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ALONE
It is human to stand with the crowd; it is divine to stand
alone.
It is manlike to follow the people, to drift with the
tide; it is godlike to follow a principle, to stem the tide.
It is natural to compromise conscience and follow the
social and religious fashion for the sake of gain or pleasure; it is divine
to sacrifice both on the altar of truth and duty.
"No man stood with me, but all men forsook me."
Wrote the battle-scarred apostle in describing his first appearance before
Nero to answer for his life for believing and teaching contrary to the Roman
world.
Noah built and voyaged alone. His neighbours laughed at
his strangeness, and perished.
Abraham wandered and worshiped alone. The Sodomites smiled
at the simple shepherd, followed the fashion, and died in the flames.
Daniel dined and prayed alone. Elijah sacrificed and
witnessed alone. Jeremiah prophesied and wept alone. Jesus loved and died
alone.
And of the lonely way his disciples should walk he said,
"Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life,
and few there be that find it."
Of their treatment by the many who walk in the broad way
he said, "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but
because ye are not of the world,…therefore the world hateth you."
The church in the wilderness praised Abraham, and
persecuted Moses. The church of the Kings praised Moses, and persecuted the
prophets. The church of Caiaphas praised the prophets, and persecuted Jesus.
The church of the popes praised the Saviour, and persecuted the saints. And
multitudes now, in both the church and the world, applaud the courage and
fortitude of the patriarchs and prophets, the apostles and martyrs, but
condemn as stubbornness or foolishness like faithfulness to truth to-day.
Wanted, today, men and women, young and old, who will obey
their convictions of truth and duty at the cost of fortune and friends and
life itself!
The greatest want of the
world is the want of men, --men who will not be bought or sold; men who in
their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by
its right name; men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the
pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall. -Education,
p. 57(1903)
Selected.
ALONE
It was for thee, the Saviour prayed,
In dark Gethsemane,
For thee He drank the bitter cup,
And suffered there for thee.
Alone,.......alone,....
He bore it all alone,
He gave His life to save His own,
He suffered, bled, and died,
Alone,.....alone!
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