The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-12-21

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 a beautiful day this is! What a
smooth sea! What a bright sky this is!
How delightful is sailing in this boat
And as Tor the waves under the keel OF
the boat, why they only make the mo.
ton of our little boat the more delight.
ful.' But when the winds swept down
and the sea was tossed into wrath, Their
they found that following Christ was
not smooth sailing. So you have found
1t; so 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 a smooth life, a
smooth departure, then those men, the
disciples of Jesus Christ, ought to have
had such a departure and such a life.
st. James lost his @ st. Philip was
hung to death on a pillar. St. Mat
thew had his life dashed out with a hal
bert. st. Mark was dragged to death
through the streets. st. James the
Less was beaten to death with a fuller's
/, club. st. Thomas was struck through
with a spear.
They did o find following Christ
smooth sailing. Oh, how they were
all tossed in the tempest! John Huss
in the fire; uugh7 McKaiT In the hour Of
martyrdom; the A~lbigenses, the Wal
denses, the Scotch covenanters did
they find it smooth sailing? But why
go into history when W. can draw from
our memory illustration of the truth of
what / say? Some young man in a store
trying to serve God, while his employer
SCOTS at Christianity; the young men in
the same store, a~ntagonistic to the
Christian religion, teasing him, tor
menting him about his religion, trying
to get him mad. They succeed in get
ting him mad, saying: you're a pretty
Christian!" Does that young man find
it smooth sailing when he tries to fol-
low Christ? Or you remember a Chris
tian girl. Her father despises the
Christian religion: her mother despises
the Christian religion; her broth
ers and sisters scott at the Chris.
tian religion; she can hardly 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 90
the Christian religion must suffer per-
se%cution; 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
answer came back: These are thew
who came up out of great tribulation-
great failing, great pounding-and had
their robes washed and made white in
blood of the Lamb" Oh, do not be
disheartenedl Take courage. You are
in glorious companionship. God will
see you through all trials and He will
you. My 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 /
find they are almost frightened to death.
They say: Master, carest Thou not
we perish?" They had no reason
to be frightened, for Christ was in the
boat. 1 suppose If we had been there |
would have been just as much af-
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-
lres, look at the various errors going |
over the Church of God; we are going to |
founder; the Church is going down; she
Is going down." Oh, how many good
people are affrighted by iniquity in our
lay, n think the Church of Jesus |
Christ is going to be overthrow, and
ire just as much affrighted as were the
disciples of my text. Don't worry,
ion't fret, as though iniquity were go
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 a web across the mouth of the
,avern and say: "We have captured
Gossamer thread after gossamer
until the whole front of the
is covered with the spiders web,
the spiders say: 1.-THE ZION is done;
,he lion is fast" After awhile the
ion has got through sleeping; he rouses
himself, he shakes his mane, and walks
~ into the sunlight; he does not even
the spiders web is spun, and
his voice he shakes the mount
lin. So men come pinning their
and skepticism about Jesus
Christ; lie seems to be sleeping. They
say: "We have captured the Lord; He
will neve come forth again upon the
Christ is captured forever. His
religion will nev make any conquest
.mong men," But after awhile the
ion ~ tho friho nf T,lnL ,,;1l ,o,,o |
and com forth to shake might |
ly the nations. What's a spiders web
o the aroused lion? Give truth and err
or a fair grapple, and truth will come
fl victor.
But there are a great many good peo-
lie who get affrighted in other respects;
hey are affrighted in our day about re-
ivals. They say:
Obi! this is a strong religious gale;
ye are afraid the Church of God is going
o be upset, and there are going to be a
'reat many people brought into the
hurch that are going to be of no use to
t." and they are affrighted whenever
hey see a revival taking hold of the
hurches. AS though a ship captain,
nth five thousand bushels of wheat for
cargo, should say some day, coming
pom deck:
"Throw overheard all the cargo;' and
he sailors should say:
why, captain, what do you mean?
brow over all the cargo?"
''Oh," says the captain, I'VE have a
eek OF chaff that has got into this five
bushels of wheat, and the only
-ay to get rid of the chat is to throw
II h wheat overheard"
Now, that is a great deal wiser than
talk OF great many Christians who
ant to throw overheard all the thou
n and tens of thousands of souls
Tho are the subjects of revivals. Throw
II overheard because they are brought
1to the kingdom of God through great
e~vivals, because there is a peck of
half, a quart of chaff, a pint of chaff!
say let them stay until the last day;
he Lord will divide the chaff from the
heat.
Again, my subject impressed me with
fact that Jesus was God and man
the same being. Here He is in the
ack part of the boat. Oh, how tired He
,oks, what sad dreams He must have!
'ook at His c~ountenance. lie must be
linking OF the cross to come. Look at
linn, He Is a man-bone of our bone,
esh Of our flesh. Tired, He falls asleep;
Ie is a man. But then | find Christ at
Prov of the boat; l zeal Him say:
Peace, be still" and | see the storm
neeling at His feet, and the tempests