Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1903-08-06

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sunlight. Then we entered fog, where
we could not see more than five or SIX ieeC
away. Where was the beauty gone! Our
attention became riveted upon our efforts
to climb out of the fog. Presently we
emerged from it and were on the mountain
top. My, what scene! There lay the
valley at our feet, like an extensive Worid;
towns, rivers and railways-the great Val.
ley of the Mohawk. True, it was nearly
$50 miles away, but we were looking at IT,
That was like the Christian experience.
we're on the foothill. You forgot all be-
cause Jesus was everything and you saw
the little landscape. You thought. "Ihe
Christian life is beautiful am full OF
joy." And few weeks passed and you
said, "But to live as a Cshirtian is not SO
easy; do not see the joy. The little val
ley, where is it? What a TREMENDOUS
the cloud settles and you get to be seli,sn'
But if you persevered and climbed up.
ward YOU have come to the mountain peak.
Experience, and you, feel that all your
powers and love ought to be settled ON
one effort to climb still further and fur
Their in the vision of the Eternal, won
der if some of lis are not still in the cloud,
because we have lost: the JOY OF service.
Suffering is only incident to service.
am perfectly aware, when l ask you to en-.
ter with greater zeal in the service of God
that I am asking you to suffer. \ on, Will
not be killed, or asked to move out of tho
United States or prosecuted because you
are a Christian, but YOU will have to sui
fer, and when you suffer you will begin to
enjoy. No man laughs so heartily as the
man who weeps most bitterly. No langh'
through the tears down here. by suffering
| mean you will be asked to endure tho
cross. Jesus endured the cross Now,
right here let me say that suffering is not
service. Some one says: See here, do you
mean to say that when =! suffer for Jesus
Christ that is not service? That Is exact
ly what mean to say. God has nc. pleas
ure in your pain, but il your service 1or
Him demands it, and you bear it heroic.
ally, He has pleasure in the attitude of
YOUR life. Jesus Christ endured the cross.
Why? Because it was incident to the work
of saving this race. Somebody will call
me hereto, but am not. l believe, and
you believe, that jesus Christ came to tins
world to save this race. l believe and you
believe that without Christ there Is no sal
vation The key note of all my. ministry
shall ever be that Jesus is the divine Son
of God If He is not divine let us stop our
preaching, sell our property and be lnil.
dels. If Jesus is a mere man let us al quit
business. | may be an old fogy, but as
long rs this tongue breaches the gospel
Jesus Christ will be the divine Christ in
my message. DO l mean that Jesus, came
to His cross by accident? Not at all. lie
saw the cross standing at the end OF HIS
mission, and for the JOY that was set be.
fore Him endured and came to save this
race, and that meant the bearing of cross
and He bore it. But the real mission was
the saving OF The race, not the bearing OF
the cross. His mission was to save men.
,"God 80 loved the world that He gave HIS
only begotten Son that whosover beheveth
in Him might not perish, but have ever
lasting life." When the cross stood IN the
way OF the perfection of salvation Jesus
endured it divinely, hcroically and unflinch'
ingly died upon it to save us. Suffering 10
incident to service, and when | call you to
serve God you will have your cross. The
men you work with will say you are too
much of a crank and a fanatic. 1t will hurt
and pam ana go deep, ana you Will ilnck
Sometimes you will try to apologize for
being crank and fanatic, and you will
thank God there is something yon can en-
dure. 1t is part OF service and behind the
suffering comes JOY, deep and profound,
shame to bear, too. Two or three young
ladies where l have been holding meetings
lately and baptizing some have said, 81 do
not like to think of getting up before all
those people and being baptized" ] Won
der if we arc going into the Joy of fulfilling
Gods command II we are we have got to
endure some of that shame He endured.
Let me tell You if you had administered
baptism and you saw as a minister sees in
the face of the believer buried out of sight
and raised to resurrection of newnCss of
lie-if YOU saw what he secs just once you
would drop your quihbling now. Shame on
lis if we cannot bear in the twentieth cen.
fury light of Christian truth all that fol-
lowing Jesus demands OF us. A writer in
the British Weekly in an article entitled
beating to Windward,' says sailing
against the wind by steam power was op.
posing one force to another, and was SIM
ply matter of victory for the stronger
force. but to sail to windward in sailing
vessel was a matter Of skill for here
forces that oppose are not opposed but
used" Brethren, we must "hcat to wind.
ward Christian living that meet with no
opposition is not Christian living at all. If
you are beating to windward for Jesus this
world will oppose you. 1t is Il matter of
skill, then, to take the opposing forces of
suffering and sin and use them to advance
your life in the kingdom of heaven. When
I begin to sacrifice | begin to enjoy. Be
loved, il YOU would have the Joy of Chris
tan service You must have the heart Of
Christian sacrifice.