The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-11-18
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTiTlep1
SLEEP AS GODS clFT"x y
The Rev. r. a. Selson. ID. H., Delivevu1
Stirring Address on the suhjecs1
"sieeplessness," with an Appropriate
Text OF Comprehensive Meaning.

I
for his text, Daniel H. part of first verse.
His spirit was troubled and sleep went
from HIM" and said:
That line OF the poet Young, Sleep, ma
lures sweet restorer," like every other true
poets saying, was inspired Blessings
hight on him who first invented sleep,
saws Saneho Panza. in Don Quixote," and
Colerldge exelaims. IN the Ancient Mari
ne" 20, sleep, II Is a gentle thing" Tens
nyson speaks OF ''the mystery of golden
sleep" and what a mystery indeed II 10. IL
L. the most interesting and the most per
picking of all physical and metaphysical
mysteries. The mother bends lovingly
over her infant IN the cradle and wonders
what II means-this harmless, painless
lapslng OF all life into unbroken tranquil
hty. Those little hands. now so quiet. but
60 busy most of the time, how beautiful
and stlll they are now. Those limbs COM
posed IN attitudes of sneh unconscious
grace, lying on the pillow; how hard it
generally Is to keep them IN order during
wakeful hours. And how nnspeakably sol
emn it is TO think how far the child is now
beyond our reach. Who is il. when the
face of the mother fades from the vision,
that takes Its soul in charge
But when a man sleeps the spectacle is
more suggestive. Think OF Caesar on his
couch his vigilant eyes closed, hIs voice ST.
lent, his BRAIN unworking and still. Think
of Alexander IN the night, looking as he
finally looked in the coffin, dead. Imagine
how David felt when he saw Saul entering
the cave. Think of Cicero fast asleep. Think
Of the sleeping Christ lying asleep in the
midst OF the tempest, as IL He were resting
IN the heart of God. When Christ turns
away from US with closed ewes there is al
ways afforded opportunity for the storm.
We are only at peace while He is wakefully
with us. While He sleeps not oI-y is the
nUh Nyls Hra aFNfa hnt hp ID YlrnaS fc falt 20,
the utmost; hfe's ship is tossed with the
storm and we are threatened with mortal
danger. A sleeper Christ viii do me no
good. a painted Christ will not be Of the
vaguest service IN my life. A wooden cru
oitix or ivory cross will not help me. Ii
must be a wakeful Christ with every en-
ergy astir; power IN every look and move
ment; an actual, positive real and per
sonal Christ. We are Knocked by His
figure: We are saved by His personality.
IL rs Christ. not in the temporary paralysis
OF unconscious sleep, but Christ alert in
watchful omnipotence that i need. Unless
we nightly sink into sleep we are not pre-
pared TO live, and anything over which we
have control which prevents out sleeping
IN proportion 10 our need should be es-
teemed guilt before God Since the strength
OF our life belongs to Him we are not at
liberty to waste it. Nevertheless. IN our
day we live IN such fashion that, like the
eastern monarch, our spirits are troubled
and our sleep departs.
This has come about sometimes from the
haste TO get rich People rise early and sit
up late IN their eager pursuit OF wealth,
and when the Jading day is done at last
and they lay their heads upon their pill
lows, sleep may fly from them and they
may seek 10 IN vain. Now this rs not a
light matter. There are few things more
dispirltlng and truly exhausting than the
loss of natural sleep; TO count hour after
hour IN feyerish wakefulness seeking for
gettulness which will not come.
Now what Is the root of all this dis
tress? The physician will doubtless dag
nose II as owing to unhealthy excitement
OF brain and undue sensitiveness of the
nervous system. But in its last analysis
you will hnd as a general rule the great
cause OF tins weary wakefulness, anxiety
and misery rs simply want of faith IN God.
IL is because we are not able, as we ought
to trust ourselves and all that concerns us
TO sure providence, and many of you
know that 1t Is mental anxiety that breaks
your rest. It is because YOU are trying 10
bear the burden and build the house your
selves, 10 keep the city yourselves, that
you have the anxious hours. IL is because
you viii plan too far ahead instead of let
ting each day bear Its own burden; be-
cause you viii ask what is to become Of
you and your children If such and such an
event takes place; because you will take
the future into your own hands instead Of
leaving it TO Jesus.
But why should we not have faith in
God! IT We had, many of us, would not
we sleep? III, once for all, YOU have in
trusted your soul to His keeping you are
sure that all things Will go we'll that moth
ing can go amiss; that God viii keep you,
angels will guide your footsteps and the
Holy SPIRIT will dwell within you from
hour to hour. You will then lay your head
down upon your pillow and rise again. with
the morning light, refreshed
Alter trying to explain away our weary
hours OF sleeplessness on the basis Of ply
sica. infirmIty, we have 20 confess that the
real source is found in the things that prey
on our minds by day and break our rest at
night, and mixed with those anxious
thoughts there are the thoughts that will
intrude themselves Of a more serious char.
acter. In the still. wakeful hours, even
the most needless one is forced occasionally
to think of Him before whom we must
surely appear and give account Of our
selves. IL II impossible. then, quite TO sup
press a question as 20 where the soul viii
be when the body shall be down In its lit.
tie bed, when all earthly things have faded
from US. But If you can truly trust that it
is well with you, that amid your deep un-
worthlness you are simply believing on
your Saviour and are striving 10 grow like
Him; that your task is appointed you of
God, however humble your sphere, il is
large enough TO achieve character. If Won
can always feel that Christ is near and
ready to help: that you and those near TO
you are provided for by Him and that Won
shall never want; .f YOU have once for all
learned whether awake or asleep that you
are the Lords and that yon shall live 10.
gether with Him. then surely YOU may sink
INTO untroubled rest and sleep a refreshing
and peaceful sleep.
But let me come closer still to the exper.
fence OF some perhaps among protesting
thrlstlans. You know that healthful gleep
~ our most peaceful state. You sec human
nature IN that state IN which IL ia most
thoroughly free from ali ANNOYANCE and
trouble, and that Is a symbol OF the prov
inee. Thou wilt keep him in perfect
peace whose mind " stayed on Thee"
That " a wonderful promse, but there is
no blinking the fact that cotnparatiyely
few even among those who claim 10 be
true followers, ever experience IL in It's full.
ness. As rule Il is lar from being per-
feet. One oi the ancient schoolmen wrote
in summing up the chief charactfristics of
hie: entered this world in loneliness: I
have lived in anxiety: 1 shall leave II in
lear. That about expresses the situation
OF many OF you. Look at the faces on the
street. Almost every one is careworn and
anxious. There is no doubt that care sits
heavily on mankind What is wrongy
Simply this: That while God has promised
peace and u ready 10 give u Il munt be re.
ceNed by faith. IL goes without saying
that the amount Of peace and quiet we
kLsl experience viii he IN proportion 10
our trust IN God u we we're really able
Ia trust God With everything instead OF
dong, as most Christians DO. never trust.