Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-11-08

as Seeing MIN WEO Is lnNtslD.e. mat CA
plains the mystery OF the burning bush
and this vision of Christ explains how II
was that when your hope seemed to he
consumed and the dearest plan OF yodr
life was burned as in the fire. you rejoiced.
David has learned the secret of happy liv-
ing when he says in the text. Il have set
the Lord always before me: because He is
at my right hand. | shall not be moved"
This vision enabled Moses to surmount
every difficulty. What did he care that
the mountains were on every side. certain
Of the Egyptians behind him and the Red
Sea before him. He marched like con-
queror until the water parted in advance
OF him and dry shod he went over to the
other side. But such pictures as these
have been realized in our day when men
have passed through Red Seas of difficulty
where other men OF the world have gone
down in defeat and all because they en-.
dured as seeing Him who is invisible"
Third. our Saviour is an illustration. He
always set God before Him. As He came
into the world He said. 10. come to do
Thy will" rs He sat on the well curb OF
Jacobs well. MY meat is to do the will
of Him that sent Me-" az He bowed
in Gethsemane. Not Ny will. but Thine
he done" At the beginning of His minis
try. in the midst of it and near to its close
He gave forth the same music. What a
life it was.
''The strong mans strength to toll for
Christ.
The fervent preachers skill
/ sometimes wish. but better far.
To be just what God wills.
No service in itself is small
None great though earth il fill.
But that is small that seeks its own.
That great which seeks Gods will"
Fourth. Paul was certainly an illustra-
ton of the spirit of our text. He caught
sl.n& . 49,. H.. IL.
TO Damascus and he never forgot it. He
said truthfully. Il was rot disobedient I'M
to the heavenly vision" This made him
insensible TO him surroundings. There is
really nothing more pathetic than his re-
enumeration OF his trials. ii Cor. il: 24eT.
''Of the Jews FIVE times received | forty
stripes save one. Thrice was ! beaten with
rods. once was | stoned. thrice | suffered
shipwreck. night and day l have been
in the deep: in journeyings often. in peris
OF waters, in perils of robbers. in perils OF
mine own countrymen. in rerils by the
heathen. in periis in the city. in perils in
the wilderness IN peri,S in the sea- in
perils among false brethren: in WEAKNESS
and painfulness. in watchings often. in
hunger and thirst. IN hastings often. in
cold and nakedness And yet here he
says. II have learned with whatsoever
state ] am. Herewith to be content. He
was with Paul to the very end. IL Timothy
finished my course. | have kept the faith;
henceiorth there is laid mp for me crown
nj righteousness. which the Lord. the
righteous Judge. shall give me at that day,
and not to me only, but unto all them
a.so that love His appearing,
That was the secret OF his victorious
life. and that the secret of his triumphant
death.
III He is before me no path is too hard
for me to travel. since He walks in every
way in which He would have me 20: nor
shall ! ever walk in darkness. for HE is
the light of the world. and in Him is no
darkness at ALL" nor shall ever be moved
Have you never noticed the differences
between the second and sixth verses in the
Sixty-second Psalm. The second verse
reads. He only + my rock and my sa.va-
ton: He is my defense; | shall not be
greatly moved" And the sixth is the same
with the exception OF one word He only
is my rock and salvation: He is my de-
greatly There is deep meaning in the
omission Of greatly" Confidence has
grown evidently. In the first. hope was
that the waiting heart should not be much
shaker, that the tottering fence should
not he quite thrown down: the second is
that it shall not be shaken at all.
ILL.,
He is before me in all experiences,
whether OF sorrow or OF joy. but since men
are born unto trouble - the sparks fiv mp.
ward it is well to remember that He is be-
fore us in suffering. There never has been
a heart ache on the part OF any of His fol-
lowers that the pain did not reach Him,
and He had fellowship with us in our snf-
ferings. as we are privileged to do in His.
He shall be with us evea in death.
'Since Jesus is mine III. not fear undress-
ing.
But gladly put off these garments of
cay,
Since Jesus to glory, thro' death led the
way"
IT is an awful thing Tor 4 lie TO. to have
the helpful presence of God.
oh to have no hope in Jesus.
How dark this world would be-"
One of the ocean dangers that captains
fear almost more than anything else is the
danger OF coming in contact with ''dere.
lict." as a ship abandoned at sea is called.
There are now supposed to be about thirty
of such vessels floating about at the will OF
the currents in the Atlantic waters. They
are without plot. have neither crew nor
rudder. are bound nowhere and carry no
cargo TO any port One OF them, which
has a cargo OF mahogany on board and is
level with the waters edge. has been drift
ing about since March. 1891.
The DeriiS of collision at sea have been
reduced since the steamship companies
adopted what is known as the lane routes.
Now the route Il steamer follows after
leaving New York is fifty miles away from
the route taken by steamers bound west.
One steamer, therefore. is little likely to
meet another and come into collision with
her. But these abandoned ships. not being
under control. and carrying no lights. are
continual source OF danger. The Gulf
Stream carries them northward and then
eastward. and the captains of incoming
ships have warned the Government of
their whereabouts. One of them has been
cut in two and the two halves are drifting
in company.
There is scarcely any peril of the sea
which is so terrible TO the mariner. No
sound will reveal their nearness. no tenn
perature of air or wave will make known
;heir approach Though it carry no guns
n ''dereict' is often a more deadly enemy
than a man-of-war.
The ship that steers Tor port can only
have one influence, and that is to be
stumbling block in the way to send other
ships to the bottom OF the ocean, God
help us that not one of us may become n
spiritual ''derelict." God pity that man
who has pushed God out Of his life and
goes along in his journey to eternity not
only having sorrow in his own soul. but
standing in the way OF the progress OF 9TH
ers.
Desertions from the Ministry.
The statistical tables of the severa'