The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-02-25

tvmo asnore BECAUSE All the otners, accord
ing to your theory. are going to get shore.
ION may have n different theory about chem
istry about astronomy about the atmosphere
from that which Others adopt. but you are
not therefore hindered from action,
Because your theory OF light is different
from Others do not refuse to open your eyes.
Because your theory OF air Is different YOU
do not refuse to breathe. Because your
theory about the stellar system is different
You do not refuse 10 acknowledge the north
star. Why should the fact that your theolo-
gical theories are different hinder you from
acting upon what you know? II you have
not a whole ship fastened In the theological
drydocks to bring you to wharfage, You have
NJ least q plank. 'Sone on broken pieces
OF the ship"
but l don't believe In reviyals!, Then
go to your room, and all alone, with your
door locked, give yoar heart to God, and
join some church where the Thermometer
never gets higher than fifty In the shade.
"But l do not believe in baptism" Come
In without it and settle that matter after
ward, d there are so many in.
consistent Christians" Then come
in and show them by a good example
how professors should act. "But | don't
believe in the Old Testament Then
come in on tho New. "But | don't like tho
book OF Romans" Then come in on Mat
theDor Luke. Refusing to come TO Christ,
whom you admit to DO the Saviour Of tho
lost, because you cannot admit other things,
you are like a man gu, there in that Meditor-
ranean tempest and tossed In the Melita
breakers, refusing to come ashore until he
can mend the pieces OF the broken ship.
hear him say; az won't 70 In on any of these
planks until | know in what part OF the
ship they belong. When | can get the wind
lass in the right place, aud tho sails SGT, and
tnat Keel piece where it belongs. and that
Moor timber right, AMI the ropes u%ntunglcd,
| Will go ashore. Lam an old sailor. and
know all about ships for forty years, and as
soon as | can get the vessel alloa, in good
shape will come in A man drifting hv on
apiece OF wood overncar> him and says:"You
VIII drown before you get that shin re-
constructed. Better do rs | am doing. |
know nothing about ships, and never saw
ono before came on board this. and | can
not swim n stroke. but | am going ashore on
this shivcred timber" Tho man in the
oflng, while trying 10 mend his ship, goes
down. The MAJ who trusted 10 tho plank
Is saved. Oh, my brother, lot your smashed
up system OF theology 20 to tho bottom.
while you come In on II splintcrcl spar
Some on broken pieces OF the ship"
III you can believe nothing else, You GER
tainly believe In vicarlous suffering, for YOU
see II almos' every day in some shape. Tho
steamship kntckcr5Ock"r, Of tho Cromwell
line. running bet wern New Orleans and New
York, was in great storms, and tho captain
and crew saw th" 'hoou + Mary d. Gran
NOR. uf Philadelphia, Ia distress. Tho
woathrrcoli, the waves mountain high, the
ilrst ofirer OF the steamship nni four men
put out in "A lileboat to savn the crow OF the
schooner, AM reache the vessel and
W. 1t out OF danger, the wind shifting so
TINT the schooner was saved. But tho five
men OF the steamship coming back, their
boat en- sized, yet righ,el again md came
on, the sailors coated with Ice. Tho boat
capSiaed again, and three times upset and
was righted, ani u line was thrown the poor
fellows, but their hands wcrs frozen 40 thoy
could not grasp 1t, aad a grcl, wave rolled
oyer thor, aud thay wont down, never
to rise again I'LL tho sea gives up its
dead. Appreciate that hero SIN and sell
Sacrifices Of the brave fellows all who cnn,
ana can Wa not appreciate the Christ who
putout into n more biting cold and into a
more overwhelming surge to bring us out OF
infinite peril into everlasting safety? Tho
wave OF human hate rolled over him from
one side ana the wave Of. heilish fury rolled
over.ia son the other side. oh. the thick
ness oil the nisnt nnd the thunder OF the
tempest into which Christ plunged for our
hpPNuSs
Come in on the narrow beam Of the cross.
Let all else 30 and cling to that: putt that
under you, aud with the earnestness of>a
swimmer struggling for his life put out for
shore. There Is u great warm iiro OF well
already built, and already many,
who Were rs far out as you are.
nre standing In its genial and
heavenly glow. Tho angels OF Gods
rescue aro wadiny out into the surf to clutch
your hand, aud they know how exhausted
You are, and all tho redeemed prodignls Of
heaven are on the beach with now white
robes to clothe all those who como In on
broken pieces OF the ship.
My sympathios are for such all the
mors because | was naturally skeptical.
disposed to question everything about
this life and the next, and was In dan
OF being farther out to sea than any
OF tho 27G in the Mediterranean break
ers, and | was sometimes tho annoyance
OF my theological professor because |
asked SO many questions. But ] came
in on II plank. knew Christ wa5the Saviour
OF sinners and that | was II sinner, and | got
ashore, and | do not propose to go out on
that sen again. ] have not for thirty minutes
discussed tho controverted points Of theology |
In thirty yenrs, and during the rest OF my
life l do not propose to discuss them for
thirty seconds.
] would rather In n mud scOw try to
the worst cyclone that ever swep,
up from the Caribbean, than risk my immor.
tai soul Ia useless aud p~crilous discussions
IN which some OF my brethren in the minis.
try are indulging. They remind mo OF u
company OF sailors standing on the Rams.
cnte pier head, from which the lifeboats are
launched, and coolly discussing the
styles Of oarlocks and how
u boat ought to set IN the water while q
Is la full blast and there are three
crowded with passengers going to
pieces in the offing. An old tar, the muscles
of his face working with nervous excitement,
'ries out: "This Is no time to discuss such
things. Man tho lifeboat! Who will volun.
Out with her into the surf! Pull, my
ads; pull for tho wreck! Ha, ha! Now
We have them. Lift them In aud lay them
on the bottom OF the boat. Jack, you
ny to bring them TO. Put these flannels
around their heads and feet, and / will. pull
or the shore. God help me! There! Landed!
iuzza." When there ARE so many struggling
II the waves OF sin and sorrow and wretch
let all else 60 but salvation for time
nd salvation forever
You admit you are all broken up, ono de-
'ade OF your life gone by, two decades, three
lecades, four decades, a half century, perhaps