The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1894-04-07

stand back from some forms of hill
aritv in which he once inGulged: but
tbere comes into hS sOnl an immense
satisfaction. 4 vOunm man not a
Christian depcnds upon worldly sue
ccsses to keen his spirits up Now he
$ prospercd. now he has large
salary now he has a beautiful ward
robe, now he has pleasant friends, now
he has more money than he Knows
how TO spend: everything goes bright
and well with HIM. But trouble comes
there are MANY Young men in the
house this morning who can testify
ont Of their own experience that some
times to Young men trouble does come
his friends are gone, his salary
is cone. his health is gone: he
Goes down, down. He becomes
sour, cross, queer misanthropic.
blomcs the world blames society.
blamcsthc church blamcs everything.
PUSHES perhaps to the Intoxicating cup
to drown his trouble, but instead of
drowninc his trouble, he browns his
body and browns his soul
But here is a Christian Young man.
Trouble comes TO him. Does he give
No? No, He throws himself back on
the resources Of heaven. He saws:
"God is nv Father Ont of all these
disasters I shall nluck ADVANTAGE for
nv soul. All the PROMISES are mine.
Christ is mine, Christian companion-
shin is mine, heaven is mine. What
thouuh nv annarel he worn outp Christ
gives me robe of Righteousness.
What thouph nv money he Gomez I
have a title deed to the whole mi.
verse in the promise All are vours ,
What thouph NV worldly friends fall
avavp Ministerino anrels are NV
bodvonard What tbonCh NV fare he
moor and NV bread he scantq sit at
the kings banouetr'
Oh, what a Door shallow stream is
worldly endowment compared with the
deep broad, OVERLOOKING river of Gods
peace, rolling midway in the Christian
heart. Sometimes YOU have gone out
on the ironbound beach of the sea
when there has been storm on the
ocean, and you have seen the waves
dash into white foam at your feet.
They did not do YOU anv harm. While
there you thought of the chapter
written by the Psalmist, and perhaps
YOU recited it to Yourself while the
storm was making commentary upon
the passage: "God is our refuge and
strength, a very present help in time
of trouble. Therefore will not fear,
though the earth be removed, and
though the mountains be carried into
the midst of the sea, though the
waters thereof roar and be troubled,
though the mountains shake with the
swelling thereof Oh, how independ-
ent the religion of Christ makes man
of worldly success and worldly cir
cumstances! Nelson. the nipht before
his last battle, said: "To-morrow I
shall win either peerage or a grave
in Westminster Abbey" And if does
not make much difference to the
Christian whether he rises or falls in
worldly matters; he has everlasting
renown anyway. Other plumage NAV
be torn in the blast but that sonl
adorned with Christian grace is fairer
than the dove. it's wings covered with
silver, and it's feathers with gold.
You and | have found out that peo.
pie who pretend to be happy are not
always happy. Look at that Young
man caricaturing the Christian re-
ligion, scoffing at Everything good
going into registering drunkenness,
dashing the champagne bottle to the
floor, rolling the glasses from the bar
room counter, laughing, shouting,
stamping the floor. Is he happy? |
will 90 to his midnight pillow. will
see him turn the gas off | will ask
myself if the pillow on which he sleeps
is as soft as the pillow on which that
pure young man sleeps. All. no. When
he opens his eyes in the morning, will
the world be as bright to him as to
that young man who retired at night
saying his prayers, invoking Gods
blessing upon his own soul and the
souls of his comrades, and father and
mother and brothers and sisters far
away? No, no! His laugh will ring