The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-01-02

father. Out OF all these disasters shall
pluck advantage for my soul. All the
promises arc mine, Christ is mine, Chris.
tian companionship Is mine, Heaven Il
mine. What though my apparel be worn
outs Christ gives me q robe of righteous
ness. What though my money be gone?
have title deed to the whole universe
in the promise, All are yours What
though my worldly friends falllaway! Min
istering angels are my body guard. What
though my fare be poor and my bread bs
scant. I sit at the Kings banquet"
oh, what poor, shallow stream is
worldly enjoyment compared with the
deep, broad, overlooking river OF Gods
peace, rolling midway in the Christian
heart! Sometimes you have gone out on
the iron-bound beach Of the sea
when there has been q 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 chapter written by the
Psalmist, and perhaps you recite it to
yourself while the storm was making com.
mentary upon the passage: God is our
refuge and strength, very present help
in the time of trouble. Therefore will l
not fear though the earth be removed, and
though the mountains be carried into the
midst Of the sea; though the waters there.
Of roar and be troubled; though the
mountains shake with the swelling there
Of. Selah"
Oh, how independent the religion of
Christ makes a man Of worldly success
and worldly circumstances! Nelson, the
night before his last battle, said: 'To-
morrow shall win either peerage or a
grave in Westminster 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 Chris
tian grace, is fairer than the dove, its
wings covered with silver, 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 y Dung man sarica-
turing the Christian religion, scofting at
every thing good, going into registering
drunkenness, dashinathe champagne bottle
to the floor. rolling the glasses from the
bar-room counter, laughing shouting,
stamping the floor, shrieking. Is he happy:
will 60 to his midnight pillow. Twill see
him turn the gas of. will 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
prayers, invoking Gods blessing upon his
own soul and the souls Of his comrades
| and father and 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, for it is hollow
laughter; in it is the swapping of heart.
strings and the rattle of prison gates
Happy! That young man happy? Lei
him fill high the bowl-hs can not dyowr
an upbraiding conscience. Let the balls
roll through the bowling ALLEY; the deeI
rumble and the sharp crack can not over
power the voices of condemnation. Lee
him whirl in the dance Of sin and tempta'
| ton and death. All the brilliancy OF the
scene can not make him forget the las
| look of his mother as he left home, wher
she said to him: 'Now, my son, you viii
do right, am sure you will do right; you
will, won't your" That young man hap
pv? Why, across every night there fiji
shadows Of eternal darkness; there arr
adders coiled up in every cup; there ar,
vultures of despair striking their iror
beaks into his heart; there are skeleton
fingers of grief pinching at his throat.
come in among the clicking of the glasses
and under the flashing of the chandeliers
and / cry "Woe! woe! The way of thu
ungOdly shall perish. There is no peace
saith my God, for the wicked. The way O
transgressors is hard" Oh, my friends
there is more joy in one drop Of Christian
satisfaction than in whole rivers Of sinfu
delight. Other wings may be drenched o
the storm and splashed of the tempest, bu
the dove that comes in through the win
dow of this heavenly arc has wings Xix,
the dove covered with silver, and he
feathers with yellow gold
| Again remark. religion is an adorn
ment in the style of usefulness into which
it inducts man. Here are two youn,
men. The one has fine culture, exquisite
wardrobe, plenty Of friends, great world
ly success. but he lives for himself. Hi
chief care is for his own comfort. He live
uselessly. He dies unregretted Here i
another young man. His apparel may no
be SO good, his education may not be s,
thorough. He lives for others. His hap
piness is to make Others happy. He is q
self.denying as the dying soldier. fallin,
in the ranks, whom he said: "Colonel
there is no need Of those boys firing them
selves by carrying me to the hospital; lie
me die just where am" So this youn)
man of whom l speak loves God, wants al
the world to love Him, Is not as named t,
carry bundle Of clothes up that darl
| alley to the poor. Which OF those younI
men do you admire the better? The one
sham, the other Prince Imperial
Oh, do you know Of any thing, my hear
er, that is more beautiful than to see
young man start out for Christ? Here i
some one falling; he lifts him up. Her
is a vagabond boy; he introduces him to
mission school, Here is family freezin,
to death; he carries them a scuttle Of coal
There are eight hundred millions perishin,
in midnight heather darkness; by al
possible means he tries to send them tn
gospel. He may be laughed at, and b
may be sneered at, and he may be carica
4 =.
where saying: 81 am not ashamed of tn
Gospel of Christ. 1t is the power Of Go,
and the wisdom Of God unto salvation
Such young man can 60 through ever,
| thing. There Is no force on earth or il