The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1904-10-21

he saw the CLEAN OF the sunrise com
ing over the eastern hills" Yes, he
saw the time when righteousness
would claim its disciples as well as the
time when the enemies Of God should
be hurried away 10 their eternal incar
ceratiOn. what Of the night, ISAIAH
What Of the nightT cries the officer OF
the guard. Then the prophetic watch
man calls, 81 see the morning c0meth
and also the night" That means: Il
see the righteous triumph through God.
/ see also the enemies Of God scattered
in complete defeat" what Of the
night? What Of the night" You call
to me- / answer: "rhe morning cOmeth
for the disciples Of Jesus Christ. / see
also the eternal night coming for those
who will not yield themselves to
Christs love"
The night, the symbol Of calamityf
Oh, yes. But the night is also here
the symbol Of gospel triumph, for
in the quiet of the night l see fathers
and mothers and children gather
around the family altars for evening
prayer | see great audiences gather
i'm churches to learn Of Christ and bis
love. / see Christian nurses and Sal
walton Army girls going forth through
the dark alleys and through the still
streets on their missions of mercy. !
see ministers and Christian laymen
lneeling beside the beds Of the sick
and the dying / hear everywhere
prayers and hymns arising for the
salvation Of all men and women and
children. Everywhere arises the song
Of Moses and the Lamb as well as
the songs Of death and eternal de
spair Oh my friends, in the silence
Of this night, 10 which great army
do you give your allegiancel Are your
lips speaking words of prayer, or are
they uttering words Of blasphemyf
Speak you words pleading for eternal
salvation or Indifferent and careless
words, sinful words, which are griey-
ing the Holy Spirit Of God1 VIII you
not, with Christs help, take lsaiah's
night as the harblnger Of an eternal
day? Shall not the night of calamity
and Of earthly struggle and earthly
sin for all Of us be followed by the
heavenly sunrise and the coming
morning Of perpetual joy and peacef
That these words Of my text can tru-
" be changed into the lightness Of an
eternal and peaceful day was never
more impressed upon me than some
years ago when / was going around
the world. A found the opening de
scriptlon Of this text not among Syrian
hills. but among the Wilderness OF
rock" in the London metropolis, 30
will find my closing scene not In Jeru-
salem, but upon the troubled waters OF
an angry Pacific. For days and weeks
we had been treading the quiet paths
Of the "trackless deep" The ocean
had heretofore been very kind to US
1t was truly pacific in every way that
its name signifed. But then, like some
Of our old friends. 1t changed. Its
heart Of kindness became n heart Of
hate. 1t seemed to have not the pur-
pose to be loving. but only the desire
to destroy. Day i'm and day out we
battled with the tempest "The worst
storm / ever knew" said the captain.
MANY good ships have been found
cred in less storms than this" The
surface Of the sea was a raging mob
Of demons. The wind, shrieklng
through our rigging, was like chorus
Of lost souls yelling out in rage.
After three days Of storm | went to
my berth and tried to sleep. Hour
after hour we were wedged in our
berths, unable to sleep. At last in the
darkness | arose to dress and 20 upon
deck. No sooner did | step upon the
floor than the heaving ship hurled me
across the staterOom, out through the
door and clear across the deck. pick
ed myself up, bruised and stunned;
then | looked about me. What was
my surprise to find the storm over and
the stars out. A sailor turned to me
and said: "Mate, it will soon be clear.
We shall soon have calm sea. The
storm is past See yonder star by the
edge Of the horizon. That is the morn
ing star. The sun will soon bo up
Yes. as I stood there holding to the
ships ropes l knew the sea was grow
ing calm. Soon quietly and peacefully
the sun arose. The angry waves stop
ped their gatherings; the winds ceased
TO laugh and yell That afternoon we
sailed into the harbor. The morning
had come for the end Of the tempest.
So at last for all those who love Christ
the night is not the emblem Of calam-
ity. but Of the morning. The morning
with its heavenly day breaketh-the
morning. with its emblem Of eternal
peace. VIII you not tonight with
Christ's help, take the night as the
emblem Of the day2
An angel robed in spotless white
Rent down and kissed the sleeping night.
Night woke to blush. The sprite was
gone.
Man saw the blush and called II dawn.