The Caucasian., 1903-01-22

menns by that? Is he one Of those lib
erals who only believe the Bible in
spots. who only believe wllnt they want
| to believer
| when the Morning Came.
Hut one day the newspapers all over
the country had the start linz trlrgrn,lh-
ic announcement. "br. S"-nndso is
sick" Then came the reports that Dr.
| S0-nnd so might die. For weeks and
| months that famous minister huv"retl
between life and death. Then Ii" rilne
back to his pulpit aud to his work. But
! now what II changc' If amy stranger
goes to hear him prencl the first any
the last thought he has is: "Dr. Sonnd-
so Is nothing more or less than mighty
gospel evangelist. He has christ in
the beginning Of his sermon. christ In
the middle of his sermon. Christ all the
| way through" Do you know the cause
of this marvellous change? It was the
GaIileau tempest Of physical pain that
did 1t. nr. So-and-s0 told me TINT ney
er before did he truly know what the
purpose of preaching was until he lay
upon that bed of suffering For months
the barking Of dog would cut him like
a knife. For months he lay In his room.
an exile in agony: for months he had
but one wish, and that was to die. But
when God led him forth n,tt of that
Galilean tempest to preach Jesus
Christ he came forth q new man. He
was Saul. the member of the He
brew snnhedrin changed into the
mighty Paul who had fought with the
beasts at fiphesus. He became the dis
ciple of the Lord. looking and pleading
for a spiritual Christ alone.
It was physical pnn that helped
make Frederick W Robertson one Of
the greatest soul winners of his day.
1t was physical pain that helped draw
the nlultitusles TO The cross when Rob
ert Hail preached In London and Join
Sufnmeffield preached IN America. And
1t IL physical pain which nearly all of
us have suffered in the past and phys
ical weakness which many of Ms arc
suffering now which ought to make us
turn our faces toward the Good Ply
stefan who can heal the body and heal
the s0tii.
1--WE Kinds of Trouhls.
Now. trouble comes to us IN one Of
two ways, ind It rests with every one
to decide III which Of the two ways it
shall come 10 him. 1t may come as II
sanctified trouble or as an ttnsanrtitied
trouble. It came IN both forms to the
thieves who were efucified with Jesus.
70 the one thief the physical agony
was unsanetiiied trouble. causing him
to curse ana deride Christ. to the other
it came ,ls sanctitied trouble causing
him to plead for mercy and love. TN
sanetified trouble comes to q man who
stands by his chiid's open casket, and It
imbitters him and causes him to set his
jaw In rebellion and say, "No good God
would have taken that child out Of my
arms" Snnetified trouble came 10 n
young officer Of my church and caused
him to say to the visiting minister: II
do not want a pastor to come into my
siekroon to make merely q social call.
want him to come In to pray; yes.
want him to come in to pray" In the
midst Of your sorrows and trials are
you ready to let your troubles become
sanctifed troubles? Are you ready to
sing about the tempestnous nights of
trouble. as the Christian poet once sang
about beautiful Lake Galilee?
II Ii not that the wild Kaseiie
Comes down TO lap thy tide.
Bsat he thet wss pisrced to save from he'll
OFT wandered by thy side.
oracsfsl sro,.rd thse the mountains meet.
Thou eain. reposing sea.
Btst, ah. for more. the beautiful feet
OF Jesss walked o'er thee.
Are y0u ready to feel that In the
darkest hours Sf your night Christ III
waiting to speak to you, that Christ Is
ready to help you, that he ID ready to
appsar unto youf
There is an old and familiar story Of
a Christian lady In the far east who
had two beautiful boys. Both her SONS
died In the same night while her hus-
band was away on n journey. When
the father returned. the mother met
him with smile and said: Husband,
while you were gone a stranger came
and left two beautiful jewels In my
charge. Then he returned the next
day and wanted them back again. |
gave them to him. Should have done
sor' "Yes,' answered the father. '1f
the two jewels belonged to the stran-
ger. you should have done as you did,
"Oh, husband" answered the wife rs
she led him into the death chamber II
was not talking about Il stranger. but
about our Father God. There are our
two boys. dead. Can we not say: The
Lord gave. and the Lord hath taken
away. Blessed be the name of the
Lord?'
Friend, today In your troubles can
you not hear the voice Of Jesus Christ
speaking to you? Can you not will you
not, see that even in this dirk hour
Jesus is walking toward you. stepping
lightly upon the crystal pavement of
the deep? EsE