The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-12-28

w uiio tueTc you tuOuRQ6 Oh INC CQ0pteI
written by the Psalmist and perhaps you
recited it to yourself while the storm was
making commentary upon the passage:
"God is our refuge and strength, a very
present help in time Of trouble. Therefore
will l not fear though the earth be re-
moved, and though the mountains be car.
ried into the midst Of the sea; though the
waters thereof roar and be troubled,
though the mountains shake with the
swelling thereof. Selahw o, how inde-
pendent the religion Of Christ makes a
man of worldly success and worldly cir
cumstances! Nelson. the night before his
last battle, said: Tomorrow l shall win
either Q peerage or a grave in Westmin-
ster Abbey" And it does not make much
difference to the Christian whether he
rises or falls in worldly matters; he has
everlasting renown any way. Other
plumage may be torn in the blast, but that
soul adorned with Christian grace is fairer
than the dove, its wings covered with sill
yer, and its feathers with yellow gold.
You and l have found out that people
who pretend to be happy are not always
happy. Look at that young man carica-
turing the Christian religion, scoffing at
every thing good, going into registering
drunkenness, dashing the champagne bot.
tie to the floor, rolling the glasses from
the barroom counter. laughing, shouting,
stamping the floor, shrieking. Is he hap
py? will go to his midnight pillow.
will see him turn the gas off. Twill ask
myself if the pillow on which he sleeps is
as soft as the pillow on which that pure
young man sleeps. All! no. When he
opens his eyes in the morning will the
world be as bright to him as to that Young
man who retired at night saying his pray
ers, invoking Gods blessing upon his own
soul and the souls of his comrades, and
father ana mother, and brother and sister,
far away? 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 snap
ping of heart-strings and the rattle
of prison gates! Happy! that young
man happy? Let him fill high
the bowl; he can not drown the upbraid-
ing conscience. Let the balls roll through
the bowling alley; the deep rumble and
the sharp crack can not overpower the
voices of condemnation. Let him whirl in
the dance of sin and temptation and death.
All the brilliancy of the scene can not
as he left home when she said to him:
Snow, my son, you will do right, l am
sure you will do right; you will, won't
you" That young man happyf Why.
across every night there fits shadows Of
eternal darkness; there are adders in every
cup; there are vultures of despair striking
their iron beaks into his heart; there are
skeleton fingers Of grief pinching at the
throat. l come in amid the clinking of
glasses and under the flashing of the
and l cry: "Woe! woe! The
way of the ungodly shall perish. There
is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
The way of the transgressor is hardw
o, my friends, there is more joy in one
drop Of Christian satisfaction than in
whole rivers of sinful delight. Other
wings may be drenched of the storm and
splashed of the tempest, but the dove that
comes in through the window of this heav-
emily ark has wings like the dove covered
With silver, and her feathers with yellow
gold. Again Iremark religion is an adorn-
nent in the style of usefulness into which
t induces a man. Here are two young
men. The one has fine culture, exquisite
plenty Of friends, great worldly
success, but he lives for himself. His chief
ARE is for his own comfort. He lives use
essly. He dies unregretted. Here is an
,ther young man. His apparel may not
De so good, his education may not be so
thorough. He lives for others. His happi-
hess is to make others happy. He is as
as that dying soldier, falling
n the ranks, when he said: "Colonel, there
s no need of those boys firing themselves
,y carrying me to the hospital; let me die
lust where am" So this young man of
whom l speak loves God, wants all the
world to love Him, is not ashamed to carry
/ bundle Of clothes up that dark alley to
he poor. Which of those young men do
you admire the better? The one a sham,
he other prince imperial.
D, do you know of any thing, nv nearer,
hat is more beautiful than to see a young
nan start out for Christ? Here is some
,ne falling; he lifts him up. Here is a
boy, he introduces him to a mis-
lion school. Here is family freezing to
ieath; he carries them a scuttle of coal. |
There are sOO,OOO,0oO perishing in midnight
,eathen darkness; by all possible means
lie tries to send to them the Gospel. He
nay be laughed at and he may be sneered
It and he may be carcatured, but he is
lot ashamed to go everywhere, saying: |
4 am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ |
t is the power of God and the wisdom of |
rod unto salvation" Such a young man |
an go through every thing. There is no |
orce On earth or in hell that can resist |
lin.
l show you three spectacles. Spectacle |
he first: Napoleon passes by with the |
lost that went down with him to Egypt |
md up with him through Russia and |
'rossed the continent on the bleeding |
leart of which he set his iron heel and |
lcross the quivering flesh of which he went |
grinding the wheels of his gun carriages
n his dying moment asking his attend
Ints to put on his military boots for him.
Spectacle the second: Voltaire, bright
md learned and witty and eloquent, with
ongue and voice and stratagem internal,
against God and poisoning whole
kingdoms with his infidelity, yet applaud
d by the clapping hands of thrones and
mpires and continents-his last words in
elirium supposing Christ standing by the
last words: Crush that
rretchw
Spectacle the third: Paul-Paul, in
lgnihcant in person, thrust out from all
efined association, scourged, spat on,
ounded like a wild beast from city to
lty, vet trying to make the world good
nd Heaven full; announced resurrection
D those who mourned at the barred gates
the dead; speaking consultations which
ght up the eyes Of widowhood and
rphanage and want with glow of certain
nd eternal release; undaunted before
hose who could take his life, his cheek
ushed with transport and his ewes ON
Ieaven; with one hand shaking defiance
all the foes of earth and all the princi-
alities Of hell, and with the other hand
eckoning messenger angels to come and
ear him away, as he says: 81 am now
lady to be offered, and the time Of my
sparture is at hand; 1 have fought the