THE ESSENCE OF CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.
By Derby
We trust that political-minded Christians will ponder the teachings of this fable:— In the days when the kingdom of birds was at war with the mice, certain mice hoped to remain neutral, and even to be on good terms with both sides. In order to save themselves from falling a prey to their enemies, they intermarried with the birds. The result was a race of bats, a hybrid brood, disowned by both birds and mice, and disgusting alike to both. May the policy-loving, popularity-seeking professors of religion find food for reflection in this fable. As is well known in the profane history of pre-mythical times, found in the Apocrypha to "The Arabian Nights," there was irreconcilable enmity between the proud military race of Dragonides and the peaceful, agricultural Aposteleans, which sometimes broke out into open war. After long years of ostensible peace, during which the Dragonides had encroached largely on the territory of the Aposteleans, hostilities were renewed with much bitterness. The latter nation, once very hardy, had acquired great wealth, but had lost much of their old-time vigor; and, altho they had the friendship and alliance of a most powerful monarch, who indeed held suzerainty even over the Dragonides, nevertheless, so cowardly and craven had become the Aposteleans that their only thought was how to make peace, with any pretense of honor. The watchmen on their walls cried in tones loud enough to reach the ears of the enemy, "Peace! peace!" But there was no peace. At length, after many vain attempts, persons arose (Dragonides in disguise) who suggested a plan which was applauded by all the wise men of the nation; only a remnant dissented, and one lone sage. The terms were submitted to the enemy and agreed to. Dressed in a white cravat and Prince Albert coat, each individual of the Aposteleans desiring peace was to go to the ruler of the Dragonides, and in a fawning, whining voice repeat the following confession and request: "I am come, O subjects of the Great Red Dragon, to entreat your assistance to keep us from going over to your side! I know I am nothing but a cringing coward, but I wish, nay, I demand (for by our influence and wealth we hold your legislature in our hands) that you turn over to us your guns and gunboats, engines of war, Maxims, Nordenfeldts, and Gatlings—army and navy. These things, combined with our renowned and immortal valor, will be irresistible. We shall sweep the earth, and the millennial peace will be ushered in. We love your souls, and don't want to hurt you. So, if you will deign to help our pitiable impotence, we hope by the use of your forts and fortresses to muster up sufficient bravery to stand before our foes without being frightened into surrender." This was agreed to be regarded as saving them from dishonor; and they were forgiven and adopted into the nation of the Dragonides by peaceful assimilation. "Alas," cried the lone prophet, as he expired with grief and shame, "the contemptibleness of such a compact is equaled only by its downright iniquity!" Thus the wisdom of the ancients teaches how the church may obtain the power of the civil arm. But, my friend, if you want an easy, popular life, you might better work at some other trade than Christianity, and you will be saved the disgrace of showing your cowardly spirit, and the cause of true religion will be the gainer. "But," cries a sin-burdened publican, who has been overlooked in the crowd, "I want to be a true Christian. I must have peace with God. I must get out from under condemnation. I must get free from the bondage of sin and habit,—become free and master of myself; feel assured of eternal life; have the peace of God that passeth all understanding. I must do this at any cost. Can I do it?" Lo! this is the principle that needs no civil support. Principle means loyalty to truth, and your principle is strong or weak in proportion to your loyalty. Can you do it in the face of hatred, tribulation, persecution, suffering?—Most assuredly you can. "Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Look! here is more power than is possessed by all the governments of earth combined. "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." Zech. 4:6. "Strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man." Eph. 3:16. Now we have found the solution to our inquiry, What is the essence of Christian character? The answer is: A principle within; a principle which needs no civil support; a life implanted by the Spirit of God.