The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-05-02

Sermon Sunday Night ss Bethan,
Church by o. q. BudAinsson.
Prov. n. 70. There is . lion in the way
30 the sisthful man said, and in
smother place says that Tho would bs
slain by It." He said there was q lion
but there was none; 1t was only an
lion. He was lazy mar
and wanted to excuse himself from
earning living for himself and his
family. This man now would say
that the world owed him living
He profeseed that he wanted to lind
work, but when be found 1t he did moi
want IL; he had got job, but there
was no money in. IT," he had q
days work, but IL was o bad day and
he would take cold; he saw lion In
the way. II he were boy or cir
going to the High School, and theil
parents wanted them to keep on. they
would be seeing lion in the way
The lesson would be .too hard" foi
them to learn; the teacher was too
cross" for them; there wonld be nr
use for them to try for promotion
and what was the use. anyhow
$50 they see imaginary lions.
But there are other applications
People see imaginary lions when they
should decide to serve the Lord-be
come christians. One OF these beasts
|of the Imagination is Fear.
A great many OF these evil beasts
Originate In this. Fear is very pro
|ductive Of imaginary evils and disas
tiers. A person filled with fear car
produce o menagerie OF wild boasts a,
short notice.
A couple OF boys were on their way
homo one night; II was getting along
III the evening. The way was rathel
lonely and they were fearful Of seeing
some evil creature. Suddenly there
appeared before them the outlines Of
a man in the darkness. II was only 9
cedar shrub. but their minds were ex
Cited, and their fears led them to set
the form of man, and one in thai
lplace ut that time could be only to dc
the m harm. and they started to ruf
with all their might and In their ex
cited condition the man followed
them right up to the door OF theil
home. In tho same neighborhoot
there lived a colored man OF a super
lstitious nature.
Near his home was a wild, rocky ant
woody tract of country, tangled will
Iunderbrush. A few days before Their,
had been killed there IL red snake
known as the coppor-head specie
This man had occasion to go through
the tract one afternoop late In the day
He was pretty. nervous about it AMI
had not gone far before he was sur,
he had tread upon q red snake. !
greatly excited him and he looked
around and was sure that he saw
another. and he became terrified ant
wildly dashed away.
The faster he ran the more snaliel
he saw; every dry stick was rec
snake, every rustic of leaf or til,
Icrackle of dry twig was a hiss, ant
he came into the village fairly livid
reeking with persplratlon and wei
jnigh exhausted. and said that thu
woods were full OF red snakes. OF al
those who heard his story not ono he
llieves to this day that he saw a single
SNAKE; they were all imaginary ones
Not unlike this we are prone. through
ia fearful Imagination, to people tht
iregions OF duty before US with terribl,
creatures.
And 1t would seem the most SO wher
we contemplate taking the most i'm
lportant step Of our lives, that oil enter
ling the service of God. When Israe
WIS about to enter tho land OF Canal
there they saw the giants. the sons oil
Anak; In comparison they were only
as grasshoppers, and they were terri
fled and turned back to die In the
wilderness So IL Is ut the border line
lof the heavenly Canaan; there are seer
the imaginary lions. Some OF these
whom named are: II fear that l sham
hold out. afraid that will not be
received by the SAVIOR" afraid that
will ri n Qnntnfhtnsv 70 teh l..
laughed at" and 30 fear has an eye fol-
the lions in the way.
Some who are sitting here to.nigh.
have been seeing them, and made fear.
full by them and hindered from the most
solemn duty by them. Some Chris.
tians arc hindered and made fearful
by these wild beasts. They fear that
some sickness will come or has come.
and 1t will terminate fatally; they
Tear that they shall come to want;
they Tear that dying grace will fail
them In that hour and SO their fears
keep before them the lions. What all
want to do Is to put away the glaeses
OF fear from their eyes and put on the
glasses OF trust God and then they
will see no lions. These terrible beasts
exist only in imagination, and II but
the point OF vision is changed, they
all vanish. The other night we read
OF how the Lord made tile apostles
embark In their boats tn Gro IS the lake
while no went into the mountains to
pray. But In the voyage across they
were hihdered by the tempest, and In
the third witch OF the night the Sa-
vlor came to them walking on the
water. They were terrified and cried
out for fear. for they thought 1t WIS a
spirit. Il ghost. But ha said 1T ie |. be
not afraid" and their fears departed
and the phantom was their Lord. when
they saw with clear vision.
Once on time tile king OF Syria de-
terntned that he would slay the
prophet Elisha. He heard that Elisha
and his servant had gone TO Dothan.
The king OF Syria sent his host there
and quietly surrounded the town In
the night, and In the morning the SER
want OF the prophet rose up and saw
the charlots and the horsemen sur
the place upon the hillsldes,
and filled with fear he ran to tell Elisha,
and says, ALAS. how shall we meet
Them Fear not" says tho prophet
they that be for US are more than
they be against u.s." SO he culmed his
fears and prayed the Lord that his eyes
might he opened. and then the servant
saw tho hillsides filled with horses and
chariois OF fire for the protection of
his master. So with every one who
puts away fear and trusts uod. All
the lions IN the way OF the child of
God are imaginary ones. Ihave served
Him many years, and came In timitl,
fearful youth to his service, but have
not seen a real lion yet; saw thom ia
my fears, but when l trusted God they
all vanished.
"Can't' 10 another name for these
imaginary lions.
Can't make up my mind to be
christian. Cart leave of my bad
habits" Can't do that duty" These
and many others are names for these
imaginary lions. All this, like tho
man, is saying, There Is n
lion in the way, and | shall he slain"
when there Is none there. Who IL 1t
that ever saw a real lion that stood be-
tween them and duty that they
owed God? / never have. you never
have. When l etood upon the threah.
hold, contemplating Christian life. /
thought | saw them, was sure OF it.
But when trusted God and pushed
IN they were not there. / looked for
hem, l looked for them Just where
some OF you arc sure that you are
seeing them.
But have looked there. right where
you said he was. and he Is not there.
Aud there Ia not christian In this
louse tonight who has seen any moro
II them than / have. They will tell
iou just as do that 1t was all dein-
sion. and when they trusted God they
ound 1t so. We all have looked all
ilonz the way from the first of our
tart up to this present hour, and we
lavo not seen one. More than that
'ur Lord himself told you that there