The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1902-11-11

A full house greeted Rev. Tickner last
communion Sunday at the Baptist
church, his theme being taken from
Rev. vii :l4-l7.
There is in every one of us strong
natural disposition to, At times, search
into the secrets OF the eternal world. 1t
is evident to well-halsnced mino that
these things are quite beyond the gasp
of human knowledge and reason. All
we can learn of them must be from the
word of God, and when we investigate
those sacred pages the object OF our
search is but dimly discovered to us.
We find enough to excite the hopes, to
animate and encourage the dropping
hearts of believers, but we meet with
little that is calculated to crafty spirit
of curious inquiry. The joys of heaven
are described in the word of God chiefly
by negatives. Very little is commune
Gated respecting the positive joys of the
redeemed. How delightful the prospect
that, though the number of those who
truly serve God appears at present to be
small when contrasted with the multi
tudes who forget Him, yet at length,
when Christ shall have gathered together
His elect from the four winds of heaven
out of every kindred sect, and tongue,
and people, then there shall be great
multitude which no man can number.
Consider for a moment the history of
all these glorified saints. 1t is told in
few words: "These are they who came
out of great tribulation." Many Of
these had waded through blood ito their
everlasting rest. They had passed
through perils and fears, through perse-
cutions and famines. Satan had wreaked
his malice on them while they lived IN
the flesh. In this they resembled the
majority of Gods servants in every age.
Experience and the scriptures teach us
that we must tread the same path to
eternal glory. AS it is written, "They
who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall
suffer persecution They may not
indeed be called to resist unto blood ;
we may not be summoned to part with
our substance, to renounce our family
for the glory OF Christ; but we shall
have to strive AGAINST sin, to struggle
with the powers of darkness, perhaps to
bear ridicule and contempt for religions
sake, and if we are consistent servants
OF God we must expect to meet with
more or less difficulties aud trials. Be-
sides, as these passages of scripture
intimate, God is pleased to lay temporal
and spiritual affiiction upon His people
for the most wise and merciful purposes.
They dwell in a fair and pleasant world.
smiling and gay, and did He not from
time to time bring before their eyes the
vision of death? Did he not remind
them of the deceitfulness of the world?
Did he not sometimes dash from their
lips some delightful draught which
would have drowned religious thoughts
and intoxicated them with earthly enjoy
ments, they would perhaps forget their
better prospects and, pitching their tents
over against this Sodom, would make
it their home and their rest. Therefore
it is that Gods people pass through
great tribulaton; therefore it is that
they are often called upon to suffer the
privations OF want and the stings of
adversely, because God would wean their
affections from things below and fix
them on Himself. Besides, there are
tribulations from within with which
every christian is we'll acquainted. He
: has to contend with himself, to oppose
his own inclinations, to fight with in
dwelling corruption, and this in the
weakness of his mortal nature. The
world, the flesh and the devil are ranged
against him, and these enemies give him
no rest. Hence comes the proof of
divine declaration, that the heart know
eth its own bitterness.