Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-06-15

NeSi OF tue Oo3t. why. they only make
the motion OF our little boat the more
delightful" But when the winds
swept down and the sea was tossed in
TO wrath. then they found that follow
Ing Christ was not smooth sailing. So
you have found It: so have found II.
Did you ever notice the end of the
life OF the apostles of Jesus Christ
You would say II ever men ought to
have had n smooth life. smooth de-
parture. then those men. the disciples
of Jesus Christ. ought TO have had such
departure and such n life. St. James
lost his head. st. Philip was hung to
death on a pillar. St. Matthew had his
life dashed out with n halberd. st.
Mark was dragged to death through
the streets. st. James the Less was
beaten TO death with n fuller's club.
St Thomas was struck through with q
spear. They did not find following
Christ smooth sailing. oh. how they
were all tossed i'm the tempest, John
HusS in fire; Hugh McEail In the
hour of martyrdom; the Albigenses
the Waldenses. the Scotch Coyenanters
did they find it smooth sailing? But
why so into history when we can draw
from our own memory illustrations OF
the truth of what say? A young man
In n store trying to serve God, while
his employer SCOTS at Christianity; the
young men in the same store, antago-
nistic to the Christian religion. teasing
him. tormenting him about his religion.
trying to get him mad. They succeed
cot
pretty Chrlstianr' Does that Young
man find it smooth sailing when he
tries TO follow Christ? Or you remem-
Der a Christian girl. Her father de-
spises the Christian religion: her moth
er despiSes the Christian religion: her
brothers and sisters scott ut the Chris
tan religion; she can hardly find q
quiet place in which to say her pray
ers- Did she find il smooth sailing
when she tried to follow Jesus Christ?
Oh, no! All who would live the life OF
the Christian religion must suffer per-
secution. If you do not find it in one
way, you will get it in another way.
But be not disheartenedi Take cour-
age. You are in glorious companion
ship. God will see you through all
trials, and he will deliver you.
No Cause For Fear.
My subject also impresses me with
the fact that good people sometimes
get frightened. In the tones OF these
disciples as they rushed into the back
part of the boat l find they are fright
ened almost to death. They say, Mas
ter. carest thou not that we perish ?"
They had no reason TO be frightened
for Christ was in the boat. 1 suppose
X we had been there we would have
been just as much affrlghted. Perhaps
more. In all ages very good people get
very much affrghted. 1t is often so IN
our day. and men say: "Why, look at
the bad lectures. 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 ere af.
frighted by iniquity IN our Day and
think the church OF Jesus Christ is 60
ing TO be ovesthrowp and arc iust as
much affrighted as We're the disciples
Of my text. Doa't worry. don't fret as
though iniquity were going to triumph
II
cavern to sleep. He lies down with his
shaggy name covering the paws. Mean
while the spiders spin yTeh across the
mouth of the cavern and say. I'VE
have captured him." CoSsamcr thread
after gossamer thread Until the whole
front OF the cavern is covered with the
spiders web, aud the spiders say.
THE lion is done; the len Is fast"
After awhile the lion has cot through
sleeping. He rouses himself, he shakes
his name. he walks oct into the sun
light He does not even know the
spiders web is spun. and with his roar
he shakes the mountain. So men come
spinning their sophistries and skepti-
cism about Jesus Christ. He seems TO
be sleeping They say: eve have can
tured the Lord. 10 will never come
forth again upon the nation. Christ IL
eyeycome forever. His religion will
never make any conquest among men,
But after awhile the Lion OF the tribe
or Judah will rouse himself and come
forth to shake nightly the nations.
WHAT'S spiders web to the aroused
lion? Give truth and error n fair gran
pie, and truth will come off victor.
Gales From Heaven.
But there are great many good
people who get affrighted I'm other re-
spects. They are affrighted about re-
vivals. They say: "Oh, this is a strong
religious gale! We are afraid the
church Of God is going to be upset and
there are going 10 be n great many
people brought into the church that are
going to be of no use TO it," And they
are aifrighted whenever they see n re-
vival taking hold of the churches. As
though ship captain, with 5000 bush. |
els or wheat for n cargo. should saw
some day. coming upon deck, Throw |
overheard all the cargor' and the sail |
ors should say: "Why, captain. what |
10 you mean? Throw over all the car |
soE' "Oh." says the captain. eve have
4 peck OF chaff that has got into this
1000 bushels of wheat, and the only |
way to get rid OF the chaff is to throw /
III the wheat overboardw Now. that
s great deal wiser than the talk of |
many Christians who want to throw
overheard all the thousands and tens
'f thousands OF souls who are the sub
ects or revivals. Throw all overheard
because they are brought into the
lingdom of God through great revivals,
because there is n peck OF chaff. a
luart OF chaff, pint OF chaff! / say,
ct them stay until the last day. The
-ord will divide the chaff from the
wheat
DO not be afraid of a great revival.
On, that such gales from heaven might
sweep through all our churches! Oh,
or such days as Richard Baxter saw
q England and Robert McCheyne saw
q Dundee. oh. for such days rs Jona-
nan Edwards saw in Northampton /
ave often heard my father tell of the
act that In the early part of this CEN
ury there broke out n revival at SOM
rville, N. j., and some people were
cry much agitated about it. They
AID, You are going TO bring too MANY