The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1900-06-22

SnOulu slOOp, put now IndL nave
found it, why should stoop any long
err" and he threw away his crutches
and was well again. How illustrative
Of the power of temptation! You think
it is weak and crippled influence, but
give it chance and it will be a tyrant
In your soul; it will grind you to at
oms. No man has finally and forever
overcome temptation until he has left
the world. But what are you TO do
with these temptations? Tell every
body about them? All, what a silly
man you would be! AS well might a
commander in a fort send word to
the enemy which gate OF the castle Is
least barred as for you TO go and tell
what all your frailties are and what
your temptations are. The world will
only caricature you, will only scoH at
you. What, then, must a man do?
When the wave strikes him with ter
rife dash, shall he have nothing to
hold OH to? In this contest with "the
world, the flesh and the devil" shall
man have no help, no counsel? Our
text intimtes something different. In
those eyes that wept with the Bethany
sisters | see shining hope. In that
voice which spake until the grave
broke and the widow Of Main had
back her lost son and the sea slept
and sorrow stupendous woke up in the
arms of rapture-in that voice l hear
the command and the promise, Cast
thy burden on the Lord, and he will
sustain thee" Why should you carry
your burdens any longer? Oh. you
weary soul Christ has been in this con.
flict. He says: my grace shall be
sufficient for you. You shall not be
tempted above that you are able to
bear" Therefore with all your tempta-
lions, go, as these disciples did, and
tell Jesus.
Again, | commend the behavior of
the disciples to all those who are
abused and to the slandered and per-
secuted. When Herod put John to
death, the disciples knew that their
own heads were not safe. And do you
know that every John has a Herod?
There are persons in life who do not
wish you very well. Your misfortunes
are honeycombs to them. Through
their teeth they hiss at you, mislnter-
pref your motives and would be glad
to see you upset.
Suffering Persecution.
No man gets through life without
having pommelng Some SANDER
comes after you, horned and husked
and hoofed, to gore and trample you.
And what are you to do? | tell you
plainly that all who serve Christ must
suffer persecution. 1t is the worst
sign in the world for you to be able
to say, Il have not an enemy in the
world" A woe is pronounced in the
Bible against the one of whom every
body speaks we'll If you are at peace
with all the world and everybody likes
you and approves your work, it is be-
cause you are an idlec in the Lords
vineyard and are not doing your duty
All those who have served Christ, how
ever eminent, all have been maltreated
at some stage of their experience. You
know 1t was go in the time Of George
Wh!teflcld, when he stood and invited
men into the kingdom of God. What
did the learned DR.. Johnson say OF
him? lie pronounced him miser-
able mountebank. How was it when
Robert Hall stood and spoke as scarce
ly any uninspred man ever did speak
of the glories of heaven? And as he
stood Sabbath after Sabbath preaching
on these themes his face kindled with
man, said of this man: Robert Hall is
only acting, and the smile on his face
is q reflection of his own vanity"
John Wesley turned all England up
side down with Christian reform, and
yet the punsters were after him, and
the meanest jokes in England were
perpetrated about John Wesley. What !
is true OF the pulpit is true OF tho pew;
it is true Of the street; it is true of
the shop and the store. All who will |
live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer |
persecution. And l set it down as
the very worst sign in all your Chris
tian experience IL you are. any of you,
at pCdCG Will ali tie WOIlu. ne re- |
ligion CT Christ is war. 1t is a chal-
lenge to the world, the flesh and the
devil" and if you will buckle on the |
whole armor OF God you will find a
great host disputing your path between
this and heaven.
An Ever Present Friend.
Often when we were in trouble we
sent for our friends, but they were far
away; they could not get to us. We |
wrote to them, Come right away" or
telegraphed, Take the next train"
They came at last, yet were a great
while in coming or perhaps were too
late. But Christ is always near-be- |
fore you. behind you, within you No
mother ever threw her arms around |
her child with such warmth and costa
sy of affection as Christ has shown to-
ward you. Close at hand-nearer than |
the staff upon which you lean. nearer
than the cup you put to your lip. |
" fhon h. fzp