The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-12-09

Stirring Address on the Subject
"sleeplessness," With an Appropriate
Text of Comprehensive Meaning.
BROOKLYN, N. Y.--At the Second Pres
byterian Church Sunday morning the pas
tor, the Rev I. A. Nelson, d. D., preached
on the subject, "Sleeplessness." He took
for his text, Daniel ii, 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
light on him who first invented Sleep"
says Sancho Panza, in Don Quxote," and
Coleridge exclaims, in the Ancient Mari
ner, 20, sleep, it is gentle thing!" Ten
nyson speaks of "the mystery of golden
sleep" and what mystery indeed it is. 1t
is 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 it means-this harmless, painless,
lapsing of all life into unbroken tranquil
lily. Those little hands, now SO quiet, but
so busy most of the time. how beautiful
and still they are now Those limbs COM
posed in attitudes of such unconscious
grace, lying on the pillow; how hard it
generally is to keep them IN order during
wakefu hours. And how unspeakably sol
emn it is to think how far the child is now
beyond our reach. Who is it. 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 81
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 if He were resting
in the heart of God. When Christ turns
away from us with closed eyes there is al
ways afforded opportunity for the storm.
We are only at peace while He is wakefully
with us. While He sleeps not only is the
light withdrawn, but the darkness is felt to
the utmost; life's ship is tossed with the
storm and we are threatened with mortal
danger. A sleeper Christ will do me no
good. A painted Christ will not be of the
vaguest service in my life. A wooden cru
ciix or ivory cross will not help me. 1t
must be q 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.
It is Christ, not in the temporary paralysis
of unconscious sleep, but Christ alert in
watchful omnipotence that | 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 to 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
may seek it in vain. Now this is not a
light matter. There are few things more
dispiriting and truly exhausting than the
loss of natural sleep; to count hour after
hour in feverish wakefulness, seeking for
getfulness which will not come.
Now what is the root of all this dis
tress? The physician will doubtless dag
nose it as owing to unhealthy excitement
of brain and undue sensitveuess of the
nervous system. But in its last analysis
you will find as general rule the great
cause of this weary wakefulness, anxiety
and misery is simply want of faith in God.
1t is because we are not able, as we ought
to trust ourselves and all that concerns us
to a sure providence, and many OF you
know that it is mental anxiety that breaks
your rest. 1t is because you are trying to
bear the burden and build the house your
selves, to keep the city yourselves, that
you have the anxious hours. 1t is because
you will plan too far ahead instead of let
ting each day bear it's own burden; be-
cause you will 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? NJ we had, many of us, would not
we sleep? If, once for all, you have in
trusted your soul to His keeping YOU are
sure that all things will go well: that moth
ing can go amiss; that God will keep you,
angels will guide your footsteps and the
Holy Spirit will dwell within you from
hour to hour. You will then lay yourNhead
down upon your pillow and rise again, with
the morning light, refreshed
After trying to explain away our weary
hours of sleeplessness on the basis of ply
steal infirmity. we have to 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 q more serious char
acter. In the still, waxeful 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 1t is impossible, then, quite to sup
press a question as to where the soul will
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 I'M
worthiness you are simply believing on
your Saviour and are striving to grow like
Him; that your task is appointed you of
God, however humble your sphere, it is
large enough to achieve character; if you
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 you