Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-10-13

Is raining gold"
Passing from Bonn to Coblentz on the
Rhine the scenery is comparatively tame.
But from Coblentz to Mayence it is en-
chanting. You sit on deck and feel as II
this last flash of beauty must exhaust the
scene; but in a moment there is a turn Of
the river which covers up the former view
with more luxuriant vineyards, and
more defiant castles, and bolder bluffs,
vine wreathed, and grapes so ripe
that If the hills be touched they would
bleed their rich life away into tho bowls
Of Bingen and Hockheimer. Here and
there there are streams of water melting
into the river, like smaller joys swallowed
in the bosom of a great gladness.
And when night begins to throw its
black mantle over the shoulder Of the
hills, and you are approaching disem-
barkation at Mayence, the lights along the
shore fairly bewitch the scene with their
beauty, giving one a thrill that he feels
but once, yet that lasts him forever. So
this river of Gods Word is not straight
stream, but a winding splendor-at every
turn new wonders to attract, still ripper
vintage pressing to the brink, and crowded
with castles of strength (Stolzenfels and
Johannisberger as nothing compared with
the strong tower into which the righteous
run and are saved), and our disembarka-
tion at last, in the evening, amid the
lights that CLEAN from the shore of
heaven. The trouble is that the vast ma
jority of Bible voyages stop at Coblentz,
where the chief glories begin.
The sea of Gods Word is not like Gen
nesaret twelve miles by six, but bound
in
forever. Why then confine yourself to
short psalm or to a few verses of the
epistlep The largest fish are not near the
shore. Hoist all sail to the winds of
heaven. Take hold of both oars and pull
away. Be like some of the whalers that
went out from New Bedford or Ports
mouth to be gone for two or three years.
Yea, calculate on lifetime voyage. You
do not want to land until you land in
heaven. Sail away, o ye mariners, for
eternityi Launch out into the deepl
The text is appropriate to all Christians
of shallow experience. Doubts and fears
Aavein our day been almost elected to the
parliament of Christian graces. Some con-
slider n 4 bad sign not to have any doubts.
Doubts and fears are not signs of health,
but testers and carbuncles. You have
valuable house or farm. 1t is suggested
that the title is not good. You employ
counsel. You have the deeds examined.
You search the record for mortgages, judg-
ments and liens You are not satisfied un-
til you have a certificate, signed by the
great seal of the state, assuring you that
the title is good. Yet how many leave
their title to heaven an, undecided matterl
Why do you not go to the records and find
out9 Give yourself no rest, day or night,
until you can read your title clear to man.
sions in the skies.
NEED OF CHRISTIAN DEVELOPMENT.
Christian character is to come up to
higher standards. We have now to hunt
through our library to find one Robert
M'Cheyne, or one Edward Payson, or one
Harlan Page. The time will come when
we will find half dozen of them sitting in
the same seat with us. The grace of God
can make great deal better men than
those have mentioned. Christians seem
afraid they will get heterodox by going too
far. They do not believe in Christian per-
fection. There is no danger of your being
perfect for some time yet. l will keep
watch, and give you notice in time if you
get too near perfection for the safety of
your theology.
One-half of you Christians are simply
stuck in the mud. Why not cut loose from
everything but God? Give not to him that
formal petition made up of "O's'-"O
Lord' this and 10 Lord" that. When
people are cold and have nothing to say to
God they strew their prayers with "O's"
and Forever and ever, Amen" and things
to fill up. Tell God what you want with
the feeling that he is ready to give it, and
believe that you will receive, and you shall
have it. Shed that old prayer you have
been making these ten years. 1t is high
time that you outgrew it. Throw it aside
with your old ledgers, and your old hats,
and your old shoes. Take review of
your present wants, of your present sins
and of your present blessings. With
sharp blade cut away your past half and
half Christian life, and with new determi-
nation, and new plans and new eXpecta-
tions launch out into the deep.
The text is appropriate to all who are
engaged in Christian work. The church
of God has been fishing along the shore.
We set our net in a good, calm place and
in sight of a fine chapel, and we go down
every Sunday to see il the fish have been
wise enough to come into our net. We
might learn something from that boy with
his hook and line. He throws his line
from the bridge-no fish. He sits down on
log-no fish. He stands in the sunlight
and casts the line, but no fish. He goes
up by the mill dam and stands behind the
bank, where the fish cannot see him, and
cork goes under. The fish come to him as
fast as he can throw them ashore.
In other words, in our Christian work,
why do we not go where the fish are9 1t
is not 80 easy to catch souls in church, for
they know that we are trying to take
them. If you can throw your line out into
the world where they are not expecting
you, they will be captured. Is it fair to
take men by such stratagem? Yes. I
would like to cheat five thousand souls
into the kingdom.
CHRISTIANS MUST WORK.
The whole policy of the church of God is
to be changed. Instead of chiefly looking
after the few who have become Christians
our chief efforts will be for those outside.
If after man is converted he cannot take
care Of himself am not going to take care
Of him. If he thinks that am going to
stand and pat him on the back, and feed him
out of an elegant spoon, and watch him
SO that he does not get into draft of
worldliness, he is much mistaken. We
have in our churches great mass of help
less, inane professors, who are doing moth
ing for themselves or for others, who want
us to stop and nurse them. They are so
troubled with doubt as to whether they
are Christians or not. The doubt is set
tied. They are not Christians. The best
we can do with these fish is to throw them
back into the stream and go after them
again with the Gospel net.
go into all the world and preach the
Gospel" says Christ-into the factory, the
engine house, the clubroom; into the
houses of the sick; into the dark lane, into
the damp cellar; into the cold garret; into