COURAGE NECESSARY TO CHRISTIANITY.
By J. M. Gallemore
One must have courage in order to be a good Christian. When perfected in love, Christians have courage, for perfect love casteth out all fear. If it were not so, God's truth would not be held up to a scoffing and ridiculing world; for the enemies of his truth are strong and very powerful, and had the Christian nothing but his own natural strength to lean upon, the contest between truth and error would be but a weak one. But the Lord gives strength and courage sufficient for the task before the Christian: there are few working Christians who have not realized this fact. The Lord, indeed, is the strength of his people; were it not so, the enemies of truth would long since have crushed them to the earth. Well may the opposers of truth tremble, as did the heathen of old, in arraying themselves against the God of Israel. Let the defenders of God's truth, then, take courage, fresh courage, knowing that the Lord will uphold and defend his truth and his people. The Christian has in all ages needed courage, but especially does it seem that the defenders of truth in this evil day and age need courage. And nothing is more calculated to inspire this needed courage than a strong love for the truth. This will give boldness to face the enemies of the truth which God would have declared to this generation. God is converting men and women to this truth daily, to acknowledge, obey, and defend it. It takes courage, and it takes the help of the Lord. In doing so, we see ourselves arrayed against the mighty men in the eyes of the world, against the learning and the wisdom of the world, against the customs of the world, and against the customs and teachings of those who profess to be the light of the world and to be teaching the way of eternal life. Need the question be asked if it takes courage to face all this? Those who have tried it know; and they have a sympathizing heart for those who come out from the world, and take a stand for God's truth against such opposition. Lonely one, farmer, mechanic, or whoever you are, you who have dared to go contrary to the traditions of your fathers, against the customs and teachings of the mighty and so-called worldly wise, you who, as it were, are standing alone, take courage, be firm, contend nobly for the right; there are those who know your discouragements; and more, much more, God knows them, and he knows how to sympathize. He can and will help. Let us then take courage, and become stronger and bolder in the Lord's work. Let us labor with more zeal and greater love until the Master appear. He that holds out faithful to the end shall receive the reward.