Dodge City times., 1889-12-05

~ . II as<>s
The cyclone sesnsa to stand ON tn.
deck, waving its wings. crying: This
ship is minsl have captured i'll Ha
ha! will command it! II God will
permit will sink it here and now! By
a thousand shipwrecks, Iswear the doom
of this vessel!" There was q lull in the
storm; but only that it might gain addi-
tional fury. Crash! went the life boat
on one side. Crash! went the life boat
on the other side. The great booms got
loose, and, as with the heft OF a thun-
derbolt, pounded the deck and beat the
masts-the jib boom, studdine- sail
boom, and square sail boom, with their
| strong arms, beating time to the awful
march and music of the hurricane.
Meanwhile the ocean became phos-
phorescent. The whole scene looked
like fire. The water dripping from the
rigging, there were ropes Of fire; and
there were masts of fire; and there was
q deck of fire. A ship of fire, sailing on
| a sea of fire, through q night of fire.
May l never see anything like it again!
Everybody prayed. A lad of II years
of age got down and prayed for his
mother. If 1 should give up" lie said,
Il do not know what would become of
mother" There were men who, l think,
had not prayed for thirty years, who
then got down on their knees. When q
man, who has neglected God all his life
feels that he has come to his last time,
it makes a very busy night. All of our
sins and shortc tcomings passed through
our minds. My own life seemed utterly
unsatisfactory. 1 could only say, Here,
Lord, take me as l am. l cannot mend
matters now. Lord Jesus, thou didst
die for the chief of sinners. That's me!
1t seems, Lord. as if my work is done,
and poorly done, and upon thy infinite
mercy l cast myself and in this hour of
shipwreck and darkness commit myself
and her whom l hold by the hand to
thee, o Lord Jesus. praying lat it may
be short struggle in the water, and that
at the same instant We may both arrive
in glory!" Oh! tell you a man prays
straight to the mark when he has a
Cyclone above him. an ocean beneath
him, and eternity SO close to him that
he can feel its breath on his cheek.
The night was long. At last We saw
the dawn looking through the port
holes. As in the olden time, in the
fourth watch of the night, Jesus came
walking ON the sea, from wave cliff to
wave cliff; and when He puts His foot
upon n billow, though it may be tossed
up with might it goes down. He cried
to the winds, Hush! They knew His
voice. The waves knew His foot. They
died away. And in the shining tracks
of His feet read these letters on scrolls
of foam and fire, The earth shall be
filled with the knowledge of God as the
waters cover the sea. The ocean calmed.
The path of the steamer became more
and more mild; until, on the last morn
ing out, the sun threw round about us
glory such as never witnessed be-
fore. God made pavement of mosaic,
reaching from horizon to horizon, for
all the splendors of earth and heaven
to walk upOn-a pavement bright
enough for the foot of seraph bright
enough for the wheels of the archangers
chariot. As parent embraces a child,
and kisses away its grief, SO over that
sea. that had been writhing in agony in
the tempest, the morning threw its arms
of beauty and of benediction, and the
lips of earth and heaven met.
As 1 came on deck-it was very early,
and we were nearing the shore-I saw a
few sails against the sky. They seemed
like the spirits of the night walking the
billows. l leaned over the taffrail OF
the vessel, and said, Thy way, o God,
is in the sea, and Thy path in the great
waters"
1t grew lighter. The clouds were
hung in purple clusters along the sky;
and, as if those purple clusters were
pressed into red wine and poured out
upon the sea, every wave turned into
crimson, Yonder, fire cleft stood oppo-
site to fire cleft; and here, a cloud, rent
and tirged with light, seemed like q
palace, with flames bursting from the
windows. The whole scene lighted mp
until it seemed as if the angels of God
were ascending and descending upon
stairs of fire. and the wave-crests,
changed into jasper, and crystal, and
amethyst, as they were flung toward the
beach, made me think of the crowns of
great Jehovah. l leaned over the taft
rail again, and said, with more emotion
than before: Thy way, 0 God, is in the
sea, and Thy path in the great waters?"
So, thought, will be the going off
of the storm and night of the Chris
tian's life. The darkness will fold its
tents and away! The golden feet of the
rising morning will come skipping upon
the mountains, and all the wrathful
billows of the worlds woe break into
the splendor of eternal joy. And SO We
come into the harbor. The cyclone be-
hind us. Our friends before us.
God, who is always good, all
around us. And if the roll of the crew
and the passengers had been called,
seven hundren souls would have an
swered to their names. And so it came
to pass that We all escaped safe to
land" And may God grant that, when
all our Sabbaths on earth are ended, We
may find that, through the rich mercy of
our Lord Jesus Christ, We all have
weathered the gale!
Into the harbor of Heaven now we glide
Home at last!
Softly we drift on the bright silver tide,
Home at last
Glory to Gcdi All our dangers are o'er;
We stand secure on the glorified shore.
Glory to God we will shout evermore,
Home at last