The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-12-27

life. He has no Tod to help him. Ate
awhile the storm comes and losses of
the masts of the ship; he puts out hi
lifeboat and the longboat: the sheriff
and the auctioneer try to help hin
off; they can't help him off; he mus
go down-no Christ in the ship. You
life will be made up of sunshine
and shadows. There may be in il
Arctic blasts or tropical tornadoes;
know not what is before you, but
know if you have Christ with you all
shall be well. You may seem to get
| along without the religion of Christ
while every thing goes smoothly, but
after awhile, when sorrow hovers the
soul, when the waves of trial dash cleal
over the hurricane deck, and the decks
are crowded with piratical disasters
oh, what would you do without Christ
in the ship? Take God for your por-
ton, God for your guide, God for your
help; then all is well; all is well for
time, all shall be well forever. Blessed
is the man who puts in the Lord his
trust. He shall never be COMPOUNDED.
But my subject also impresses me with
the fact that when people start to fol.
low Christ they must not expect smooth
sailing. These disciples got into small
boats. and have no doubt they said:
"What beautiful day this is! What a
smooth sea! What bright sky this is!
How delightful is sailing in this boat.
And as for the waves under the keel of
the boat, why they only make the mo-
ton of our little boat the more delight
full" But when the winds swept down
and the sea was tossed into wrath. then
they found that following Christ was
not smooth sailing. So YOU have found
it; so 1 have found it. Did you ever no.
tice the end of the life of the apostles
of Jesus Christ? You would say. if ever
men ought to have had smooth life, a
smooth departure, then those men. the
disciples of Jesus Christ. ought to have
had such a departure and such life.
st. James lost his head. st. Philip was
hung to death on pillar. st. Mat
thew had his life dashed out with hal
bert. st. Mark was dragged to death
through the streets. st. James the
Less was beaten to death with fuller's
club. st. Thomas was struck through
with a spear.
They did not find following Christ
smooth sailing. Oh, how they were
all tossed in the tempest John Huss
in the fire: Hugh Mckail in the hour of
martyrdom; the Albigenses, the Wal
denses, the Scotch covenanters - did
they find it smooth sailing? But why
go into history when we can draw from
our memory illustration of the truth of
what say? Some young man in store
trying to serve God, while his employer
SCOTS at Christianity; the young men in
the same store, antagonistic to the
Christian religion, teasing him, tor
mepting him about his religion. trying
to get him mad. They succeed in get
ting him mad, saying: you're pretty
Christian Does that young man find
it smooth sailing when he tries to fol-
low Christ? Or you remember a Chris
tan girl. Her father despises the
Christian religion; her mother despises
the Christian religion; her broth
ers and sisters scott at the Chris.
tan religion; she can ha rdly find
a quiet place in which to say her
prayers. Did she find it smooth sailing
when she tried to follow Jesus Christ?
Oh, no. All who would live the life of
the Christian religion must suffer per-
secution: if you do not find it in one
way, you will get it in another way.
The question was asked: "Who are
those nearest the throne?" And the
.gT
who came up out of great tribulation-
great failing, great pounding had
their robes washed and made white in
the blood of the Lamb Oh, do not be
disheartened! Take courage. You are
in glorious companionship. God will
see you through all trials and He will
deliver you. Ny subject also impresses
me with the fact that good people some
times get very much frightened.
In the tones of these disciples as they
rushed into the back part of the boat l
find they are almost frightened to death.
They say: Master, carest Thou not
that we perish?" They had no reason
to be frightened. for Christ was in the
boat. 1 suppose if we had been there
frighted. Perhaps more. In all ages
very good people get very much af-
frighted. 1t is often so in our day, and
men say: why, look at the bad lect-
ures, look at the various errors going
over the Church of God; we are going to
the Church is going down: she
IS going down." Oh, how many good
people are affrighted by iniquity in our
lay, and think the Church of Jesus
Christ is going to be overthrown, and |
Ire just as much affrighted as were the |
disciples of my text Don't worry,
lon't fret, as though iniquity were 60
ng to triumph over righteousness.
A lion goes into a cavern to sleep. He |
les down. with his shaggy name cover
ng the paws. Meanwhile the spiders
pin web across the mouth of the |
'avern and say: "We have captured |
him." Gossamer thread after gossamer
bread, until the whole front of the |
;avern is covered with the spiders web,
md the spiders say: 1.-THE lion is done;
he lion is fast" After awhile the
ion has got through sleeping: he rouses
himself, he shakes his name, and walks
ut into the sunlight; he does not even
now the spiders web is spun, and
With his voice he shakes the mount
in. So men come pinning their
ophistries and skepticism about Jesus
'hrist; He seems to be sleeping. They
ay: 1--WE have captured the Lord; He
viii never come forth again upon the
alton; Christ is captured forever. His
eligion will never make any conquest
mong men," But after awhile the
ion of the tribe of Judah will rouse
himself and come forth to shake might