The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1897-09-10

waves of trial dash clear over the hur
ricane deck, and the bowsprit is shiV
cred, and the halliards are swept intC
the sea, and the gangway is crowded
with piraticaI disasters-oh, what
would you then do without Christ in
the ship? Young man, take God foi
your portion, God for your guide, Goo
for your help; then all is well; all is
well for time; all shall be well forever
Blessed is that man who puts in the
Lord his trust He shall never be con.
founded.
But my subject also impresses me
with the fact that when people start to
follow Christ they must not expect
smooth sailing. Those disciples got
into the small boats, and l have no
doubt they said: What a beautiful
day this isl What a smooth seal What
bright sky this is! How delightful
is sailing in this boat; and as for the
waves under the keel of the boat, why,
they only make the motion of our little
boat the more delightful" But when
the wind swept down, and the sea was
tossed into wrath, then they found
that following Christ was not smooth
sailing. So you have found it, so ]
have found it. Did you ever notice the
end of the life of the apostles Of Jesus
Christ? You would say that if ever
men ought to have had smooth life, a
/ smooth departure, then those men, dis
ciples of Jesus Christ. ought to have
had such departure and such a life.
st. James lost his head. St. Philip
was hung to death on a pillar. st.
] It, 3 L, 4 IL. r
a halbert. st. Mark was dragged to
/ death through the streets. st. James
the Less was beaten to death with a
| fuller's club. St. Thomas was struck
through with a spear. They did not
| find following Christ smooth sailing.
| Oh, how they were all tossed in the
| tempest! John Huss in the fire; Hugh
| McKail in the hour of martyrdom; the
! Albigenses, the Waldenses, the Scotch
| covenanters-did they find it smooth
| sailing?
But why go to history when L can
find all around me a score of illustra-
tions of the truth of this subject?
That young man in the store trying to
serve God, while his employer SCOTS at
Christianity, the young men in the
tian religion, teasing him, tormenting
him about his religion, trying to get
him mad. They succeed in getting him
mad, saying: You're a pretty Chris
tan Does this young man find it
smooth sailing when he tries to follow
Christ? Here is a Christian girl. Her
father despies the Christian religion;
her brothers and sisters scott at the
Christian religion; she can hardly find
d quiet place in which to say her pray
ers. Did she find it smooth sailing
when she tried to follow Jesus Christ?
Oh, no; all who would live the life of
the Christian religion must suffer per-
secuGOn; if you do not find it in one
way, you will get it in another way.
The question was asked: "Who are
those nearest the throne?" and the an
swer came back: These are they who
came up out of great tribulation;"-
great failing" as the original has it;
great failing, great pounding-'and
had their robes washed and made
white in the blood of the Lamb" Oh,
do not be disheartened Oh, child of
God! take courage. You are in glori-
Gus companionship. God will see you
through all these trials, and He will
deliver you.
My subject also lmpresses me with
the fact that good people sometimes
get very much frightened. In the
tones of these disciples, as they rushed
to the back part of the boat, L find
they are frightened almost to death.
They say: Master, carest Thou not
that we perish?" They had no reason
to be frightened, for Christ was in the
boat. l suppose if we had been there
we would have been just as much af
frighted. Perhaps more.
In all ages very good people get very
much affrighted. 1t is often so in our
day, and men say: why, look at the
bad lectures; look at the spiritualistic
societies; look at the various errors go
ing over the Church of God; we are go
ing to founder; the church is going to
perish, she is going down" Oh, how
many good people are affrighted by
triumphant iniquity in our day, and
think the church of Jesus Christ and
the cause of RICH teousness are going to
be overthrown, and are just as much
affrighted as the disciples of my text
were affrighted? Don't worry, don't
fret, as though iniquity were going to
triumph over righteousness.
A lion goes to a cavern to sleep. He
lies down, with his shaggy name cover
ing the paws. Meanwhile the spiders
spin web across the mouth of the
cavern, and say: 1--WE have captured
him" Gossamer thread after gossamer
thread is spun until the whole front of
the cavern is covered with the spiders
web, and the spiders say: The lion is
done; the lion is fast" After awhile |
the lion has got through sleeping; he
rouses himself, he shakes his name, he |
walks out into the sunlight; he does |
not even know the spiders web is
spun, and with his voice he shakes the |
mountain.
So men come, spinning their sophis-
tries and skepticism about Jesus Christ; |
He seems to be sleeping. They say: |
eve have captured the Lord; He will |
never come forth again upon the ma |
ton; Christ is captured, and captured |
forever. His religion will never make |
any conquest among men," But after |
awhile the Lion of the tribe of Judah |
will rouse Himself and come forth to |
shake nightly the nations.
But there are great many good peo- |
pie who get affrighted in other re-
sDects; they are affrighted in our day |
bout revivals. They say, "Oh." this |
is strong religious gale; we are afraid |
the Church of God is going to upset. |
and there are going to be u great many
people brought into the church that /
are going to be of no use to it," and
they are affrighted whenever they see
a revival taking hold of the churches.
AS though ship captain with 5000 |
bushels of wheat for a cargo should /