The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-09-13

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irreligious enough to speak Of chance
and fate and luck, with reference to
our destinies; yes, the world is yet
too far from her God to realize that
He, indeed, is the infinitely tender,
loving, jealous Father, who plans the
smallest details in His children's daily
life.
And so it happens that in our voy-
age over life's sea, when restless
waves threaten our very existence-in
that fearful hour we see an apparition.
We see, as we think, the hand Of fate
writing our doom-s'the Odds" as the
world expresses it, turned against us.
This apparition holds US spell-bound;
there is no strength or courage within
to enable us to advance: despair sci
zes the heart -shipwreck is imminent.
All, it is at this crisis that Jesus
draws near! But to the discouraged,
to the faithless, He only appears as a
shadowy thing Of dread. So fear
clutches the heart; the form of Jesus
is taken only as an omen of bad luck;
in despair, with fate against him,
many a noble soul has surrendered
his life's bark to the fury of the
storm, and gone down-a lost soul.
Oh, had such an one listened for
the voice Of Jesus, the omen Of fate
as he took it-would have proven to
be Jesus, standing by him, calling
out: s'Be not afraid! It is I! His II
ready to strengthen you, uphold you,
yea, to quiet the storm, to save you!
Only cake me into your life's craft. y
But, alas! here is where we need the
lesson. We are disposed not to be-
lieve that Jesus has to do with our ev-
cry care and trial. We are tempted
to see in our misfortunes only bad
luck or chance or fate, rather than the
form of Jesus. And he who sees fate
OF chance instead of Jesus must be
filed with fear. His every stroke Of
the oar must be made with trepida-
tion-the future must be dark, with
only the light and wisdom Of his own
genius to furnish the brightness Of his
life. Oh, dear friends, away with
such faithlessness that cannot discern
the form of Jesus in the very 6ercest
storm.
Jesus is with US, I repeat, in our
every care and trial. The eye Of faith
can never lose his lovely form. Let
us take up these lines of Hurlburt' s
and make them ours:
"w> will not weep, for God is standing
by Us.
And tears will blind Us to the blessed
sight;
We will not doubt, if darkness still doth
try us
I Our souls have promise of serenest light.
We viii not faint, If heavy burdens bind
uS,
They press no harder than our souls can
bear:
Tho thorniest way lies still behind u.s.
We shall be braver for the past despair.
Oh, not in doubt shall be our journeys
ending;
Sin, with it's fears, shall leave US at the
last:
Ali It's best hopes in glad fulillment
blending,
Life shall be with us when death is past.
Help us, o Father! when the world is
pressing
On our frail hearts, that faint without
their Friend;
Help us, o Father let Thy constant
blessing
Strengthen our weakness till the joyful
end"
All, beloved, there is no darkness
that can hide the soul from itsoSa-
viour; there is no tempest SO loud and
fierce that can hush the voice of Je-
sus. He can ever be heard above the
din of the storm: s'It is I!' There
is no power strong enough to tear us
from Him. As St. Paul would put it,
there is nothing that "shall be able to
separate us from the love of God,
which lis in Christ Jesus our Lord.
If we feel his absence it is because We
fail to discern him with the eye of
faith. Our sight is so imperfect that
we take His presence for some appa-
rition, some omen of luck or chance or
fate.
With the lesson CT the text before us
let us learn to look for Jesus as the
storms Of life grow fierce and more
awful. And let US feel we'll assured
that He is with US, and therefore we
cannot suffer shipwreck; for know this
we'll: He is always master of the stu