Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-08-08

sunlight. Inen we entered fog, where
He could not see more than five or SIX feet
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 a scene. lhere lay the
valley al our feet. like an extensive world;
towns, rivers and raiiways-ihe great Var
ley OF the Mohawk. True, II was nearly
lIc miles away. but we we're looking at IT.
That was like the Christian experience.
When you came 10 The seat tina: day YOU
were on the foothil. You forgot all be-
cause Jesus WAS verifying and YOU saw
Christian life is beautiful. | am full OF
joy.' And few weeks passed and YOU
said. = But to live as tshirtian Is not so
easy; do not see the JOY. The little val
ley. where Is Il: WHAT a tremendous
thing ii Is to bc climbing mp TO God" And
the cioud settles and YOU get to be selfish.
But Il You persevered and climbed up
ward YOU have come to the mountain peak.
Experience, and you icel that all your
powers and love ought 10 he settled on
one effort to climb still further and fur
ther i'll the vision OF the Eternal. i won
der If some OF Us are not still III the cloud,
because we have lost the JOY of service.
Suffering Is only incident to service. 4
am perfectly aware. when ] ask You to en-.
ter with greater zeal in the service al God
that | am asking you to suffer You will
not be killed. or asked to move cut OF the
United States or prosecuted, because YOU
are a Christian. but YOU wall have to sui
fer. and when you suffer you will begin to
enjoy. No man laughs so heartily as the
man who wceps most bitterly No laugh
ter rings so in heaven as that which comes
through the tears down here. By suffering
/ mean you will be asked 10 endure the
cross. Jesus endured the cross Now,
tcbs bnr LOT, h.y - M
service. Some one says: See here do you
mean 10 say that when | suffer for Jesus
Christ that is not service" That is exact
is what | mean TO say. God has no pleas
IRE in your pain, but il your service for
Him demands it, and yoa bear it heroic.
ally. He has pleasure IN the attitude OF
your life. Jesus Christ endured the cross.
Why? Because il was incident to the work
o. saving this race Somebody will call
me hereto. but | am not. | believe, and
you believe. that Jesus Christ came to this
world 10 save this race. | believe and you
believe that without Christ there is no sal.
ration. The key note of all my ministry
shall ever be that Jesus Is the divine Son
81 God. II He is not divine let us stop our
preaching. sell our property and be inii-
deis. If Jesus Is q mere man let us all quit
business. | may be an old fosy, but as
long as 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. He
saw the cross standing al the end of His
mission, and for the JOY that was set he
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 ,ae race, not the bearing of
the cross His mission was to save men.
God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son that whosover believeth
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 divine.y. heroically and unhinch-
lng.v died upon IT 10 save Us. Suffering is
incident ia service. and when | call You TO
serve God YOU will have vour cross. The
men You work with will say YOU are too
mach OF crank and fanatic. 1t Will hurt
and pain and go deep. and you will finch.
Sometimes You Will try 10 apologize for
being crank and fanatic and you will
thank God there Is something You can en-
dure. 1t is part of service and behind the
suffering comes a jog, deep and profound,
when you are true. Yes. You Will have
shame to bear. too. Two or three young
ladies' where | have been holding meetings
'ateiy and bap,izing sorre have said. Il do
not like TO thinl; OF getting up before all
those people and being baptized | Won
Ter il we are 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 ii YOU had administered
baptism and won saw as Il minister sees in
the face of the believer barred out OF sight
and raised TO resurrection OF newness of
life-it YOU saw what he secs Just once Won
would drop your ouihbin- row Shame on
is il we cannot bear il tie twentieth cen.
fury light OF Christian tru,h all that fol.
lowing Jesus demands ., u 4 writer in
the British Weekly il IN article entitled
Beating 70 Windward.' says sailing
against the wind by steam power was op.
posing one force 20 another. and was SIM
n,y 4 matter OF victory Tor the stronger
force but to sail to windward in n sailin:
Vessel was Il 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
Won arc heating to windward for Jesus this
world will oppose you. 1t is matter OF
skill. then. TO take the opposing forces of
suffering and sin and Use them to advance
Eour life in the kingdom Of heaven. When
[ begin to sacrifice ! begin to cnjov Be.
owed. ii You would have the JOY of Chris.
iian service you must have the heart OF
christian sacrifice.