Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 April 1877 — Courage Necessary to Christianity. [ARTICLE]

Courage Necessary to Christianity.

Onh 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 hi- 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 ttuth 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 Lora 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. Thu 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 cousage to face ajl this ? Those who have tried it know; and they have, a, sympathising heart for those who l cam»*out from the world, and take a stand.for Gqfl’s truth opposition.-Aefrw and Ner-