We think of the courageous souts to whom we own our religious free dom. Of Martin Luther, of Ridley Latimer, Cranmer; of our great Bissionary heroes past and present. We need the same heroic spirit, for in the moral and spiritual "phere one finds it sadly lacking to-day "Do you think that anyone looking fat the groat majority of churches and Christians to-day would be impressed by their courage. Tt ix trug we sing lustily, "Like a might army moves the Church of Go But I think more often we give the) impression of an army in retrees. Or at best, one that has dug in, "We are more like a hospital of ripples than a great victorian lanny moving courageously and fear-essly against. the enemies of our king. There is something wrens with the follower of Jesus Christ, with the so-called Church of Christ when it is marked by timidity and fearfulness.
Emasculated Faith we try. That great army of heroes of which the writer speaks in Hebrews, 11, were men and women wh9
"Out of weakness were made strong."
Two Kinds of Courage Now there are. two kinds of courage, There is the courage for critical oceasions—courage. to face bravely the responsibilities of life, and there is the courage for th: commonplace, ordinary' duties of life. We greatly admire the first: but of the two the second is the more desirable. For on critical occasions we are born up by the excitement and the thrill of high endeavour, and very few men fail euch circumstances. It is the constant, plodding, persistent spirit that we need: the spirit that never gives up, never despairs.
We all know of men who did heroic things in France and cam? home to fall before temptation. Such a one had courage to do a great thing in the heat of battle, bus did not have the courage to make a stand for the righteousness, to endure hardness as a good soldier soul, a spirit that sees light through the darkest cloud, that dos not repine nor despair but througia all and in spite of all keeps bravely on. At all times we must be strong and of good courage. How forcibly this is urged upon Joshua in the chapter from which our text is taken. "Be strong and of good courage," runs like a refrain through it. Only as he was strong. and of good courage could Joshua prevail. I read God said to him. "Only be strong and very courage. ous, that thou mayest observe to do all which Moses My servant com manded thee. That thou " mayest prosper withersoever thou geest then thou shalt have good success.
The Secret What is the secret of this spirit we should so earnestly strive to make our own? I would say spirit is born-of two things, Firs orgetfziness, second consciousness Il times of the presence of God. rest of men of history id utter disregard for self, and If-forgetfulness is a prime factor in the development of that courageous spirit which I have been urging as the mark of the Chris man and woman; and in the second place, we are to be strong and of good' courage. "Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God ie with thee withersoever thou goeit.
If we are conscious at all times of the presence of God we cannot be afraid. Like the psalmist of old, if God is "our very present help" we shall not fear. "Though the earth be removed, and though the mountain be cast into the depth of the sea, and the waters thereof roar and are troubled." "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I shall fear no evil, for Thou art with me." An overwhelming sense of the presence of God. Our eyes on Him and not on ourselves, and we shall in our lives manifest the second mark of the Some people interpret rstigion solely as running to Almighty God in time of trouble. Thank God it may mean that, but-such an. interpretation is a very one-sided and emasculated religion. Religion not primarily to comfort the weary and heavy laden—to release the prisoner and the captive, but to fill us with power to fight and overcome Bhe world, the flesh, and the d is faith should bring out in every man and wor wan: make them strong and of good qgurage, daring and attempting Breat things for God and Hie Ghureh.
"7.We shall never know what we can 5 how much we can endure, until
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.