The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-22

Il
Christ who died TO save ron, come, What
) the use in waiting? The longer you |
vait the farther of you are and the deep |
r you are down. Strike cut for heaven!
Iou remember that a few years ago a
teamer called the Princess Alice, with a
rowd of excursionists aboard, sank in
he Thames, aud there was an awful
sacrifice Of life. A boatman from the
shore put out for the rescue, and he had
a big boat, and he got it SO full it would
not hold another person, and as he laid
hold Of the oars to pull for the shore,
leaving hundreds helpless and drowning,
he cried out, "Oh, that / had q bigger
boatr' Thank God that / am not thus
limited and that / can promise room for
all in this gospel boat. Get in; get in!
And yet there is room. Room In the
heart Of a pardoning God. Room In
heaven
i also apply the word OF my text to
those who would like practical comfort.
If any ever escape the struggle OF life, L
have not found them. They are not GER
tainly among the prosperous classes. In
most cases it was a struggle all the way
I'D till they reached the prosperity, and
since they have reached these heights
there have been p~erplexities, anxieties
and crises which were almost enough to
shatter the nerves and turn the brain. 1t
would be hard to tell which have the
biggest fight in this world, the prosperi-
ties or the adyersities, the consplculles
or the obscurities. Just as soon as you
nave enough success to attract the at
tention of others the envies and jealousles
| are let loose from their kennel. Ihe
'. greatest crime that you can commit IN
the estimation Of others is to get on bet
| ter than they do. They think your ad-
dition is their subtraction. Five hundred
| nersons start for a goal Of success; one
reaches il. and the other four hundred
and ninety-nine are mad. 1t would take
volumes to hold the story Of the wrongs,
| outrages and defamations that have come
| upon you as a result of your success.
| The warm sun of prosperity brings INTO
| life O swamp full Of annoying insects.
On the other hand, the unfortunate
! classes have their struggles for main
tenance. To achieve a livelihood by one
who had nothing to start with, and after
awhile for a family as well, and carry
this on until children are reared and edu-
Gated and fairly started in the world, and
TO do this amid all the rivalries of bust
| ness and the uncertainty of crops and
| the fckleness of tariff legislation, with
an occasional labor strike and here and
there q financial panic thrown IN, is a
| mighty thing to do, and there are nun
dredsl and thousands of such heroes and
| heroines who live unsung and die I'M
honored.
soIace of Christian Faith.
What we all need, whether up or down
in life or half way between, is the infinite
solace Of the Christian religion. And so
we employ the word Gomez 1t will
take all eternity to find out the number
of business men who have been strength
ened by the promises of God, and the peo-
pie who nave been fed by the ravens
when other resources gave out, and the
men and women who, going into this bat
tie armed only with needle or saw or
ak or yardstick or pen or type or shovel
or shoe last, nave gained q victory that
made the heavens resound. With all the
resources Of God promised for every ext
gency, no one need be left in the lurch.
l like the faith displayed years ago in
Drury lane, London, in a humble home
where every particle of food had given
out, and a kindly soul entered with tea
and other table supplies and found a
kettle on the fire ready for tea. The be-
nevolent lady said, "How is it that you
nave the kettle ready for the tea when
you had no tea in the house?" And the
daughter in the home said: Mother
would have me put the kettle on the fire,
and when 1 said, What is the use of do
ing so When We have nothing in the
house?' she said: My child, God will
provide; thirty years he has already pro-
vided for me through all my pain and
helplessness, and he Will not leave me to
starve at last. He will send US help
though we do not yet see how We have
been waiting all day for something to
come, but until we saw you we knew
not how it was to come" Such things
the world may call condolences, but /
call them Almighty d~eliverances, and
though you do not hear of them they are
occurring every hour Of every day and
in all parts Of Christendom.
But the word Come" applied to those
who need solace will amount to nothing
unless it be uttered by some n who has
experienced that solace. That spreads
the responsibility of giving this gospel
call among Il great many. Those who
lave lost property and have been con-
soled by religion in that trial are the ones
to invite those who have failed In bust
ness. Those who lave lost their health
and been consoled by religion are the
ones to invite those who are in poor
health. Those who have had bereave-
ments and been consoled in those bereave-
ments are the ones to sympathize with
those who have lost father or mother or
companion or child or friend. What null
titudcs of us are alive today and in good
health and b~uoyant in this journey of
I life who would have been broken down
or dead long ago but for the sustaining
and cheering help of our holy religion!
So we sag. Come" The we'll is not dry.
The buckets are not empty. The supply
is not exhausted. There is Just as much
mercy and coincidence and soothing power
in God Is before the first grave was dug.
or ;ke first tear started. or the first heart
broken. ur the first accident happened,
or tie frs; fortune vanished. Those OF
us who have felt the consolatory power
Of religion have n right to speak out of
our own experiences and say, Gomez