Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-09-15


prayer. I SEQ great audiences gather
in churches TO learn Of Christ and his
love. l see Christian nurses and SAL
walton Army girls going forth through
the dark alleys and through the still
streets oh their missions Of mercy. /
SEQ ministers and Christian lnymeu
knecling beside the beds Of the sick
oI the dying. l hear everywhere
prayers and hymns arising for tho
salvation Of oil 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 alleglsncei Are your
lips speaking words OF prayer, or are
they uttering words OF biasphemy7
Speak you words pleading for eternal
salvation or Indifferent and careless
words, sinful words, which are griev-
Ing the Holy Spirit OF God? VIII you
not. with Christ's help. take Isaiah's
night as the harblnger Of an eternal
day? Shall not the night Of calamity
and OF earthly struggle and earthly
sin for oil 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 con tr7l-
" be changed into the ightnsss Of an
eternal and peaceful day was never
moro impressed upon me than some
years ago when | was going around
tho world. AS found the opening do.
scription Of THIS text not among Syrian
hills. but among the wilderness OF
rock in the London metropolis, so r
will find my closing scene not in JeI-,-
salem, but upon the troubled waters of
an angry Pacific. Tor 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 sighted. But then. like soma
of our Old friends, 1t changed. Its
heart Of kindness became a heart OF
hate. II seemed to have not tho pur-
pose to be loving, but only the desire
to destroy. Day in and day o,rt We
battled With the tempest. The worst
storm I ever knew" said the captain,
MANY good ships have been found
cred In less storms than this" The
surface of the sea was raging mob
OF demons. The wind, shrickin1
through our rigging, was like q 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 ouu
berths, unable 70 sleep. ~ last In the
darkness l arose TO dress and 60 upon
deck. No sooner did l step upon the
floor than the heavtng 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
tho stars out. a sailor turned to mo
and said: Mate, It vii, soon be clear.
We shall soon have calm sen The
storm IS past. See yonder star by tina
edge Of the horizon. That IS the morn.
Ing star. The sun Will soon be up"
Yes. as | stood there holding TO tbs
ships ropes | 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 caam-
ity, but Of the morning. The morning
with its heavenly day brcaketh--the
morning, with its emblem of eternal
peace. VIII you not tonight, with
Christ's help, take the night as tbs
emblem Of tie day?
An angel robci in gpotess white
Bent down and kissed the sleeping night.
Night woke TO blush Tho sprite vas
gone
Man saw tho blush and called II dawn.
[Copy-ght 1904 by Louis Elopsch.l