The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-09-03

goes smoothly, but after awhile, when
sorrow hovers over the soul, when the
waves of trial ash clear over the hur-
ricane deck and the bowsprit Is shiv-
cred n the halyards are swept into
h sea and the gangway Is crowded
with piratical disasters-oh, what
would you then do tho Christ in
n ship? Young man, take God for
your portion, God for your guide, God
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.
THERE MUST BE ROUGH Wealth
But my subject also impresses me
with the fact that when people start to
follow Christ they must not expect
smooth sailing. These disciples got
into the small boats, and 1 have no
doubt they lie What a beautiful
day this is! What a smooth sea, What
a bright sky his is! How delightful is
sailing in his boat! And as for the
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 1 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 ave had a smooth
life, a smooth departure, hen those
men, the disciples of Jesus Christ
ought to have had such a departure
and such a life.
st. James lost his head. st. Philip
was hung to death on a pillar. st Mat
thew had his life dashed out with a
halberd. 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
A~lbigenses, the Waldenses, the Scotch
COvenanters-did they find it smooth
sailing?
But why go to history when I can
find all around me q score of illustra-
ions of the truth Of this subject-that
young man in the store trying to serve
God while his employer SCOTS at Chris
tianity, he young men in the same
store antagonistic to the Christian re-
ligion, teasing him, tormenting him
about his religion, trying to get him
mad? They succeed in getting him
mad, saying, You are a pretty Chris
tian!" Does this young man find it
smooth sailing when he tries to follow
Christ? Here is a Christian girl. Her
father despises the Christian religion;
her mother despises the Christian re-
ligion; her brothers and sisters scott at
the Christian religion; h can hardly
find a quiet place in which to say her
Die 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 perse
cutiOn. If you do not find it in n
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! You are in
glorious companionship. God will see
you through all these trials, and he Will
deliver you.
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
DdCh DdIl u Liz oOoS l. AAiN SHNS ~0
frightened almost to death. They say,
Master, carest thou not that we per
ish?" They had no reason to be fright
ened, for Christ was in the boat. L sup
pose if we had been there we would
have been just as much affrighted.
Perhaps more.
NO NEED TO WORRY.
In all ages very good people get very
much affrighted. It is often so in u
day, and men say: why, look at the
bad lectures; look at the spirituallstlc
societies; look at the various errors 60
ing over the church of God. We are
going to founder; the church is going to
perish: she is going down." Oh, how
manyg good people are affrighted by trl-
umphant iniquity in u day n think
the church Of Jesus Christ n n
cause of righteousness are going to be
overthrow 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 into a cavern to sleep. he
lies down., with his shaggy name cover
ing the paws. Meanwhile the spiders
spin a. web across the mouth OF the caV-
ern and say, I'VE have captured him.
Gossamer thread after gossamer thread
is spun until the hole front of the
cavern is covered with h spiders web
and the spiders say, The lion Is oone;
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, with
his voice he shakes the mountain.
So men come, spinning their sophls-
teries and skepticism about Jesus
Christ. He seems to be sleeping.
They say: 1--WE have captured the
Lord. He will never come forth again
upon the nation. 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 him-
self and come forth to shake nightly
the nations. What is a SPIDERS wen
to the aroused lion? Give truth n
error a fair grapple, and truth VIII
coroa off victor