The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1901-12-20

and IN buckles LDdt SdHHot AoD'NA
and are driven by reins they must
answer. I preach no fatalism. A
swarthy engineer at one OF the
depots at Dakota said: when will
YOU get on the locomotive and take
a ride with us?" SWELL" said,
"now, if that suits you" So l got
on one side of the locomotive, and
Methodist minister, who was also in
vited, got on the other side, and be-
tween US were the engineer and the
stoker. The train started. The en-
gineer had his hand on the agitated
pulse of the great engine. Inc
stoker shoveled in the coal and shut
the door with loud clang. A vast
plain slipped under us, and the hills
swept by, and that great monster on
which we rode trembed and bounded
and snorted and ragged as it hurled
us on. I said to the Methodist min
lister on the other side of the loco
motive: my brother, why should
ministers quarrel about the DEGREES
and free agency? You see that
track, that firm track, that iron
track; that is the decree. You see
this engineers arm; that is free
agency. How beautifully they work
together! They are going to take US
through. We could not do without
| the track, and we could not do with
out the engineer"
So / rejoice day by day. Work for
all to do, and we may turn the crank
of the Christian machinery this way
or that, for we are free agents. But
there is the track laid SO long ago
no one remembers it-laid by the
hand of the Almighty God in sockets
that no terrestrial or Satanic pres
sure can ever affect. And along the
track the car of the worlds redemp-
ton will roll and roll to the Grand
Central depot of the millennium. l
have no anxiety about the track.
am only afraid that for our 1ndo-
lence and unfaithfulness God will dis
charge US and get some other stoker
and some other engineer. The tram
is going through with US or without
us. So, nv brethren, watch all the
events that are going by. 1t things
seem to turn out right, give wings
to your joy. If things seem TO turn
out wrong, throw out the anchor OF
faith and hold fast.
When Titans play quoits, they pitch
mountains, but who owns these gigai-
tic natural forces we are constantly
reading about? Whose hand IS on the
throttle valveof the volcanoes? whose
foot. suddenly planted on the foot
stool. makes the continents qulyers
God, 1 must be at peace with HIM
Through the Lord Jesus Christ tnls
Z God is mine and He is yours. put tne
5 earthquake that shook Palestine az
0 the crucifxion against all the down
I BOOKINGS of the centuries. inns uoo
t on our side, we may challenge all tne
t centuries OF time and all the cycles o.
: eternity. :,
}, Years ago 1 was at Fire Island
! T.. and l went UP in the cupola
from which they telegraph ,e
S New York the approach of vesseis
e hours before they come into port
:. There is an opening in the WALL ane
e the operator puts his telescope
T through that opening and looks ou'
i ond sees vessels far out at sea. Whlis
v was talking with him he went vi
S and looked out. He said: I'VE are ex
= Meeting the Arizona tonight" i,
o eaid: .'Is it possible you know al
h those vessels? Do you know them a.
n Won know a mans faee? He said
n :.Yes, I never make a mistake. be
:. fore see the bulls l often know then
It nv the masts. I know them all nav
watched them so long" Oh, what
r Grand thing it is to have ships tele
& nranhed and heralded long befor'
l. thew come to port, that FRIENDS MAJ
IS oone down to the wharf and welcome
n their long-absent ones! SO to-day w
n toke our stand in the watch-tower
J. and through the glass of inspiration
e ,va look off and see a who'll
d acct of ships coming in. That 4
!! the ship of peace, with tne s.s
l. of Bethlehem floating above Tn
" ton gallants. That is the ship OF Tn
j. ohnrcb. mark of salt water high upol
If tia smokestack, showing she has ha'
j. ouch weather, but the Captain Q
" colvation commands her, and all /
y Iii with her. The ship of heaven
d ,,,;rbtiest craft ever launched, MI
n, lions of passengers waiting for mil
p lions more, prophets and apostles an
70 martyrs in the cabin, conquerors
ic 49, foot of the mast, while from tn
1T rigging hands are waving this way
o. e tbev knew us, and we wave bac
IS again' for they are ours. They wen
At o1t from our own households. Ours
m Uail hail! Put off the black and pu
al on the white. Stop tolling the tuners
III ond ring the wedding anthem