Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1894-03-02


shin is wrecked, for my business now is to
watch the sea after the keel has plowed 1t.
No phosphorescence in the wake OF that ship,
brt behind il two souls struggling in the
waya--tvo Young men destroyed by reckless
skentieism. an unllumined ocean beneath
and on all sides of them. Blackness OF dark
ness.
You know what gloriously good man
Rev John Newton was the most OF his life,
but before his conversion he was very
wicked sailor, and on board the ship Har-
WITCH instilIed inhdeity and vice into the
mind of q young man-principles which de-
strovei him. Afterward the two met, and
Newton tried to undo his bad work. but In
vain. The young man became worse and
worse and died profigate, horrliylng those
who stood by him in his last moments
Better look out what bad influence you
start, for you may not be able to stop IT, II
does not require very great force to ruin
others. Why was it that many years ago
great food nearly destroyed New Orleansf
A crawflsh hal burrowod into the banks OF
the river until the ground was saturated and
the banks weakened until the flood burst.
But find here man who starts out in
life with the determination that he will
never see suffering but he will try to al
lev,ate II, and never see Encouragement
but he will try to cheer it. AMI never meet
with ANYBODY but he will try to do him
COOL. Gatting his strength from God, he
starts from home With high purpose Of doing
all the good he can possibly do in one day.
Whether standing behind the counter, or
talking in the business Office with pen be-
hin | his ear, or making bargain with fell
low trader, or ont in the field discussing
with his next neighbor the wisefit rotation OF
in b,c CHI - obo 4.
ing sole leather, there is something in bis
face, and in his piraseo'ogy and in his man
ner that demonstrates the grace OF God in
his heart He can talk on religion without
Rwk Wardy drag ying it in by the ears. He
loves God and loves the souls OF all whom he
meets AMI is interested in their present an
eternal destiny.
For fifty or sixty years he lives that life,
AMI then gets thrOu ,h with it and goes into
heaven a ransoned soul. But am not going
10 describe the port into which that ship has
entered
am not going to describe the Pilot who
met him outside at the "lightship." l am
not going to say anything about the crowds
of frien Is who met him on the crystalline
wharyes up which he goes Oh steps OF
chrysoprases. For Col IN His words to JOB
,1llls me to look at the path Of foam in the
wake of that ship, AMI 1 tell you it is all
R-gieam with spleniors Of kindness done,
and rolling with illumined tears that were
wiped away, and a-dash with congratula-
tons. and clear out to tho horizon in all di-
rections is the sparkling, flashing, billowing
phosphorescence OF Christian life. she
maketh path to shine after him..
And here l correct one Of the mean no.
tons which at some time takes possession OF
all of us, and that is as to the brovity of hui
man life. When L bury some very usafdl
man, clerical or lay. in his thirtieth or for
tieth year, l say: "What a waste Of ener-
ges 1t was hardly worth while for him to
get ready for Christian work. for he had so
soon to quit it, But the fact is that | may
insure any man or woman VINO does any
cool on 4 large or small scale for q life on
earth as long as the world lasts. Sickness,
trolley car accidents, death itself, can no
mora destroy his life than they can tear
down one Of the rings OF Saturn. You can
start one good word, one kind act, onS
cheerful smile, on a mission that will last
until the world becomes bonfire, and out
of that blaze II will pass into the heavens,
never to halt as long as God lives.
There were in theseventeenth century men
and women whose names you never heard
of who are to-day influencing schools, coll
leges, churches, Nations You can no more
measure the gracious results Of their life
time than va could measure the length and
breadth ana depth Of the phosp1orescence
last night following the ship OF the White
Star line 1909 miles out at sea. How the
courage and conservation OF others inspire
us to follow, as u general in the American
army, cool amid the flying bullets, inspired
n trembling soldier who said aherward, 81
was nearly scared to death, but l saw tho
old mans white mustache over his shoulder
and went on" Aye, we are all following
somebody. either in right or wrong direc-
lions.
A few days ago 1 stood, beside the gar
landed casket of gospel minister, and in
nv remarks had occasion to recall a snowy
night in farmhouse when was boy an
an evangelist spending night at my fathers
house. who said something so tender and
beautiful and impressive that it led me into
the kingdom of God and decided my destiny
for this world and the next You Will. be-
fore twenty-four hours go by, meet some man
or woman with big pack OF care and trou-
bic. and you may say something to him or
her that will endure until this world shall
have been so far lost in the past that nothing
but the stretch of angelic memory will be
able to realize that it ever existed at all.
I am not talking Of remarkable men and
women. but of what ordinary folks can do.
am not speaking of the plosphorescsnce
in the track of a Newfoundland fishing
smack. God makes thunder0olts out OF
sparks. and out of the small words and deeds
OF q small life He can launch power that
will fash and burn and thunder through tho
eternities
How do you like this prolongation OF your
earthly life by deathless inhuence2 Many u
babe that died at SIX months Of age by the
anxiety created in the parents heart to meet
that Child in realms seraphic is living yet In
the transformed heart and life of those
parents AMI will live on forever in the his
tory OF that family. If this be the opportu-
nifty OF ordinary souls, what Is the oppor'
lanty of those who have especial intellectual
or social or monetary equipmentH
Have you any arithmetic capable OF esti-
mating the influence of our good and gra-
cious friend who a few days ago went up to
rest-George w. Childs, of Philadelphia?
From newspaper that was printed for
thirty years without one word OF delama-
ton or scurrlity or scandal, and putting
chief emphasis on virtue and charity
and clean intelligence, he reaped fortune
for himself ard then distributed vast
amount Of it among the poor and Struggling
rrttino his invalid and aged reporters on