The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-03-20

within the vail. The storm bears
harder and harder upon you, and
you cry aloud to the god OF convcn-
fence, but the answer is the hiss of
the waves On, on, You go, until
your craft is overturned, opportu.
nifty gone. hope blasted, soul lost,
down, down. down. you sink. and
from the midst OF the floating wreck
age CT lost life, we pick up the
tattered rags OF the flag you floated
and on it IS stamped the grlnning
visage of the heather god --Conveu-
fence. You relied on your god. but
it was powerless at the crucial mo-
ment.
But maybe you are relying on
the God OF personal good works,
to save you from the storm. BY
doing something else which you
think is Just as good as trusting in
the God who rules the winds and
waves you hope to reach the har-
Dor. You woh t cast out the an
Choir but you'll wash off the deck.
You won't invite tl,ecaptain of your
salvation to the helm, bat you paint
up the pilot house. You won't put
on the storm coat Of Gods rig hit
eousness, but you'll shine up the
brass buttons on your cloak of self
righteousness. until they look Ike
gold and thereby every body (but
God) is deceived. NV friend, good
works are unavaillng unless they
are mpted by good heart. To
be good is more important than to
do good, for the second is impossi-
bic without the first. Personal
good works can never save man;
personal allegiance TO Jesus Christ
alone can.
And there are many who hone to
outride the storm, and at last have
peace aud rest, aud calm by trust.
ing in the God OF unlversalism. A
universailst is one who holds the
doctrine "tliat all men will be saved
or made happy in the future lie. "
They quote such passages as JOHN
l2:S2. aud overlook passages such
as John 3, 44-45. Lean not upon
any Of these Gods. They cannot
help you at the last. If you trust
in them, fear your sea will grow
more and more tempestuous and
you may never reach the ether
shore. And besides we say to the
unlvcrs alist, "Why defer this great
blesselness TO the future life" If
God is to save lis all at the last
from all the want and WEAKNESS
aud wickedneSs OF the world. why
DOESN'T he prevent those things
now? No, no. he God OF universal
Ism is DIS helpless to save as an an.
chor Won, d be left on shore.
III. The World Ilone. 1t is to
call on Jonah's God. The world
cannot deny that IT has the oppor-
tunity to accept Jesus Christ. The
Bible is filled with invitations to the
unsayed. 1'hc churches OF God
throughout the land with pointed
spires like human tingers pointing
Heavenw ward. are silent standing
Invitations 10 come TO Jesus. Every
time this building is lighted and
the light so shines out that passcrs-
BY may see 1t Is a glorious invita-
ton to accept the God Of Jon all. Or
it may be some great storm of sor-
row has come toy on as YOU stand
amid the falling rocks and tlmbers
OF the temple OF your former ovs
and ambitions, there steals still
small voice upon your car, and in
the quiet OF your sorrow you hear
a gentle whisper, Come, the God
OF the prophet.
What 4 picture is suggested by
the story that surrounds our text!
The storm is raging, the heather
sailors cutting ard slashing them
selves and calling on their heather
dcities for salvation from the waves.
The prophet OF God sleeping heav.
lily in the hold. He is ia lcthargic
stupor and instead OF his cxhortlny
them to calm and quiet, they cry to
HIM III constcrnatlcn and fear. 1t
h. has God ard they Judge he
has-Ict hlm call on his God before
they perish, 1t is "the cry of per.
ishing world to a sleeping church. i"
What story 1t tells us when we
read between the lines,
! sthlnk | see the world worn
out and weary from the unequal
struggle. 1t has cast away many
OF its old bad habits, like ware,
IRON Il ship to tighten the load it
carries. | see its frantic efforts TO
help itself and its efforts prove but
futile. hear its frightened call on
the God OF convenience, Of person al
goods works, OF universalism, and
see the waves creep closer and
mount higher like gaping devils,
waiting to swallow the struggling
seamen, as they hiss back the only
answer that comes TO their wild
prayer.
look at the church OF Jesns
Christ. 1t is last asleep. 1t must
be aroused for unwatchfulnes is
nntaitAtulncss. The storm in
crcases, the church sleeps on like
the prophet in the vessel hold A
look oil awful despair settles on the
face Of every world Nv seamen. And
then see sight winch God will
ne | shall really see The world
standing over sleeping church and
shouting IN desperation, "Nhat
mtanest thou, o sleeper Arse,
cal! upon thy God, it SO be that God