ALONE by A. F. Ballenger

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 25, 1899

ALONE.

By A. F. Ballenger

IT is human to stand with the crowd; it is divine to stand alone.

It is man-like 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 fashions 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 accepted views of the Roman world.

Truth has been out of fashion since man changed his robe of fadeless light for a garment of faded leaves.

Noah built and voyaged alone. His neighbors laughed at his strangeness—and perished in style.

Abraham wandered and worshiped alone. The Sodomites smiled at the simple shepherd—followed the fashion, and fed the flames.

Daniel dined and prayed alone. Elijah sacrificed and witnessed alone. Jeremiah prophesied and wept alone. Jesus lived 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, but I have chosen you out 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, both in 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.

The artist in the accompanying cut has beautifully illustrated the battle between conscience and the crowd. The maiden worships Jesus, the world worships Diana. Her persecutors insist that the form of worship followed by the "best people" in all the Roman Empire ought to be good enough for a humble maid. But she chooses to stand alone against the world.

Her worldly friends make light of her convictions and urge that she follow the religious fashions which are "so perfectly exquisite," while her faith and her people are "perfectly horrid." But she parts with her friends and stands alone.

Her anxious lover pleads his love and urges her to yield to what all the world declares is right. One grain offered on the altar of Diana, "whom all Asia and the world worshipeth," and she is free.

But the maiden is deaf to his pleadings, and dies alone.

Wanted to-day.—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.

"Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

"Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil." "Every one of us shall give account of himself to God." "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."

"And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not; for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray Thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw; and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha."

"Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever."

A. F. BALLENGER.