Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1889-04-20

sion between England ana France,
and most of this continent west OF
the Mississippi becomes the prop
erty of the American Union. Con-
cussion between iceberg and ice
berg, between bowlder and bowlder,
and thousand conclusions put this
world into shape for mans residence.
Conclusion between David and his
enemies, and out came the psalms
which otherwise would never have
been written. Conclusion between
Gods will and mans will, and, ours
overthrown, we are new creatures In
Christ Jesus. Conclusion of misfor-
tune and trial for many of the good,
and out comes their especial consecra-
ton Do not therefore be frightened
when you see the great upheavals, the
great agitations, the great earthquakes,
whether among the rocks or among
the nations or in individual experience.
Out of them God will bring best results
and most magnificent consequences.
Hear the crash all round the Lords
sarcophagus and see the glorious re-
animation of its dead inhabitant Con-
cussionl If ever general European
war, which the world has been ex-
pecting for the last twenty years,
should come, a conclusion SO wide and
a conclusion SO tremendous would not
leave throne in Europe standing as
it now is. The nations of the earth
are tired of having their kings born
to them, and they would after while
elect their kings, and there would be
an Italian republic and a German re-
public and a Russian republic and an
Austrian republic, and out Of the
cracks and crevices and chasms of that
conclusion would come resurrection
for all Europe. Stagnation is death
ful; conclusion is Messianic.
Notice also what the angel did with
the stone after he had rolled it away
from the mouth of the Saviour's mau-
solemn. The book says he rolled away
the stone from the door and sat upon
il. All OF us ministers have preached
a sermon about the angels rolling
away the stone, but we did not remark
upon the sublime fact that he sat upon
it. Why2 Certainly not because he
was tired. The angels are fatigue
less race, and that one could have
shouldered every rock around that
tomb and carried it away and not been
besweated. He sat upon it, think,
to show you and to show me that we
may make every earthly obstacle
throne of triumph. The young men
who get their education easy seldom
amount TO much Those who had to
struggle for it come out atop.
There is no end of the story
of studying by pine knot lights
and reading while the mules of the
towpath We're resting and of going
hungry and patched and barefoot and
submitting to all kinds Of privation to
get scholastic advantages. But the
day of graduation came and they took
the diplomas with a hand nervous
from night study and pale from lack
of food and put their academic degrees
in the pocket of a threadbare coat.
Then starting for another career of
hardship they entered a profession ora
business where they found plenty Of
disheartment and no help Yet say
ing: Il will succeed; God help me,
for no one else will," they went ON
and UP until the world was compelled
to acknowledge and admire them.
STRENGTH BY STRUGGLING.
The fact was that the obstacle be-
tween their discouraging start and
their complete success was q rock of
fifty tons, but by resolution, nerved
and muscularized and REINFORCED by
Almighty God, they threw their arms
around the obstacle and with the
strength of a supernatural wrestler
rolled back the stone, and, having be-
come more than conquerors, they sat
upon it. Men and women are good
and great, and useful just in proper
ton as they had to overcome obstacles
You can count upon the fingers of
your one hand all the great singers,
great orators, great poets, great pa
triots and great Christians who never
had struggle. That angel that madea
throne of the bowlder at Christ's tomb
went back to heaven, and l warrant
that, having been born in heaven and
always had an easy time, he now speaks
of that wrestle with the rock as the
most interesting chapter in all his an
gelic lifetime. 0 men and women
with obstacles in the way, tell you
that those obstacles are only thrones
that you may after while sit on. Is
the obstacle in your way sickness7
Conquer it by accomplishing more for
God during your invalidism than
many accomplish who have never
known an ailment Are you perse-
cuted2 By your uprightness and cour-
age compel the world to acknowledge
your moral heroism. Is it poverty2
Conquer it by being happy in the COM
panionship of your Lord and Master,
who in all his life owned but sixty
two cents and that he got from fish's
mouth and Immediately paid it all out
in taxes to the Roman assessor, and
who would have been buried in a pot
ter's field had not Joseph of Arimathea
contributed a place, for he who
had not where to lay his head during
his life had borrowed pillow for
the last slumber There is no throne
that you are sure to keep except that
which you make out of vanquished OBJ
stacles. An ungratsful republic at the
ballot box denied Horace Greeley the
highest place at the national capital,
but could not keep him from rising
from the steps of New York printing
office on which he sat one chilly morn
ing waiting for the boss printer to
come that he might get job, until he
mounted the highest throne of Ameri-
can journalism. He rolled back the
stone and sat upon it. A poor orphan
boy, picking up chips at Richmond,
Va, accosted by passing sea captain
and invited to come on board his yes
sci, drops the chips and starts right
away and is tossed from port to port
and, homeless and friendless, wanders
one day along fremont street, Boston,
and sees Park Street church open and,
speaking of it afterward on a great oc-
casion and using sailors vernacular,
as was usual with him, he says: II
put in, up helm, unfurled sail and
made for the gallery and scud under
bare poles to the corner pew. Then ]
hove to and came to anchor ..a.t
A NAUTICAL SERMON.
1.-THE old man, DIR. Griffin, was just
naming his text. Pretty soon he un-
furled the mainsail, raised the topsail,
ran up the remnants to free breeze and
tell you the old gospel ship never
sailed more prosperously. The salt
spray flew in every direction, but more
especially did it run down my cheeks.
Satan had to strike sail, his guns were
dismounted or spiked, his various
crafts by which he led sinners captive
were all beached and the captain of