty and defeat. That sort OF
courage often collapses pitiably in thu
race OF hardship. We have won oul
great world victory for democracy
and now we face intricate and diff
cult tasks of reconstruction. There
may come dark hours when jarrine
factions, and the failure Of ideals t.
grip, the people, may make man,
wonder whether our great victory II
war is to end in pitiable failures il
peace. The worlds reliance in tn.
tumultuous days of reconstruction
that are before US must be in mer
who are despair-proof. because thei
courage is one n-1 the same thing A.
their faith In God.