The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-12-20

y
tian, depends upon worldly successes
to keep his spirits up. Now he is
prospered, now he has large salary,
now he has a beautiful wardrobe,
now he has pleasant friends, now
! he has more money than he knows
how to spend; everything goes bright
and well with him. But trouble comes
there are many young men in the
house this morning who can testify
out of their own experience that some
| times to young men trouble does come
! his friends are gone, his salary is
gone, his health is gone; goes down,
down. He becomes sour, cross, queer,
misanthropic, blames the world,
blames society, blames the church,
blames everything, rushes perhaps to
the intoxicating cup to drown his
trouble browns his body and browns
| his soul
THE PART OF A CHRISTIAN.
But here is Christian young man.
Trouble comes to him. Does he give
up2 No He throws himself back on
| the resources of heaven. He says:
God is my father. Out of all these
disasters l shall pluck advantage for
my soul. All the promises are mine
| Christ is mine, Christian companion
| ship is mine, heaven is mine What
| though my apparel be worn out.
Christ gives me q robe of righteous
ness. What though my money be
gomez | have o title deed to the
whole universe in tho promise, .All
are yours. What thougii my worldly
friends fall nways Mi1isioripg angels
are my bodyguard. Wls-, though my
fare Ec poor and my bread be scapt?
| sit at the Kings banquet"
Oh, what q poor, shallow stream is
| worldly enjoyment compared with
| the deep, broad, overAowing river of
| Gods peace, rolling midway In the
Christian heartl Sometimes you have
| gone out on the iron bound beach of
the sea when there has been storm
on the ocean, and you have seen the
waves dash into white foam at your
feet They did not do you any harm
While there, you thought of the chap
ter written by the psalr.l;st, and per
haps you rocited it to yourself wl.iic
the storm was making commentary
upon the passage: God is our refuge
and strength, q very present help in
time of trouble. Therefore will | rot
fear though the earth bo removed, and
though the mountains be carried into
| the EiilSt of the sea; though the waters
thereof roar and be troubled, though
the mountains shake with the swelling
thereof. Selah" Oh, how indcpen-
don't the religion Of Christ makes /.
man of worldly success and worldly
circumstances Nelson. the night be-
fore his last battle said: ITO morrow
| shall win either 4 pocrage or O grave
in Westminster Abbey" And it doae
not make much difference to the
Christian whether he rises or falls in
worldly matters; he has everlasting
renown any way. Other plurnaco may
be torn in tho blast, but that soul
adorned with Christian grace is fairc,
than the dove, its wings covered With
silver, and its feathers with yellow
gold.
You and | have found out that peo
pie who pretend to be happy arc noa
always happy. Look at that young
man caricaturing the Christian re
ligiou, scotIing at everything coed.
going into roistering drunkenness.
dashinG the champagne bottle to t,t
floor, rolling the glasses from the bar,
roori counter, laughing. shouting.
stamping the floor, shrieking. Is he
happyl will go to his midnight pill
low. will SEQ him turn the gas OF
Twill ask myself if the pillow on which
be sleeps is as soft rs the pillow Oh
which that pure young Llau sleeps.
All, no! When he opens his eyes in
| tho morning, win tho world be as
bright to him as to that young man
who retired ct night saying his prayers,
invoking Gods blessing upon his own
soul and the souls of his comrades, and
father and mother and brother anG
sister far aways No, no. His laughter
will ring out from the saloon SO that
you hear it as you pass by, but it is
hollow laughter; in it is the swapping
OF heart strings and tho ratio OF
prison gates Happyl that Young
man happyf Let him Gil high the
bowl; lie cannot drown an upbr;:idine
conscience. Let tho balls roll through
the bowling alley; the deep rumble
and the sharp crack cannot overpowel
the voices of condemnation Let him
whirl in tie dance Of sin and tenpta
ton and death. All the brilliancy OF
the scene cannot mako him forget Tax
last lool, of his mother as lie left
home, when she said TO him: Nov,
my son, you will do right; I am surS
you will do right; you will. wont
you?" That young man happy! Why
across every night there fits shadow.
of eternal darkness; there arc adde:r
coiled up in every cup; there ere VIZ!
lures Of despair striking their iron
beak into his heart; thero arc skeleton
fingers of grief pinching ct tho throat
| come in amid the clicking Of The
glasses and under the flashing of the
chandeliers, and / cry: Woe! woo
The way of the ungodly shall perish
There is no peace, saith my God to the
wicked. The way of transgressors il
hard" Oh, my friends thorc is more
Joy in one drop of Christian satisfac
ton than in whole rivers Of sinful dc
light. Other wings may be dronchec.
Of the storm and spiasi,ed Of the tenn
pest, but the dove that comes il
through the window of this heavenly
ark has wings like the dovo covered
with silver, and her feathers with yct
low gold
Again I remark, religion is an
adornment i'll the style Of usefulness
into which it inducts q man: Here
are two young men. The one has fine
culture, exquisite wardrobe, plenty OF
, friends.I great worldly success, but he
lives for himself. Eis chief care is for
his own comfort. He lives uselessly.
He dies unregrctted. Here is another
. young man. His apparel may not be
so good, his education may not be Sc
thorough. He lives for others. His
happiness Is to make others happy.
He Is as self denying as that dying
soldier. falling in the ranks, when he
, said: Colonel, there is no need of
those boys tiring themselves by carry
, ing mo to the hospital; let me die jus,
, where am." So this young man oi
, whom / speak loves God, wants all
: | .ho world fo love him is uot-nshamed