Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-12-26


life. He has no God to help him. After
awhile the storm comes and losses of
the masts of the ship; he puts out his
lifeboat and the longboat; the sheriff
and the auctioneer try to help him
of; they can't help him off; he must
go down-no Christ in the ship. Your
life will be made up of sunshine
and shadows. There may be in it
Arctic blasts or tropical tornadoes; /
know not what is before you, but 1
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 clear
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 we'll 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:
'sWhat a beautiful day this is! What a
smooth sea! What bright sky this isl
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 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 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
| 90 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 il
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
Christianr' Does that young man fine
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 despise!
the Christian religion; her broth
ers and sisters scoff at the Chris
tan religion; she can hardly FIND
quiet place in which to say he
prayers. Did she find it smooth sailing
when she tried to follow Jesus Christ
Oh, no! All who would live the life o
the Christian religion must suffer per
secution; if you do not find it in on
way, you will get it in another way
The question was asked: ''Who ar
those nearest the throne?" And tn
answer came back: These are the,
who came up out of great tribulation-
great failing, great pounding-and hat
their robes washed and made white II
the blood of the Lamb" Oh, do not b
disheartened! Take courage. You ar
in glorious companionship. God vii
see you through all trials and He viii
deliver you. Ny subject also impresse
me with the fact that good people some
times get very much frightened.
In the tones of these disciples as the,
rushed into the back part of the boat
find they are almost frightened to death
They say: Master, carest Thou no
that we perish?" They had no reason
to be frightened, for Christ was in tn,
boat. 1 suppose if we had been Their
we would have been just as much al
frighted. Perhaps more. In all age
very good people get very much al
frighted. 1t is often so in our day, ant
men say: why, look at the bad lect
ures, look at the various errors going
over the Church of God; we are going t
founder; the Church is going down; sh
is going down" Oh, how many goo'
people are affrighted by iniquity in on
day, and think the Church of Jesu
Christ is going to be overthrow, ant
are just as much affrighted as were tn
disciples of my text. Don't worry
don't fret, as though iniquity were go
ing to triumph over righteousness.
A lion goes into cavern to sleep. HI
lies down, with his shaggy name cover
ing the paws. Meanwhile the spider
spin a web across the mouth of tn,
cavern and say: 1--WE have captured
him." Gossamer thread after gossamel
thread, until the whole front Of the
cavern is covered with the spiders web
and the spiders say: 1.-THE lion is done
the lion is fast" After awhile the
lion has got through sleeping; he rouse:
himself, he shakes his name, and walks
out into the sunlight; he does not ever
know the spiders web is spun, ant
with his voice he shakes the mount
ain. So men come pinning thei
sophistries and skepticism about Jesu
Christ; He seems to be sleeping. The,
saw: 1--WE have captured the Lord; IL
will never come forth again upon tn
nation; Christ is captured forever. Hi
religion will never make any conques
among men" But after awhile tn
Lion of the tribe of Judah will rous
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