The Brookhaven leader., 1889-04-11

messed In traces that can not break, and
in girths that can not slip, and In buckles
that can not loosen, ald are driven by
reins they must answer. Ipreach no Ia
talism. A swarthy engineer at one OF the
depots In Dakota said: "When will you
get on the locomotive and take q ride with
u.s."
"well," said, "now IL that suits you'"
So got on one side the locomotive, and q
Methodist minister, who was also invited,
got on the other side, and between US
were the engineer and stoker. The train
started. The engineer had his hand on
the agitated pulse of the great engine.
The stoker shoveled in the coal and shut
the door with loud clang. A vast plain
slipped under us and the hills swept by,
and that great monster on which we roue
trembled and bounded and snorted and
ragged as it hurried US on. / said to the
Methodist minister on the other side OF
the locomotives: my brother, why should
Presbyterian3 and Methodists quarre
about the DEGREES and free agency? You
see that track, that firm track, that lror
track; that is the decree. You zee this
engineers arm? That is free agency.
How beautifully they work together
They are going to take US through. We
could not do without the track, and we
could not do without the engineer-"
SO rejoice day by day. Work for us
all to do, and we may turn the crank OF
the Christian machinery this way or that,
for We are free agents; but there Is the
track laid so long ago no one remembers
it; laid by the hand of Almighty God in
sockets that no terrestrial or satanic
pressure can ever effect. Aud along that
track the car OF the worlds redemption
will roll and roll to the Grand Central
Depot of the millennium. / have no
anxiety about the track. l am only
afraid that for our Incidence God
will discharge us and get some
other stoker and some other en-
gineer. The train is going through with
US or without us. SO, my brethren, watch
all the events that are going by. II
things seem to turn out right, give wings
to your Joy. If things seem to turn out
wrong, throw out the anchor of faith and
hold fast.
There is a house in London where Peter
the Great Of Russia lived awhile when lie
was moving through the land incognito
and in workman's dress, that he might
learn the wants of the people. A stranger
was visiting at that house recently, and
saw in q dark attic an old box, and he
said to the owner Of the house, whats
in that box?" The owner said: 81 dent
know; that box was there when got
the house and it was there when my
father got it. We haven't had any
curiosity to look at It; / guess there's
nothing in it," "Well," said the stranger,
an give you two pounds for it." "Well,
done" The two pounds are paid, and
recently the contents Of that box were
sold to the Car of Russia for fifty thou
sand dollars. In it were the lathing ma
chine Of Peter the Great, his private let
tiers and documents Of value beyond all
consideration. And here are
the events that seem very insignificant
and unimportaut, but they increase treas
ures of Divine providence and eteruities
Of meaning which after awhile God will
demonstrate before the ages as being OF
value. As near as | can tell
from what l see, there must be God
about.
When Titans play quoits they pitch
bat who owns these gigantic
forces you have been reading about the
last two months? Whose hand is on the
throttle valve of the volcanoes? Whose
foot suddenly planted on the footstool
makes the continents culver? God! God
He looketh upon the mountains and they
tremble. He toucheth the hills and they
smoke. God! God! / must be at peace
with Him. Through the Lord Jesus Christ
this God is mine and He is yours. l put
the earthquake that shook Palestine at
the crucifxion against all the down rock
Of no oaDtlriac This n, Nj on
side, we may challenge all the centuries
Of time and all the cycles Of eternity.
Those of us who are in mid-life may
well thank God that we have seen SO
many wondrous things; but there are
people here to-day who will see the
twentieth century. Things obscure to US
will be plain to you yet. The twentieth
century will be as far ahead Of the nine
teenth as the nineteenth is ahead Of the
and as you caricature the
habits and customs and ignorance Of the
past, others " i'll caricature this age. Some
Of you may live to see the simmering vail
between the material and the spiritual
world lifted. Magnetism, word with
which we cover up our ignorance,
will yet be an explored realm. Electrici-
ty, the fiery cOurser Of the sky thai Ben
iamin Franklin lassoed and Morse and
Bell and Edison have tried to control,
will become completely manageable, and
locomOtion will be switched and world
of practical knowledge thrown in upon
the race. Whether we depart in this
century, or whether We see the open
gates Of q more wonderful century, we
will see these things. 1t does not make
much difference where we stand. but the
higher the standpoint the larger the pros
pect. We will see them from Heaven if
we do not see them from earth.
was at Fire Island, Long Island, and ]
went up in the cupola from which they
telegraph to New York the approach OF
vessels hours before they come into port.
There is an opening in the wall, and the
operator puts his telescope through that
opening and looks out and sees vessels
far out at sea. While l was talking with
him he won't up and looked out He said:
ave are EXPECTING the Arizona o-night."
l said: SIS it possible you know all
those vessels? Do you know them as
you know q mans face?" He said: Eyes,
l never make a mistake. Before see
the hulks l often know them by
the masts. I know them all; l have
watched them so long" On, what
grand thing it is to have ships telegraphed
and heralded long before they come to
port, that friends may come down to the
wharf and welcome their long absent
lo7ed ones. SO to-day We take our stand
in the watch tower and we look off, and
through the glass of inspiration or Prov
idence we look off and see a whole fleet
of ships coming in. This is the ship OF
Peace, flag with one star OF Bethlehem
floating above the top gallauts. That is