THE GARLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3765, 11 May 1926, Page 31

THE GARLAND.

for the quiet hour. N_. 663. By Duncan Weight, Dunsdin. (FOB TUB W 'TUBAS., THE CROSS. THE SHADOW OF THE CROSS. In Gen. 22 we have a perfe t foreshadowing of the 'ross of Calvary given two thousand years before that central event: and now well-nigh two thousand years after Calvary, many a father makes a sacrifice in the spirit of Abrah; when surrendering beloved chilrden to the call of the foreign mission field rather than retaining them in the home circle for the jHirsuit of some worldly profession. THEN. A grand old man of kingly mien But visage maried and sad— Beside him walks with wondering eyes A handsome, callow lad; Tne tragic step, the steadfast gaze— The fire and the knife— The cleaved wood the young lad bears Bespeak a surrendered life. The altar claimed the old man’s son, Three days he bore the loss, Then first on Mount Moriah fell The shadow of the Cross. The son of Abraham was spared— He knew three days of grief: The altar claimed the Son of God, For Him was no relief. He died for you. He died for me—‘Behold the Lamb of God”— For man He took tbe sinner’s place And “passed beneath the rod.” The sun was veiled and darkness reigned, The rocks did rend and toss; Again on Mount Moriah fell The shadow of 'he Cross. * * ft \\’hen 1 survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of Glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride. # * # The cross became the distinguishing badge of every person who joined the Crusaders, and was embroidered on the warrior’s right shoulder. Bohemund, the son of Robert Guiscard, Duke of Calabria, at the preaching of the first crusade, besieging a castle in Terra di Lavora with Roger, nis uncle. No sooner did he receive the first news of it than he was seized with such a pious rage that he cut his coat *..£ arms into piecre. and made them into crosses; nd, taking one himself. he distributed the remainder among his principal officers, and set off to join the crusaders.

A similar story is told of St. Bernard, who went to Lewis to preach the second crusade. The people gave him some consecrated crosses to be distributed amongst the multitude: but so great was the number of those who wished to join the new expedition that the saint found that lie had not nearly sufficient. He therefore cut his garment into mall crosses,

and gave them to all who asked rum. The different European nations were dk»tinguisbed by crosses of various colours; ana the cross soon became, and has continued, the badge of nearly every order of knighthood. * * * NOW. A youth of promise and cf grace, Ilia father dieams of fame: He plans foi him some honoured place To win the world’s acclaim. But so God’s altar calls the son, He breaks with earthly ties To tread some lowly service path Scorned by the worldly wise. The "still small voice” of Ifortb calls; Earth's tinsel turns to dross, And on that father’s plans there falls The shadow of the Cross. And many sons are toiling row, On whom that shadow falls: It may be in some city slums Where povertv appals: Or far removed from home and friends. In dark, benighted lands, To “preach the Gospel, heal the sick,” As Christ, our Lord, commands. They prize not name nor worldly fame, The glitter and the gloss, But when the shadows pass we'll see The glory of the Cross. —F. W. Nash, in the Christian. • * 4 PROFESSOR W. M. CLOW, GLASGOWin bis luminous volume entitled “The Day of the Cress” gives us this lucid message .n chapter 12 concerning “The Women of Jerusalem”: “To this day Jesus makes the same moral and spiritual appeal to womanhood. The dear mother who taught ns about God before thev left us for the silent skies could not have entered the lists of debate with a militant denier of the miraculous, but they understood the miracle of the virgin life and spiritual grace of Jesus, and thev never faltered in their faith in Him as l/>rd. The devout women who gather in the meetings for prayer have no skilful apologetic potent in the schools upon their lips, hut thev hear the word which to others is dark. The things which ars hidden from the wise and prudent ara revealed to them. And those humble women, '•'hose veire are an unceasing drudgery, wliosp hands do dailv the deeds of patient service until even the angels wonder, who wist not that their faces shine, whose hearts are meek and lowlv amid the pride and B trife of time -see Jesus, as priest and scribe never see Hirn. and feel in th° ; r toj] and sorrow the* consoling power of His moral and spiritual anneal. Tt is these women who support the Church of Jesus, who find it the sanctuary of 'heir souls, and the sphere of many lovely ministries. It is a taunt upon coarse lips that the church is their solace and strength. Yes. as long as Jesus walks among the golden candlesticks. as He sits down among His worshipping peonle, and makes the place of His feet glorious, as long as He i- to be seen in the visions of the sanctua.v walking in His i- effable holiness, and speaking with His voice of pitv as He passes to His cross, so long will women respond to His mortal and spiritual appeal, and, wiser than the ’earned, proclaim Him Lord.” • a * A MESSAGE BY REV. DR ALEXANDRA MACLAREX. As when an American prairie (or an Australian or New Zealand forest) for hundreds of miles' is smoking in the autumn fires, nothing that man can do can cope with it. But the clouds gather, asd down comes the rain, and there is water enough to put out the fire. And so God’s inexhaustible mercy, streaming down upon the lurid smokepillars of man’s transgression, and that alone is weight enough to quench tha flame of man’s, and of * world’s transgressions heated from the lowest hell. ‘ With Him is plenteous redemption. He shall redeem Israel from all his inlouities.” That is the Old Testament nronhesv Let me leave on your hearts the New Testament fulfilment of it. The Psalmist said : “He shall redeem Israel rom all his iniquities.” He was sure of that, and his soul was at ‘‘peace in believing it.” But there* were mysteries which he could not understand. He lived in the twilight dawn, and He all His fellows had to watch for the morning. * which thev saw but the faint promise in the eastern sky. The sun is risen for us—“ Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.” This is the fulfilment, the vindication and the explanation of the Psalmist’s hope. Lay hold of Christ, and He witl lift von out of the depths, and set vou upon the sunny heights of the mountain of God. THE WAURIC. \ 1 dare not be defeated, With Cavalry in view Where Jesus conquered Satan, Where all our foes He slew; Come, Lord, and give the vision No nerve me for the fight, Make me an overcomer Clothed with Thy Spirit’s might. I dare not- be defeated _ Sir.ce Christ, my conquering King, Has called me to the battle Which He will surely win. Come, Lord, and give me couray*, Thy conquering Spirit give, Make me an overcomer In power .within me live. I dare not be defeated, When Jesus leads me on, To press through hellish regions To share with Him His Throne: Come, Lord, anu give Thy soldiers The power to wield the sword, Make me an overcomer Through Thine inerrant Word. * I dare not be defeated, Just at the set of sun, When Jesus waits to whisper, “Well done, beloved, well done”; Come, Lord, bend from the Glory, On me Thy Spirit cast, Main me an overcomer, A vicior to the last. —M. E. B. (China), from the Overcomer.