Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1868-07-18
SUNDAY READING.
Head Wind. In the Voyage of Life.

For twenty-six weeks one Of the
largest and most respectable theaters in
q n%eighboring city has been crowded
every Sunday evening to listen to able
discourses by ministers OF several DC.
nominations, and last Sunday night 1t
is said to have been more closely
packed than ever, to listen to the last
sermon for the season, by one oil the
most earnest of the ministers engaged
in the work. He spoke from Matt. XIV,
"a. on the Head Winds in the Voyage
Of Life" To a superficial person it
would seem far easier to lead a good
life now, the minister remarked, IN a
land covered with ten thousand
churches, than 1t was two thousand
wears ago, when such advantages were
not enjoyed. Yet there are now, and
ever have been, and will be head winds
to be encountered by all, some of which
il is most important should be pointed
out. The first of these is want Of faith,
one of the most fatal moral diseases of
the present age. This has sometimes
been called q geometrical age. Men oil
believe in arithmetic. But many will
believe in nothing beyond or beside.
This often comes from an overweening
conceit. Yet all facts point man to one
great center, God, and none can afford
to lose sight Of the presence Of the Great
Ruler 10 his own creation. What
should we think of o bee in a belfry
who should attribute all the sound Of
the bells to chance2 Yet many men
talk of the New Testament as ~Aippantly
and with as little reverence as this. He
who takes that book into his heart takes
the best guide and counsel for his life.
The overwhelming sense of mans little
ness again often produces this same
want Of faith. When q man says,
What can I do2 He who is so great
cannot hear me ; He does not love me
nor care for me )" he misjadgeth the
character of God and wrongeth his own
soul. Thus all religion is taken out Of
US. Yet, One there Is who came down
from Heaven to say to each, You are
cared for and loved BY Him." Among
men nothing is more common than that
the moment one man drops his work,
another is put in his place, without
affection and without regard. But God
regards and treats US as his children.
The great remedy for the great de-
preston that ~aficts so many is, that
they need and must have q faith that
can inspire and fill the soul.
Another head wind, that retards
many, and wrecks others, may be said
to blow upon them from their very birth.
There are many who have never had a
fathers care or q mothers love. Most
of US have had both Of these blessings,
and ind it hard and impossible to go
back beyond the remembrance of what
they have said and done to form our
characters. But how many are there
in the world who have no such associ-
ations connected with their childhood,
but, like Mrs. Stoves Topsey, they
only are conscious that they Ct grew"
Yet God will be mother and father, too,
to those who in faith call upon him.
Let none lose heart or hope while He
can enable them to give their children
that instruction and care which they
themselves never knew when young. II
a stranger watches OF IN iron foundry
the operation Of the huge trip-hammer,
as it strikes blow after blow upon the
rcd-hot metal, he finds it hard not to
fear that much Of the true metal will
be beaten off and wasted. Yet so in
Providence and grace, all Gods deal
ings will not strike off an atom of true
manhood or womanhood, or cause it to
fall away. Only the dross, and not the
worthy metal, shall be stricken off.
But another sort of head winds that
cross the path Of all, more or less, are
bad habits. A young man says it is only
a little thing, and he takes dollar that
belongs to his employer, he goes into a
gambling saloon, and he says it is only
for this once. He INDUCES in the intox-
icating bowl, perhaps at first only loses
q day in o month or two. His wife
sticks to him aud tries to cover and con-
ceal his faults as best she may, and sticks
to him when NIL others fail or forsake
him, aud hopes when they cease to
hope and By their hopes inspire reform
alton. We all go astray every day.
We make our resolutions and break
them, oh, how often. These are the
head winds hat threaten and impede
US all. Nov, it is very hard for a man
to begin the life Of prayer and resolu-
ton. But it must be done. A vessel
may have everything else about her
perfect, but if she have not a rudder she
is helpless. Storms will como in this
great voyage Of life, and he who would
navigate successfully must have II solid
principle within that will lift up the
soul to God. II we have that, let US be
thankful and true to ourselves, true to
the great Father in Heaven. He will in
due time allay every storm, and shy TO
the winds and the waves " be STILL"
and there shall be q great calm.-Phild-
dslphia paper.