St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-04-29
or fiery Martyrdom. Whils tsasen was
plying, and earth was mcekiag, and
hell was deriding, He took the vinegar.

acerbity-a dose they could not swal-
low, draft that set their teeth on
edge and a-rasping-i preach the onl-
nipotent sympathy Of Jesus Christ.
The sister of Herschel, the astrono-
mer, used to spend much of her time
polishing the telescopes through which
he brought the distant worlds nigh,
and it is my ambition now this hour
TO clear the lens of your spiritual
vision, so that, looking through the
dark night Of your earthly troubles,
you may behold the glorious constel-
lation of Saviour's mercy and Sa-
viour's love. Oh. my friends, do not
try TO carry all your ills alone. Do not
put your poor shoulder under the
Apennines. when tine Almighty Christ
is ready to lift up all your burdens.
When you have a trouble of any kind
you rush this way and that way. and
you wonder what this man will say
about it. ard you try this prescription
and that prescription and the other
prescription. o.. why do You not go
straight to the Heart of Christ, know
ing that for our own SHINING and auf-
fering race He took the vinegar:
There was vessel that had heen
tossed of the seas for great many
weeks and been disabled. and the sup
ply Of water gave out. and the crew were
dying of thirst. After r,any days they
saw sail against the sky. They sig
nailed it. Whe- the vessel came nearer
the people on the suffering ship cried{o
the captain of the other vessel: "S@nd
us some w.ter. We are dying for lick
Of water" And the captain Of the ves-
sci that was hailed responded: dip
your buckets where you are. You are
in the mouth of the Amazon, and there
are scores of miles Of fresh water al:
around about you and hundreds of feet
Deep" And then they dropped their
buckets over the side of the vessel and
brought up the clear. bright, fresh wa
ter and put out the fire of their thirst.
So hail you to-day. after a long and
perilous voyage, shirsting for comfort
and thirsting for eternal life. and /
ask you what is the use Of going in that
state while all around you
is the deep. clear, wide, sparkling food
of Gods sympathetic mercy. Oh, dip
your buckets and drink and live for
ever "Whosoever will, let him come
and take of the water Of life freely"
Yet there are people who refuse this
Divine sympathy, and they try to fight
their own battles. ard drink their own
vinegar, and carry their own burdens.
and their life, instead of being n tri.
umphal march from victory to victory.
will be hobbling on from defeat to
defeat, until they make final sur
render to retributive disaster. Oh. I
wish l could to-day gather up in my
arms all the woes of men and women,
all their heartaches, all their disap-
all their chagrins. and just
take them right to the feet of SYM
Jesus. He took the vinegar.
Mana Sahib, after he had lost his last
battle in India fell back into the jun
giles of Iheri-jungles so full of malaria
that no mortal can. live there. He car
ried with him also a ruby Of great lus-
ter and of great value. He died in those
jungles. His body was never found.
and the ruby has never yet been recov-
cred. And I fear that to-day there are
some who will fall back from this sub
ject into the sickening, killing jungles
Of their sin. carrying gem Of infirdte
value-a priceless soul-to be lost for
ever. Oh. that that ruby might flash
ia the eternal coronation! But, nci
There are some. fear. who turn away
from this offered mercy and comfort
and Divine sympathy. Notwithstanding
that Christ. for all who would accept
His grace, trudged the long way. and
suffered the lacerating thongs, and re- |
ceivcd in His face the expectorations Of
the filthy mob. and for the guilty. and
the discouraged. and the disconnected
of the race. took the vinegar. May God
Almighty break the infatuation and
cad you out into the strong hope. and
The good cheer. and the glorious sun
shine of this triumphant Gospel!