Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-05-23

shall lie down. and the sun will again
break forth from behind the clouds
and, in gala day attire, we shall sail
into the harbOr of our destination. :"
He did not prophesy a pleasant VOYAGE
with all friends gathered on the shore
to greet them as they diSembarked
He did not say. I'VE shall only be de-
tanned a few days and then hurrah
| for the pleasures OF life in the citvr'
Oh. no; that was not Paul's way. He
told the truth. He said: Men. we
shall be saved: but. like Job. we shall
| ONLY escape as by the skin of our
| teeth. We must become waterlogged.
| We must beach our craft and it will
| be beaten and CRASHED into kindlngs.
| We must lose ali our cargo and per
| sonal baggage We shall be rescued
| alive. but that is all" Then. when the
! sailors saw the literal fulfilment of
the prophecy of Paul, their faith in
their leader and in their leaders God
| not only continued, but increased day
by day.
Trial and Adversely.
| believe that in urging men to come
to Christ we make a mistake when we
do not frankly state the hardShips and
| difficulties Of the Christian life. There
are. as every experienced Christian
knows. sacrifices that must be made.
| privations that must be endured, strug-
giles that must be fought 1t is better
that we acknowledge the fact, as
Christ did when men came to him of
fering themselves as his disciples. If
we fail to tell them that they must ex-
pect trial and perhaps adversely in fol-
lowing Christ they will consider that
they have been deceived and will be
disappointed and discouraged when
they encounter trouble. AS Paul told
these men that they would have to bat
tie with the waves and be in danger of
death on that rocky coast before they
reached safety, so we should tell men
that the way to heavenly joys is often
hard and toilsone. Paul demanded of
those passengers and sailors Of the
Alexandrian corn ship the same sacri-
fees for their physical salvation which
fernando Cortes demanded of his fol-
| lowers for the conquest of Mexico.
| During one of his marches the Span
ish soldiers became disaffected Cortes
assembled his men in line. Men, some
Of you are grumbling." he said sub
stantially. "Some of you want to know
what rewards l have to offer you at
this time. This is my answer" Then,
drawing line upon the ground with
the edge of his sword, he pointed with
| his steel toward the great east and
said, "On that side of this line are ease
and comfort, home and friends and a
life Of ease in fair Spain" Then,
| pointing to the great west, he said:
Wonder are sickness and privation
and hunger and cold and death. But
yOnder is the beautiful capital of the
| Montezumas. Which shall be yours?
Choose We this day as We will. Choose
ye as brave Castilians."
Christ today, like Paul, like Herman
do Cortes, promises his followers not
peace, but struggle and privation; not
ease and comfort, but storm and suf-
fering and trials and misery. But in
| the end, like Paul, Christ assures you
| OF salvation. Aye, more than Paul Of
fered to the shipwrecked sailors and
passengers Of the Alexandrian corn
ship. Christ offers to you spiritual re-
demption for time and for eternity.
Men and women, are you ready to face
suffering and sacrifice in the name Of
Jesus Christ? Are you willing to be-
lieve him and trust in him, even in
crises when your life seems a hopeless
shipwreck?
Courage. Christian Brother"
But why should not the passengers
and crew Of the Alexandrian corn ship
be of good cheer? Did not the prophetic
words of Paul literally come true?
When the mighty ship struck the beach
what happened? Paul turned to the
| brawny armed men about him and said,
Leap into the surf and swim for your
lives" And these stout limbed men
flung themselves into the seething wa
tiers and swan on until at last their
feet touched the shore and they made
ready to rescue their struggling friends.
Some Of the women, being in all prob
ability strapped to spars, were lifted
by the heaving pillows and swept upon
the rocks, where they were rescued.
( Some Of the men may have come
ashore clinging to boards and broken
gunwales. At times it seemed as
though they must be washed off. but
somehow they are at last all landed.
| So in the end Of time and In the be-
ginning Of eternity all Christians shall
be safely brought to the heavenly
shores, through stress and storm and
peril, it may be, but still safe. Yes. we
will be there. We shall all be there.
| Courage. Christian brother. Fear not
| the perils of the passage. Though the
| waters thereof roar and be troubled,
though the mountains shake with the
swelling thereof the promise of Christ,
like the words of Paul, shall come
| gloriouSly true.
| Slacken no sail. brother,
At inlet or island;
Straight by the compass steer,
| Straight for the highland