Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1892-06-18

you VIII nave W InccJ lace VI Iuce anu
it will be shot for shot, gun for gun,
grip for grip, slaughter for slaughter.
The Apostle Paul over and over again
represents the Christian life as COM
bat.
When the war vessel of Christ's church
comes into glory, bringing its crew and
its passengers, it will not como in like
North river yacht, beautifully painted
and adorned, swinging into the boat
house after pleasure excursion. o, no.
1t will he like q vessel coming with n
heavy cargo from China or India, the
marks of the wave and the hurricane
upon it-sails rent, riggings spliced,
pumps all working to keep her afloat,
bulwarks knocked away. see such n
vessel coming and get out my small
boat and push toward her, and shouts:
"Ahoy, captain! What are you going
to do with those shivercd timbers?
That was beautiful ship when you
went out, but you have ruined it"
60" says the captain, II have fine
cargo and by this round trip have
made ten fortunes" So / believe it
will be when the Christian soul comes
into the harbor of Heaven. 1t will come
bearing the marks upon it of great
stress of weather. You can see by the
very looks Of that soul as it comes into
glory that it was driven by storm and
dashed into the hurricane; but by so
much as the voyage is rough, will the
harbor be blessed, If ye suffered with
Him on earth, We shall 6a gloriRed with
Him in Heaven" Aim high.
Do not be satisfied to be like the
Christians all around about you. BE
more than they have ever been for
Christ. An old Arabian king was show
ing beautiful sword that had been
given him, when one OF his courticrs
said: This sword is too short. You
cannot do anything with it." Said the
kings son: ITO brave man no sword
is too short. If it be too short take one
step in advance, and then it is long
enough" So / say to any Christian
who may feel that he has poor weapons
with which to fight against sin and
darkness and death: Advance upon
the enemy. In the strength of Christ
go forward. God is for you, and If
God be for you who can be against
you? Remember that God never puts
you in battle but He gives you weapons
with which to fight"
My second word of counsel to those
who have recently entered upon Chris
tian life is: Abstain from all pernicious
associations and take only those that
are useful and benefcent. Stay out of
all associations that would damage
your Christian character Take only
those associations that will help you.
A learned man said: IF l stay with
that man Fenelon any longer | shall
get to be a Christian in spite of myself"
In other words, there is a mighty power
in Christian associations. Now, what
kind of associations shall we, as young
Christians. seek after? ] think we
ought to get in company better than
ourselves, never going into company
worse than ourselves. If we get into
company little better than ourselves
and there be ten people in that COM
pany ten chances to one we will be bet
tered. If we get into company little
worse than ourselves and there be ten
people in that company ten chances to
one we will be made worse than we
were before.
Now. when young Christian enters
the church God does not ask him to re-
tire from the world. The anchorite
that lives on acorns is nonearer Heaven
than the man who lives on partridge
and wild duck Isolation is not de-
manded by the Bible. A man may use
the world with the restriction OF not
abusing it. But just rs soon rs you
find any surroundings pernicious to
your spiritual interest, quit those asso-
Citations. This remark is more especial
ly appropriate to the young. Now it is
impossible that the young ana I'M
troubled should seek their associations
with those who are aged and worn out.
As God intended the aged to associate
with the aged, talking over the past
and walking staff in hand along the
same paths they trod thirty. forty and
fifty years ago, so suppose He intended
the young chiefly to associate with the
young.
The first thing, then, you have to do,
o, Christian young man, Christian
young woman, is to go to work in the
service of the Lord if you want to be a
happy Christian. When an army goes
out, there are always stragglers falling
off here and there, some because they
arc faint and sick, but great many be-
cause they are afraid. to fight and too
law to march. After awhile the lazy
men on the road hear the booming OF
the guns for hours, and they hear the
shout of victory, and man on horseback
comes up and says: ''We have won
the day!' Then they hasten up. How
brave they are after the battle is over.
Poor at fighting, but grand at ''huzza!"
So there are stragglers going after the