Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-04-07
IN SHADOW OF THE
CROSS CHRIST SAID:
BE Of GOOD CHEER"
SUPREME OPTIMISM SHOWN BY
iNAZARENE, WHO MAINTAIN
HIS FAITH TO THE VERY POR-
TAILS OF DEATH, CLERGYMAN
TELLS FLOCK.

At the Baptist churGh Sunday night
Justin Jaeger sang. Rev. G. w. Chess
man preached on The Optimism of
Jesus" text John 1888, "Be of good
cheer: / have overcome the world"
These words were spoken by Jesus
under the very shadow of the cross;
words Drumming with. optimism in
the very environment of pessimsm
Be of good cheer Remarkable de
claration. Why all his life visible in
dications seemed against optimism.
He came into his own and his own re
ceived him not He was 'despisod
and rejected of men His own towns
people would have killed him. his own
brethren counted him mad; the cities
in which he performed his mightiest
miracles repjected him; the multitude
he helped deserted him; the religious
leaders bitterly and openly opposed
him. He was called 'gluttonous
man and winebibber, a blasphemer
and deceiver. The best this world
ever saw, who poured out his life
constantly and SCIENTIFICALLY, was
shamefully treated Yet with all this
and the cruel cross just before him
he cried to his little band, BE of
good cheer
We inquire his grounds for this
inextinguishable optimism In the first
place he was sure of God God had
not capituated to the devil; he had
not repudiated sovereignty God was
in the world working out his gracious
purposes. And, second, the kingdom
OF God was established on earth and
was destined to grow to big proper
tons as Jesus taught in the parable
OF the mustard seed. The seemingly
almighty kingdom of Herod and
PLATE must surrender to the conquer
ing kingdom Of God.
"The spirit of the Christ passed in.
to the souls of his disciples Paul
shared the optimism of Jesus. He be
lieved God was at the helm Of the uni
verse and his kingdom would win
out Scourged and imprisoned he
burst into she singing of psalms;
shackled in a prison dungeon he
writes letters Drumming with JOY He
is never discouraged or despairing by
failure or reverses the march of hli.
manity is upward to the kingdom of
God The golden age is before. not
behind
I'VE have a message here for the
worlds darkest hours We have here
/ message for today If the daily press
were all had | declare to you | be.
lieve | would be a pessimst Cog
infant of the herculean problems con
fronting the peace conference, having
knowledge of the terrible social up
heaval Of old world nations, regard.
ing Bolshevism and red anarchy ram
pant across the whole of Europe and
threatening the whole world, our own
nation included, | declare 10 you if
what's on the surface were all I had
| would look for a juniper tree with
Elijah.
But | remember Jesus in the dark
hour of the day of the cross when the
world seemed to be going to pieces.
In that hour Christ said BE of good
cheer God is, and is barring his arm
to bring humanity into a better day;
the kingdom of God in the present
world is still conquering. A christian
has no right to succumb to despair.
Unfaith in the upward trend of So
ciety is unchristian. Chaos will not
supplant ordered society while there
Is God in heaven and church mil.
ltant to bring the gospel to every life :
and the whole of life the world over
what world conditions today
should breed in the disciples of the
Christ is new conservation to the
task of Christianity in the world. The
church has been at fault. She has NOT
marched forth to world cononest with
all her available resources mobilizad
ana concentrated. The religion of
Jesus Christ is the solution of all the
major problems of the world and the
bridging of the chasm between cant
tai and labor, the building of a new
democracy upon unshakable FONDA.
lions, at heart is a religious task.
"Oh that the manhood of the Chris
ian church and this favored nation
wouldcatch the vision splendid of a
rebuilt world ON the principles of the
Christ and then get into the harness
in earnest 10 make the vision fact by
sacrificial living.