Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-12-07

positive faith of that sailor boy that
Capt. Judkins, of the steamship Scotia.
picked up in a hurricane. go aloftl
said Capt. Judkins TO his mate.
and look out for wrecks" Before
the mate had gon far up the
ratlines, he shouted: "A wreck!
wreclx.' 'Where away?" said Capt.
Judkins. "Off the port bow, " was the
answer. Lifeboats were lowered and
forty men volunteered to put out across
the angry sea for the wreck They
came back with dozen shipwrecked,
and among them a boy of twelve years.
who are you?' said Capt. Judkins.
The answer was: II am a Scotch boy.
My father and mother are dead and
am on my way to America" What
have you here?" said Capt. Judkins,
as he opened the boys jacket and took
hold of a rope around the boys
body. 1T is rope" said the boy.
But what is that tied by this rope
under your arm?" THAT sir, is my
mothers Bible She told me never to
lose that Gould you not have saved
something else?' Not and saved
that" did you expect to go DOWN.
YES, sir, but / meant to take my
/ mothers Bible down with me.
Bravo said Capt. Judkins, 81 will
take care Of You" That boy demon
strated certainty and a confidence
that like. just in proportion as you
have few ''ifs" of incredulity in your
religion, will You find a comfortable
religion. My full and unquestionine
faith in il is founded on the fact that
( it soothes and sustains in time OF
/ trouble. ! do not believe that any man
/ who ever lived had more blessings and
prosperity than have received from
God and the world. But | have had
trouble enough TO allow me oppor-
unity for finding out whether our re-
! ligion is of any use in suen exigency.
| have had fourteen great bereave
ments. to say nothing of lesser be-
reayements. for was the youngest OF
a large family. | have had as much
persecution as comes TO most people. !
have had all kinds of trial, except Sc
we're and prolonged sickness, and ]
would have been dead long ago, but
for the consolatory power of religion.
ANY ItAARlDli Will ~ lAiiit VI ltiRfl
perity. Buddhism will do. Confueian-
ism win do Theosophy will do. No
religion at all will do. But when the
world gets after you and defames your
best deeds. when bankruptcy takes the
place of large dividends. when You fold
for the last sleep the still hands over
the still heart of your old father whc |
has been planning for Your welfare all
these years. or you close the eyes OF |
your mother who has lived in your life,
ever since before you were born, re-
moving her spectacles because she will |
have clear vision in the home to which
she has gone, or you give the last kiss
to the child reclining amid the flowerA
that pile the caslet and looking as nat
ural and life-like as she ever did re
clining in the cradle, then the only |
religion worth anything is the old
fashioned religion of the Gospel of Je'
sus Christ. ] would give more in such
a crisis for one of the promises ex.
pressed in half verse of the old Book
than for a whole library containing all
the productions of all the other reli-
gions of all the ages The other reli-
gions are a sort of cocaine to benumb
and deaden the soul while bereave-
ment and misfortune do their work
but our religion is inspiration, illumi.
nation, mparadisation. 1t is a mix
ture of sunlight and hallelujah. Do
not adulterate it with one drop of the
tincture of incredulity.
Another Bible .''if," is the 'if' OF
eternal significance. Solomon gives us
that ''if'' twice in one sentence, when
he says: IF thou be wise, thou shalt
be wise for myself; but, If thou scorn.
est, thou alone shalt bear it, Christ
gives us that ''if' when he says: IF
thou hadst known in this thy day, the
things which belong unto thy peace,
but they are hidden from thine eyes"
Paul gives us that ''if'' when he saws:
''If they shall enter into my rest" All
those 'ifs" and score more that
might recall put the whole RESPONSE
bility of our salvation on ourselves
Christ's willingness to pardon No 'if''
about that. Christ's willingness to help:
No ''if'' about that. Realms of glory
awaiting the righteous: No 'if-' about
that. The only ''if' in the whole case
worth moments consideration is the
'if' that attaches itself 70 the
question as to whether we will ac-
cept. whether we will repent, whether
we will believe, whether we will rise
forever. Is it not time that we take
our eternal future off that swivel? Is
It not time that we extirpate that
''if," that miserable 'if,' that hazard
Gus ''ifg' We would not allow this
uncertain ''if' to stay long in any
thing else of Importance. Let some
one say in regard to a railroad bridge. !
II have reasons for asking if that I
bridge is safe" and you would not !
cross it. Let someone say, II have
reasons to ask if that steamer is trust
worthy and you would not take
on it. Let someone suggest in !
'egard to a property that you are
bout to purchase, Il have reason to 7