Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-09-07

waves under the keel of the boat, why,
they only make the motion of our lit
tie boat the more delightful" But
when the winds 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 l have found it. Did you ever no.
tice the end of the life of the apostles
of Jesus Christ? You would say that
life, smooth departure, then those
men, the disciples of Jesus Christ,
ought to have had such a departure
and such life.
st. James lost his head. st. Philip
was hung to death on a pillar. ST..
Matthew had his life dashed out with
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 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
sailing9
My subject also impresses me with
the fact that good people sometimes
get very much frightened. In the tones
of these disciples as they rushed into
the back part of the boat, find they
are frightened almost to death. They
say: Master, carest thou rot 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 alright
ed. 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 Spritualistic
societies; look at the various errors
going over the Church Of God; we are
going to founder; the Church is
going to perish; she is going
down." Oh, how many good people
are affrighted by triumphant in
EQUITY in our day, and think the church
of Jesus Christ and the cause of right
eousness 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 in
iquity were going to triumph over
Righteousness.
A lion goes into cavern to steep. He
lies down, with his shaggy name COW
ering the paws. Meanwhile the spiders
spin a web across the mouth OF the
cavern. and say, I'VE 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 noun
tain.
So men come, spinning their sophis-
tries and scepticism about Jesus
Christ; he seems to be sleeping. They
say, I'VE have captured the Lord; he
will never come forth again upon the
nation; Christ is captured, and cap
tured 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.
What is a spiders web to the aroused
lion? Give truth and error fair Crap
pie, and truth will come off victor.
But there are great many good peo-
pie who get affrighted in other re-
spects; they are affrighted in our day
about revivals. They say, "Oh! this is
a strong religious gale; we are afraid
the Church of God is going to upset,
and there are going to be a 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 five
thousand bushels of wheat for a cargo
should say, some day, coming upon
Qock, uTOW OVeTDOdTu ali the cargo, -
and the sailors should say, why, cap
tain, what do you mean? Throw over
all the cargo?" oh" says the cap
tain, I'VE have peck of chaff that has
got into this FIVE thousand bushels
wheat. and the only way to get rid of
the chaff is to throw all the wheat
overheard" Now, that is a great deal
wiser than the talk of a great many
Christians who want to throw over
board all the thousands and tens Of
thousands of souls who have been
brought in through great awakenings.
Throw all overheard because there is a
peck of chaff, quart of chaff, pint of
chaff! / say, let them stay until the
last day; the Lord will divide the chaff
from the wheat.
Oh, that these gales from heaven
might sweep through all our churches!
Oh, for such days as Richard Baxter
saw in England and Robert McCheyne
saw in Dundee! Oh, for such days as
Jonathan Edwards saw in Northamp-
ton! l have often heard my father tell
Of the fact that in the early part of this
century revival broke out in Somer-
vile, N. j., and some people were very
pnnh auifofad ahouf n Thav said