The Golden age. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1906-1915, September 20, 1906, Page 11, Image 11

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INTO MAmiOUS LIQHT UST as upon a time of other days, once again John Marsden sat as one paral yzed, but this time from holy emotions. All these years he had thought Julian Deveaux had ended his life in suicide by drowning. All these years he had been a heartbroken man, blaming himself for the untimely death of not only the one whom he had almost idolized, but J also of the one whom he had failed to do his best to save. He could but think of the $2,000,000 willed to him as blood money; and he felt himself utterly unworthy to be the guardian of their child. But Dr. Gordon, Mis. Wayland and other friends would not release him from this sacred trust; and he found his broken heart soothed by the wealth of childish affection almost identically as that of James Douglass had been by the little Christiana. And he felt himself so unworthy it was some time before he could enter as of old into his work. He was never fully restored to his former power in preaching, until his soul was reawakened by that marvelous unknown writer whose articles never failed, no matter what the subject, to end with the phrase, “ECCE DEUS!” Regardless of the subject of these articles, they invariably made his soul burn within him, a responsive chord was always awakened, and he would go forth with re newed power to uplift men to behold God. Thus he became reconciled to the obligations plac ed upon him in Julian Deveaux’s will; and through the co-operation of the Board of Trustees of “The Christian Mission,” a great institutional work called “The People’s Temple,” was built up, which not only supplied spiritual food to the soul-hungry, but, as the Lord did when upon earth, the diseased were healed, the hungry were fed and the naked were clothed. And through these years so closely in the Mas ter’s footsteps, he found none fallen so low, that his soul did not tenderly and forgivingly yearn to lift them up into a better way; for, had not his own sou] once looked into the very abyss of hell itself? So, in this hour of such wonderful insight into God’s mysterious ways, when the dead were found to be alive, when tire worst had become the best, and when night had become day, he realized as never before what it means to see “Him who is in visible. ’’ He went at once to his desk to pen the article requested by Julian Deveaux, and his thoughts crowded so rapidly upon his pen, his fear was that they might be lost while blossoming into words. The following editorial appeared in the June number of “Into Marvelous Light It is easy to propound a question to the world at large, and decide in our own minds what the ans wer to that question should be. Ft is easy for the Protestants of New York to speak enthusiastically of what the Protestant world at large should arise and do at once for the support and upbuilding of struggling Protestantism in France at this critical hour. But have we, even of New York—the city whose streets are trodden by our fellow man from every quarter of the globe—had our hearts and minds freed wholly from provincialism/ Alien the cry from Macedonia, “Come over and he!]) us,” is heard, too often we answer, “Yes, Lord, I will, when I have more than I need to help carry on thy work at home.” We are apt to forget that in the 20th centurv, home means the entire world, for are we not daily in touch with the whole world? Bid this week, in our own church, was a most striking example of this fact, when we re ceived into our membership a woman from Persia, a man from Spain, another from Cuba, still another from South America and two young men of German parentage. After the baptismal service, I noticed a Japanese reporter taking down CHAPTER XLIV. The Golden Age for September 20, 1906. By LLEWELYN ST EP HENS. the sermon; and at the close of the services I was greeted by a young woman born in Sweden, educated in Leipsic and who spent some years in Paris be fore coming to New York. There is now no real distinction between home and foreign missions— they are in truth one and the same. We may be preparing the man, to whom we send the gospel in Japan, India, Persia, Russia, Italy or France, for a loyal citizen of the United States of America and a true follower of our beloved Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Every institution of our beloved land is affected to a greater degree than it is possible for the average mind to conceive, by its adopted citi zens. And, unless we awake to the situation, en dow our churches at home, and go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, none of our institutions will feel the demoralizing effects of immigration more sadly than will our churches. By what means does the Roman Catholic Church in the United States receive its largest increase in membership? By immigration. I do not know when my interest has been more aroused than it has been recently by the history of Father Gordinia, a young converted Catholic priest, who left Italy two years ago, because his whole soul revolted against the debasing servitude of the priesthood in the land whose god is the pope and whose mediator between man and the true God is the Holy Church of Rome. Young Gordinia thought to find in America—the land of the brave* and the free—a less servile system, one founded upon a higher plane of practical Christianity as taught in God’s Word, a system which