Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-10-03

tpTdition. silent, but haunted with ONT
,asts and gamblers and conspiratoys
who are iagrantly breaking the laws
of the land. l see the low dives of a
great city reeking with human vermin
I sae also where the counterfeiters arc
silently doing their work in the STILL
ness of the night. Night is symbol
of social calamity, sin and death. So
we find that most Of the lowest out
casts of society try to conceal their
evil actions in the darkness Of the
night. 1t is the time when the dew
otees OF sin hold their high carnival.
1t is when the death dealers are
able to deliver their hardest blows with
the least chance of detection. But with
God the night is not only the emblem
of calamity; it is also the harbinger of
the day, for as Isaiah Travelled forth
into the darkness as a divine prophet
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
he hurried away to their eternal incar-
ceratiOn. What of the night, Isaiah?
What Of the night?' cries the officer Of
the guard. Then the prophetic watch
man calls, Il see the morning cometh
and also the night" That means; 81
see the righteous triumph through God.
I see also the enemies of God scattered
in complete defeat" What of the
night? What of the night" You call
to me. answer: THE morning cometh
for the disciples of Jesus Christ. l see
also the eternal night coming for those
who will not yield themselves to
ChriSt's love-"
The night, the symbol Of calamity?
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 affairs for evening
prayer. 1 see great audiences gather
in churches to learn of Christ and his
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. |
kneeling beside the beds Of the sick
and the dying. l 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 we'll as
the songs of death and eternal de-
SPAR. Oh, my friends, in the silence
Of this night, to which great army
do you give your allegiance? Are your
lips speaking words of prayer, or are
they uttering words Of blasphemy?
Speak you words pleadingsfor eternal
salvation or Indifferent and careless
words, sinful words, which are griev-
ing the Holy Spirit Of God? Will you
not with Christ's help, take Isaiah's
night as the harbinger 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 peace?
The Storm Past.
That these words Of my text can tru-
~ be changed into the nghtness of an
eternal and peaceful day was never
more impressed upon me than some
years ago wheA l was going around
the world. AS found the opening de-
scription Of this text net among Syrian
hills, but among the wilderness Of
rock" in the London metropolis, 80
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 u.s.
1t was truly pacific in every way that
its name signif1ed. But then, like some
of our old friends, it changed. It's
heart Of kindness became a heart Of
hate. It seemed to have not the pur-
pose to be loving, but only the desire
to destroy. Day in and day out we
battled with the tempest. 1.-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 q raging mob
of demons. The wind, shrieking
through our rigging, was like a 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 l arose to dress and go 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. I 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, 1t will soon be clear.
We shall soon have a 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 be 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 veil That afternoon we