Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-06-17


and the hurricane upon it-sails rent.
riggings spliced, pumps all working to
keep her afloat, bulwarks knocked
away. / see such vessel coming
and get out my small boat and
push towards her, and / shout: "Ahoy,
captainl What are you going to do
with those shivered timber That
was a beautiful ship when you went
out, but you have ruined it," "Oh,"
says the captain, ~ have fine cargo
ON board, and by this round trip have
made ten fortunes" So | believe it
will be when when the Christian soul
at last comes into the harbor of
heaven. 1t will come bearing upon it
the marks of great stress of weather.
You can see by the very looks of that
soul as 1T comes into glory that it
was driven by n storm and dashed in
the hurricane; but by so much as the
voyage is rough, will the harbor be
blessed. IF We suffered with him on
earth, we shall be glorified with him in
heaven" Aim high. Do not be salts
fed to be like the Christians all around
about you. BE more than they have
ever been for Christ. An old Arabian
king was showing a beautiful sword
that had ,been given him, when one
one of his courtiers 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 adj
vance, and then it is long enough" So
Now when a young Christian enters
the church, God does not ask him to re-
tire from the world. The anchorite
than the man who lives on partridge and
wild duck. Isolation is not demanded
by the Bible. A man may use the
world with the restriction of not abus-
ing it, But just as soon as you find
any surroundings pernicious to your
spiritual interest, quit those assoca-
tions. This remark is more especially
appropriate to the young. Now it is
impossible that the young and
untroubled 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 in
tended the young chiefly to associate
with the young. The grace of God
does not demand that we be unnatural
| do not want you TO take this caution
l have given you as that of a growing
anthrope, hating hilarity. For you
must have spring bow if you want TO
make the arrow fly. But while this is
so, want you to be especially on
guard in this matter, and let the re-
ligion of Jesus Christ control you in
all your associations / know young
people who have meant well enough,
but they have foated off into evil in
fluences, and they have associated day
by day with those who hated God and
despised his commandments, and their
characters are all depleted. ! can see
they are changed for the worse, but
they are not aware OF it. o young
man, come out of that bad association.
l do not know what il is. do not
know to what place You may have
private key. / do not know to what
place you go without the sanction OF
those who love You very much. do not
pretend to point out any evil infu-
ences, but are there not some surround
ing influences that are pernicious 10
your growth in grace? Stand back
from that furnace in which so many
young Christians have been destroyed.
IN this church there is large company
of young men and young women con-
secrated TO Christ. / know of no better
people than they are. Young convert,
invite you into their friendship. Con-
tact with them will elevate you.
All hail, young followers of Jesus
Christ, my joy and my pride! My
heart thrills at every step of your ad-
vaucement / talked with you in that
hour when you first tried to break from
sin, and / now rejoice as / see you put
ting on the armor of conflict in which
God will give You present and ever.
lasting victory. Stand off from all
evil associations. A man is no better
than the company he keeps. Go among
those who arc better than you are, and
you will be made better Go among
those who are worse than you are
and you will be made worse.
My next word of counsel is that you
be actively employed. L see a great
many Christians with doubts and per-
plexities and they seem to be proud Of
them. Their entire Christian life is
made up of gloom, and they seem to
cultivate that spiritual dependency,
when will undertake to say that in
nine cases out of ten spiritual oespond
ency is judgment of God upon idle.
ness. Who are the happy people in
the church to-day? The busy people.
Show me man who processes the re-
ligion of Jesus Christ and is idle, and
will show you an unhappy man. The
very first prescription that give to a
man when find him full OF doubts and
fears about his eternal interest is to &C
to work for God. Ten thousand voices
are lifted up asking for Your help. Go
and help. Here is a wood full OF sum-
mer insects. An aXeman goes into
the wood TO cut firewood. The insects
I a -