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ECOURAGEMETS.
By EDMUD H. SEARS
The manuscript of this sermon baars the date of October, 1874 ; and it is• believed to be the last sermon written and preached by Mr. Sears. The shortand incomplete sermon printed with the memorial discourse of Dr. ChandlerRobbins was never delivered by its author.Hebrews XII. i: "Seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloudof witnesses, let us renounce every weight, and the sin that doth so easily besetus, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.""WE hear and read a great deal about the trialsand the difficulties of the Christian life ; and,if we were confined to this line of thought, we shouldget the impression that the way to heaven was a veryrugged and thorny one, and that it was very hardwork to be a Christian ; and we might imagine thatthere was truth in the idea which some have, that, if you decline to take the Christian name and confes-sion, you will have indulgences and pleasures, and asort of freedom which Christians must renounce, anda right to some practices of doubtful morality, withoutbeing criticised. I propose to speak this morning of the encouragements and incitements of the Christiancourse ; and we begin with this figure of the writer tothe Hebrews, which represents it. It is drawn fromthe Greek stadium, or race-course, where the select-est portion of all Greece assembled once in fouryears, and where picked men of the most perfectphysical development tried their skill in running forthe prize. They trained themselves for the contest.They laid aside every weight ; that is to say, any gar-ments that cumbered the most swift and easy motion.Long rows of spectators lined the stadium on eitherside, and clapped their hands in acclamation for theirfavorite hero, when he left others behind him in therace. Even so, — this is the doctrine of the text, — ourlife here on the earth is a race-course. Birth is thestarting-place, and death is the goal; and just beyondsits the judge who awards the prize of victory; andthe spectators are the innumerable company who havepassed into the heavens, but who bend over us andaround us, to cheer us on to victory. The apostle has
 
 just enumerated a long train of martyrs, at the headof whom is Jesus, the Mediator of the ew Covenant.So august is the humblest Christian life, and so greatthe prize it wins, that its success sends thrills of accla-mation into the heavens themselves. Dropping thefigure, and coming to the thought that is under it, — a Christian course has incitements and encourage-ments which belong to none other ; and now let ussee what they are.The grand distinction between a life heartily andconfessedly Christian, and one which is not, I take tobe this : that the Christian course has its crosses andhardships and trials, so far as they are peculiar to it,at the beginning, and they grow less and less tillthey disappear. A wordly life, clearly pronouncedsuch, has its crosses and hardships afterwards. Theyare cumulative, and grow heavier to the last. TheChristian, like Bunyan's pilgrim, finds his load grow-ing lighter, till it falls off. The worldling finds hisload grow heavier, till it weighs him down, and he fallsunder it at the last. It is like the two travellerscrossing the Alps from opposite sides. The onewho starts in the Tuscan vales goes at first throughscenery that charms the senses, and under skies of unparalleled softness. All is delightful for a while.But he creeps along the sunny side of the Alps, andthe air becomes cold, and the scenery grows barren.He comes to the region of eternal snow, passesover the summit on the cold northern side : theItalian scenery vanishes from sight. He descendswithout a guide, wanders through drifts, gets chilled,and finally drops, frozen and dead, into the chasm be-low. So ends his journey.The other traveller starts fresh and vigorous onthe Switzer side, gets to the summit through toil anddifficulty, sees new prospects breaking upon himevery hour, passes over to the southern side, wherethe air grows balmier, and the fields grow greener,and finally comes to the region of Tuscan beauty.198 ECO URA CEMETS.where nature has lavished all her charms. So endshis journey. And this is the Christian life. It doesbegin with self-renunciations and self-denials ; and
 
these undoubtedly put crosses and restraints on thelusts and passions of the carnal mind. It does beginwith giving up self ; and this is always hard at first,when it is hearty and complete. It does begin withactual duties and endeavors, which cross our indo-lence, and love of ease. It does require of us some-times to stand up for truths which are not popular,and which are even trampled under the feet of thecrowds. It does require at first self-watch and self-analysis, and a surrender to the voice of God within,kept clear and audible above all the blandishmentsof the world, and the noise of the street. It doesrequire of us to climb, and not to drift. It does re-quire of us to gird up all the loins of the mind, andput all its muscles on the strain, to acquire an indi-vidual faith which is clear and sufficing, and not adead tradition of the elders. It does require habitsto be formed, — habits of thinking, and habits of praying, and habits of doing. But all this done,habits become a second nature ; and the Christianlife becomes not an effort and a self-denial, but aspontaneous and eternal joy ; and the hills of diffi-culty smooth out into prospects green and sunny asTuscan vineyards.Illustrate this in another way. A Christian life.heartily consecrated, reproduces itself in others.Take the family relation as an illustration of this.Every family has a sort of unity. As is the head of the family, so will be the spirit that fills the house,and whose silent, pervasive influence impresses andeducates all the young* life that is in it. It is veryseldom that those who grow up in a Christian home,and go out from it, fall into any of the incurable sinsand depravities. The Holy Spirit loves most to oper-ate through the church in the house, and mould allits young life. And so the Christian man sees hisown spirit reflected back more and more from thosewho are near about him. The vice and the filialingratitude which sometimes imbitter the peace of the household, are generally kept away from thefaithful Christian home, where the children have beeneducated for the skies. So that here again the bless-ings of a Christian course are cumulative. TheChristian lives more and more in others the longerhe lives ; and his path of blessing broadens andbrightens to the close. ot so of the life unconsecrat-ed. ot so of a life merely negative and worldly. otso of mere negative virtues. They have no warmth
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