Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-11-13

1
and find it thirty fathoms, thus discovering
heir near approach to the shore. In the
spring, summer and autumn :he Mediter.
| ranean seq was white with the wings ol
ships, but at the first wintry blast they bied
themselves to the nearest harbor, although
now the worlds commerce prospers in ] an.
nary as we'll as in June, and in mid winter,
al over the wide and stormy deep, there
hoa- palaces of light, trampling the pillows
under foot, and showering the sparks OF
'errible furnaces on the wild wind; and the
Christian passenger, tippeted and shawled,
sits under the shelter of the smoke-stack k,
ooking off upon the phosphorescent deep,
on which is written, in scrolls of foam and
fire: ''Thy way, o God, is in the sea, and
fhy path 10 the great wsters!"
1t is in those days of early navigation that
see group of men, women and children
IN the beach of the Mediterranean. Paul
about to leave the congregation to whom
he had preached and they are come down to
see him off. 1t is solemn thing to part.
There are SO many traps that wait for a
mans feet. The solid ground may break
through, and the sea-how many dark mys-
teres it hides in its bosom! A few couusels,
I hasty good by, a last look, and the ropes
rattle, aud the sails are hoisted, and the
1 !
4xpect to sail over some of the same waters
| 'ver which Paul sailed, but befor going |
want to urge you all to embark for heaven.
| The church is the dry dock where souls
are to be fitted out for heaven. In making
| a vessel for this voyage the first need is
'ound timber. The floor timbers ought to
| be of solid stuff For the want of it vessels
| hat looked able to run their jibbooms into
| he eye of any tempest when caught in a
storm have been crushed like wafer. The
truths of Gods Word are what mean by
| floor timbers. Away with your lighter ma
| erials Nothing but oaks hewu in the
forest of divine truth, are staunch enough
| for this craft.
You must have Love for helm, to guide
and turn the craft. Neither Pride nor Am
| bition nor Avarice will do fer rudder
Love, not only in the heart, but flashing in
the eye and tinging in the hand-Love
| married to Work, which many look upon
rs so homely a bride-Love, not like BROOKS
which foam and rattle, yet do nothing. but
Love like river that runs up the steps of
mill wheels, and works iu the harness of
factory bands-Love that will not pass by
on the other side, but visits the man who
fell among thieves near Jericho, not merely
saying Poor fe'lowl you are dreadfnlly
| hurt" but ike the good Samaritan, pours
in oil and wine, and pays his board at the
tavern. There must also be PROV. srrang
ed to cut and override the billow. That is
Christian perseverance,. There are three
| mountain surges that sometimes dash
'gaipst soul in minute-the world. the
| flesh and the devil; and that is well built
PROV that can bound over them. For lack
of this, many have put back and never
started again. 1t is the broadside wave
| that so often sweeps the deck and fills the
| matches; but that which strikes in front is
harmless. Meet troubles courageously and
you surmount them. Stand on the pIow,
and, as you wipe off the spray of the split
surge, cry out with the apostle: "None of
| these things move me-" Let all your fears
stay aft. The right must conquer. Know
| that Moses, in an ark of bulrushes, can run
down a war steamer.
Have good, strong anchor. (which
| hope we have as an anchor" By this
strong cable and windlass hold on TO your
anchor. "1f any man sin, we have an ad-
vocate with the Father" Do not use the
anchor wrongfully. Do not always stay in
| the same latitude and longitude. You will
never ride up the harbor of eternal rest if
you all the way drag your anchor.
| But you must have sails Vessels are not
| fit for the sea until they have the flying jib,
the foresail, the topgallant the skysail, the
gaffssi and other canvas. Faith is our
| canvas. Hoist it and the winds of heaven
will drive you ahead. Sails made out of
any other canvas than faith will be slit to
| tatters by the first northeaster. Strong
faith never lost battle. 1t will crush foes,
blast rocks, querch lightnings, thresh
mountains. 1t is shield to the warrior, a
l. ~, H.
to pry up pyramids. drum whose beat
gives strength TO the step of the heavenly
soldiery, and sails to watt ships laden with
priceless pearls from the harbor of earth to
the harbor of heaven.
But you are not yet equipped. You must
have what seamen call the running rigging
This comprises the ships braces, halliards,
clew lines aud such like Without these
the yards could not be braced, the sails lift
| ed; nor the canvas in any wise managed.
We have prayer for the running rigging.
Uoless you understand this tackling you
are not spiritual seaman. By pulling on
these ropes, you hoist the sails of faith and
turn them every whittier. The prov of
courage will aot cut the wave, nor the sail
Of faith spread and flap its wing, unless you
have strong prayer for ballard.
One more arrangement, and you will be
ready for the sea. You must have a COM
pass-which is the Bible. Look at it every
day, and always sail by it, as its needle
points toward the star of Bethlehem.
Through fog, and darkness aud storm, it
works faithfully. Search the Scriptures.
Box the compass. :"
| Let me give you two or three rules for the
voyage. Allow your appetites and passions
,nly an under deck passage. Do not allo p
them ever to come up on the promenade
deck. Mortify your members which are
upon the earth. Never allow your lower
nature anything better than steerage pas
sage. Let watchfulness walk the decks as
an armed sentinel, and shoot down with
great promptuess anything like mutiuy Of
riotous appetites.
Be sure TO look out of the forecastle fol
icebergs These are cold Christians floating
about in the church The frigid zone pro
fessors will SINK you. Steer clear of ice
bergs Keep log book during all the voy
age-an account of how many furlongs you
make a day. The merchant keeps a day
book as we'll as ledger. You ought tt
know every night, as we'll as every year,
how things are going. When the express
train stops at the depot, you hear hammer
sounding on all the wheels. thus testing the
safety of the rail train. Bound, as we are
with more than express speed toward 8
great eternity, ought we not often to try
the work of self examination?
Be sure to keep your colors up! You
know the ships of England, Russia, France
and Spain by the ensigIs they carry. Some
times it is lion, sometimes an eagle, some.
times star, sometimes crown. Let il
ever be known who you are, and for what
port you are bound. Let "Christian'' be
written on the very 'front.' with figure of a
cross, crown and dove; and from the
masthead let float the streamers of Imman-
uel. Then the pirate vessels of temptation
will pass you unharmed as they say:
"There goes Christian, bound for the port
of heaven, We will not disturb her, for she
has too many guns aboard" Run up your
flag Oh this pulley: "I am not ashamed ol
the gospel of Christ for it is the power ol
God and the wisdom of God unto saliva
tion" When driven back, or laboring un.
der great stress of weather-now changing
from starboard tack to larboard, and then
| from larboard to starboard-look above the