would per mit greater liberty of private judgment and broader soul development. But, alas, when he reached the land of his dreams, the heavenly vision was dark ened by the same clouded system of Romanism in America as in every other country, and hi* did not come into the marvelous light of Truth which illu mines the way—the only way—to the throne of God and His mercy seat through Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life, until he had renounced allegiance to the Roman Church, and accepted the leachings of God’s Word. As it has been pointedly expressed, the trend of modern Americanism is leading us to apathy toward modern wrongs, a cowardly spirit apparent in pub lic investigations, and a concentrated effort every where visible, tending to reconcile divergence of thought in religious, political ami other questions. Does the seed of this spirit spring from the Ameri can soil, from our Revolutionary fathers who fought so valiantly for the principles of justice, of freedom and of religious liberty—the right to worship God according to the dictates of the individual under standing? No! A thousand times, no ! This spir it springs from its root in foreign lands, and is transplanted within American soil. It springs from nations whose crushed and oppressed men and wom en arc deserting ami fleeing from their native land in search of a Canaan. But, though they find a free country, they do not find freedom of the soul from sin and freedom of the mind from ignorance, until the blessed gospel of Jesus Christ is shed abroad in their hearts ami minds. Bid, should every effort be made immediately upon the landing of such as these upon American soil,-to meet them with open I’ihiifs, with open churches and with open schools, it'is not possible for babes to digest strong meat, for the crocked and gnarled old oak to be straight ened as a young twig, or for the tares instantly to be uprooted from the wheat. Consequently, the* influx of the evils of infidelity, of ignorance, of su perstition, of the spirit of envy, of hatred ami re venge lurking in the breast of the anarchist, and in the hand of the assassin, are gnawing at the very heart of true Americanism and of true Christ ism. We have but to look at those countries which have had' and have now an open Bible, and tlu se which have not. to discover the reason for the pall of dark ness which hangs over Catholic countries. But God promises to those who believe on Him, that what is dark shall be illumined, what is secret shall be revealed, and what is low shall be lifted up. When a soul has been born anew and is pos- ‘ ... J sessed by Christ, that soul is willing to suffer all things for Christ’s sake; to renounce the man-made creeds of family or of friends, of priest or of preacher, to follow in the footsteps of his Lord and Master; to bravely face persecutions, taunts and jeers for the sake of blessing and power which come from being buried with Christ henceforth to be res urrected and walk with Him in newness of life; is willing, yea, to suffer death itself, if thereby man kind may be brought to the foot of the cross of Christ for eternal life. And when the spirit of Christ so poscsses a man, whether he he in the land of Calvin, of Luther, of Knox, of Spurgeon, of Whitefield or Moody, that man will awake the na tion to sing, “The morning light is breaking.” God may raise up such a man in France today! Had France during the past thirty years 100 Robert McAlls, instead of one such man and his consecrated wife; had tin* various Brotestant denom inations in France and their supporters abroad hut done their best in proving Io socalled Catholic France, that giving up Roman Catholicism ami ac cepting Protestantism, was not falling’ info the de spair of atheism, but was a blessed release from the darkness of priest-craft, ignorance and superstition, and an entrance into the marvelous light of the pure gospel of the Son of God—if this had been done—then France, beautiful France, would have been ready for this, hour, ami would have been as “a nation horn within a day” into the kingdom of God. France is now passing through a period which will be as vital in its results for her future as was the French Revolution. The call lias come from France, “Come over ami help us!” Shall we turn a deaf ear to the cry of our sister Republic in this great crisis? Or shall we answer, “Here am I, Lord, send me”? CHAPTER XLV. On the afternoon of June 20th, the New Y'ork evening papers announced the marriage of Miss May belle Deveaux and the Reverend John Marsden, the ceremony having been performed in the home ol the bride at high noon, immediately alter which the bridal couple left lor a European tour. THE END. Whatever is is Best. I know as my life grows older And mine eyes have clearer sight That under each rank wrong somewhere There lies the root of right, That each sorrow lias its purpose, By the sorrowing oft iiiignesscd, Bui as sure as the sun brings morning. Whatever is is best. 1 know that each sinful action. As sure as the night brings shade, Is somewhere, some lime punished, Though the hour be long delayed, I know that the soul is aided Sometimes by the heart’s unrest, Ami to grow means often to suffer, But whatever is is best. I know- there are no errors In the great eternal plan, And all things work together For the fimil good of man; And I know when my soul speeds onward In its grand eternal quest I shall say, as I look back earthward, Whatever is is best. —Ella Wheeler Wilcox. 11