The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-08-07

sunlight. Then we entered a fog, where
we could not see more than hye or SIX feet
away. Where was the beauty gomez Our
attention became rlveted upon our efforts
20 climb out of the fog. Presently we
emerged from II and were on the mountain
top. My. what scene. There lay the
valley az our feet. like an extensive world;
towns, rivers aud railways-the great Val
lev OF the Mohawk. True. " was nearly
l5c miles away, but we were looking at IL.
That was like the Christian experience.
When You came TO the seat that day you
were on the ioothill. You forgot all he.
cause Jesus was everything and YOU saw
the little landscape. You thought, The
Christian lie is beautiful. i am full OF
loy." And few weeks passed and YOU
said. ''But 70 live as a Cshirtian is not So
easy; l DO not see the Joy. The little val
lev, where is its What a tremendous
thing !; Is 10 be climbing up to God" And
the cloud settles and YOU set TO be selfish.
But If YOU persevered and climbed up
ward YOU have come 10 the mountain peak.
Experience, and you feel that all your
powers and love ought 10 be settled on
one effort 10 climb still further and fur
ther IN the vision OF the Eternal. l won.
der II some of US are not stiR IN the cloud
because We have lost the JOY ol service.
Suffering Is only incident 10 service. I
am perfectly aware, when l ask YOU 90 en-.
ter with greater zeal IN the service of God
that am asking you 10 suffer. You wall
not be killed, or asked 10 move out of the
United States or perseouted because you
are Christian, but YOU will have 10 sui.
Ter, and when you suffer YOU will begin 10
enjoy. No man laughs so heartily as the
man who weeps most bitterly. No laugh
ter rings so IN heaven as that whicd comes
through the tears down here. Nv suffering
| mean YOU will be asked 10 endure the
cross. Jesus endured the cross. Now.
right here let me say that suffering is not
service. Some one SAYS: See here. do Won
mean 10 say that when | suffer foe Jesus
Christ that Is not service" That is exact.
~ what | mean 10 say. God has no pleas
urc IN your pam, but If your service for
Him demands II. and YOU bear II heroic
ally, lie has pleasure IN the attitude OF
Your hfe. Jesus Christ endured the cross
why! Because lt 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 10 this
world To save this race. | believe and YOU
believe that without Christ there is no cal.
vatlon The key note of all NV ministry
shall ever be that Jesus is the divine Son
of God. Ii He is not divine let Us stop our
preaching, sell our property and be int.
dels. II Jesus is mere man let us oil quit
business. j may he an old fogy, but as
long as TINS tongue breaches the gospel
Jesus Christ will be the divine Christ in
my message. DO j 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 tha, was set be.
fore Him endured and came TO save this
race. and that meant the bearing of a cross
and lie bore 1t But the real mission was
the saving OF the race. not the hearing of
the cross His mission was To save men.
God 50 loved the world that lie gave His
A..
IN Him might not perish but have ever.
lasting hie' When the cross stood IN the
way of the perfection of salvation Jesus
endured Il divine'v, herolcally and unhinch.
lnglv died upon II TO save us. Suffering ~
incident 10 service and when call you 10
serve God YOU will have your cross. The
men you work with will say YOU are too
much OF crank and a fanatic IL will hurt
and pain and go deep. and you will finch.
Sometimes YOU will try TO apologize for
being a crank and fanatic. and you will
thank God there Is something you can en-.
dure. 1t is part of service aud behind the
suffering comes JOY, deep and profound.
when YOU are true. Yes, YOU will have
shame 60 bear. too Two or three young
ladies where ] have been holding meetings
lately and bsDtling some have said, Il do
not like 10 think OF getting up before all
those people and being baptized ] won.
der u we are gong INTO the Joy OF fulfilling
TOD command. IL we are We have got 10
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 newness of
life-lf YOU saw what he sees Just once YOU
would drop your quibbhne now Shame on
us IT we cannot bear in the twentieth cen
tury light OF Christian truth all that FOL.
lowing Jesus demands OF us. A writer in
the British Weekly in an article entitled
Beating TO Wndward." says smiling
against the wind by steam power was OPP
posing one force 90 another. and was sim
ply matter Of victory for the stronger
force. but 20 sail TO windward in n sailing
vessel was n matter OF skill for here
forces that oppose are not opposed but
used" Brethren, we must beat to wind
ward Christian living that meet with no
opposition IS not Christian living at all II
YOU are heating to windward for Jesus this
world will oppose you. II Is n 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
] begin TO sacrifice ! begin 10 ENJOY. BE
loved. II YOU would have the Joy of Chris
tian service you must have the heart Of
Christian sacrifice