Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-01-23

trust him. You say there 10 10 here
after. I am dying. papa. and l must
make my last decision now. Whom
shall I believer Shall I accept man.
mas Christ Up your inhdelityT The
great soldiers frame shook with emo
ton Then though he had Just finished
bis famous lnfdel book called Reason.
the Only Oracle OF Man." be turned
ard said. my darling, you had better
die In your mothers faith. and not In
my unbelief." And so when the death
angels wings began TO 1utter over the
bed or one OF your loved oner with one
blow It not only struck your heart. but
Is also knocked your infdelity clean out
OF your life. You Immediately said. as
Jon looked into the pale face sleeping
in the casket: 81 know she lives
know she is living In some other world
for me-" And as you look up 10 see
where that other world Is do you not
feel that you were being struck by q
Galilean tempest as were the disciples
OF oldf DO you not feel that through
the dark shadow OF the death angels
wing you have been able to see the
spiritual face OF Jesus Christ as never
~
tempestuous trouble olone which made
you use the hiilock Of a grave for
kneeling stool at the altar or mercy
and pardon and love.
The dark. tempestuous nights 10 your
sickroom have often been In Gods sight
the bright dawn OF q day or Christian
usefulness. Perhaps I can well illus.
trate this thought by telling the per.
sonal history OF famous American
minister. He told me In the sickroom
bis personal experiences. the recital OF
which made lasting impression upon
my mind and heart. He is a very dear
friend Of mine.
For many years this minister was not
only admired. but loved. But whenever
man went to hear him preach he did
not know exactly where that minister
stood. A nearer could not say he was
unorthodox, because In his sermons he
always called Jesus a Divine King
Neither could the hearer say this
preacher was true believer. His ser
mons could always be questioned. They
would nearly always have something
In them that would make the nearer
say: Il wonder what the preacher
means by tbatf Is he one OF those lib
erals who only believe the Bible In
spots. who only believe what they want
to believer
When the Morning Came.
But one day the newspa pers all over
the country had the startling telegraph
&c announcement, "Dr. So-and-so Is
sick" Then came the reports that DR..
So-and-so might die. For weeks and
months that famous minister lowered
between life and death. Then he came
back to bis pulpit and to his work. But
now what changei II any stranger
goes to hear him preach. the first and
the last thought he has Is, DR. So-and.
80 Is nothing more or less than @ mighty
gospel evangelist. He has Christ ia
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 changer 1t was the
Galilean tempest of physical pain that
did It, DR.. So-and-so told me that new
er before did be truly know what the
purpose OF preaching was until he lay
upon that bed of suffering. For months
the barking OF a dog would cut him like
a knife. For months be lay In bis room.
an exile In agony; for months he had
but one wish. and that was to die. But
when God led him forth out OF that
Galilean tempest to preach Jesus
Christ he came forth q new man. He
was Saul, the member OF the He
brew sanhedrin changed into the
n lghty Paul who had fought with the
boasts at Ephesus. He became the dis
cipie OF the Lord. looking and pleading
for spiritual Christ alone
1t was physical pain that helped
make Frederick W. Robertson one OF
the greatest soul winners OF hts day.
1t was physical pain that helped draw
the multitudes to the cross when Rob-
ert Hall preached In London and John
Summerficld preached In America. And
II Is physical pain which nearly all OF
Us have suffered In the past and phys.
ical weakness which many OF Us are
suffering now which ought TO make us
turn our faces toward the Good Ply
stefan who can heal the body and heal
the soul.
Two Kinds of Trouble
Now, trouble comes TO US in one OF
two ways. and IL rests with every one
to decide In which OF the two ways II
shall come to him. 1t may come as a
sanctihed trouble or as an unsa notified
trouble. 1t came In both forms to the
thieves who were crucified with Jesus.
To the one thief the physical agony
was unsanctifed trouble. causing him
to curse and deride Christ: to the other
1t came as sanctified trouble. causing
him to plead for mercy and love. I'm
sanctined trouble comes to a man who
stands by his child's open casket, and II
tmbitters him and causes him to set his
Jaw in rebellion and say. mo good God
would have taken that child out OF my
arms" Sanctifed trouble came to a
young officer OF my church and caused
him to say 10 the visiting minister: "I
do not want a pastor to come into nv
sickroom to make merely a social call.
1 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
sanct6ed troublssf Are you ready to
sing about the tempestuous nights of
trouble, an the Christian poet once sang
about beautiful Lake GaiIIee1
1t Is not that the wHd sszsiis
Comes down to lap thy tide
But he that was pierced to save from hell
OFT wandered by thy side.
Graceful around thee the mountains meet.
Thou calm. reposing sea.
But, ah. far more. the beautiful feat
or Jesus walked Ger thee.
Are you ready 10 feel that In the
darkest hours OF your night Christ 10
waiting to speak 70 you. that Christ 10 |
ready to help you. that he Is ready TO |
appear unto your
There Is an old and familiar story of |
Christian lady In tho far east who |
mao two beautiful boys. Both her sons |
died In the same night while her hus- |
band was away on a journey When
the father returned. the mother met /
him with a smile N nd "a IN. .sxJrehons