Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1905-03-30

grasped the rope and let himself down
in safety to the sidewalk. He believed
on the rope. That is saving faith
when you rest on Christ, clinging fast
to Christ, trusting in Him alone to up
hold you to the end and assured of His
promise. Il will never leave thee nor
forsake thee'' Salvation of the soul is
an actual experience. 1t is the actual
testing of Christ; the actual attach
ment to Christ, the actual love for Him
hid in the very depths Of the soul. The
British Government requires all its an.
chors to be stamped. The eleventh
chapter of Hebrews is the Holy Spir-
it's record of the stamps on the anchor
of faith. Ny mothers Bible was
marked all through with pencilings on
the margin, proving how these various
promises had been tested, and the an.
chor never dragged.
The second anchor is loyalty to Christ
and obedience to His commandments.
Every day I attach less Importance to
a religion of mere emotion. 1t is very
pleasant to sing and sometimes to shout
on the mountain tops, but a religion
of mere emotion is subject to it's ebbs
and flows and is not reliable in the
strain and stress of temptation. 10y
atty to the teachings Of Christ, loyalty
to the everlasting right must be i'm
bedded in the conscience if you and I
are not to drift upon the rocks. Even
faith without good works would be
dead 1t has been this lack of loyalty
of conscience to the truth, integrity and
right which has strewed the beach
with so many pitiable and disgraceful
wrecks. The great demand in these
days is conscience; the great demand
in politics is conscience. and no man is
safe under the temptations of COM
merce or of public life when his con-
science is loosened from Gods COM
mandments. God never inSures man.
even in the church, except while his
anchor is fastened to the divine princi-
pies of right with the cable Of Obe-
dience to the Master. / would say to
these dear young friends, beware Of
the first false step; keep off dangerous
ground. In Switzerland saw the
Mortenharsh glacier, where Tyndall
had such a perilous experience. He
and companion were lashed to
guide. They began to descend on the
rough rocks and the companion sug-
gested that they should walk on the
snow alongside. They did so and their
weight disturbed the equilibrium Of
the whole body and sent them down
as an avalanche. Just before they
reached the precipice the guide thrust
his iron shod boot against projecting
rock and shouted, "In the name Of
God, halt!'' They were drawn up
when there was but moment between
them and eternity. I would say to
every one of you, dear young men, if
you find yourselves being carried away
by your social surroundings or inf1u-
ences toward the precipice of ruin,
plant your feet firmly against Gods
truth and Gods right ere you are
| swept away.
The third anchor is patience. That
| was tedious night Of peril and gloom
which laid upon Paul and his ship
mates, but they held out and waited
| for the day. Patience is that staying
power in the will which Paul i'll his
epistle calls longmindedness. It is the
| power to endure a continued strain
| without flinching; it is the staying
| power that wins the prize. Mark how
| much Of the Old Testament makes of
waiting patiently upon God. In the
New Testament the word often is en-
dures, and I would say to all those
dear young friends. who have lately
been united with this church. that the
start is not sufficient, "he that endur-
eth shall be saved"
| This patient waiting is opposed to
every anxiety and the worry that frit-
ters away strength and produces no
result. l will give you three simple
| rules to put into practice. First, take
short views; never cross a bridge until
you come to it; never fight the battle
until the evening is in sight Second
discharge the duty that comes next to
| your hands; take the step that God
points out Immediately before you. Ii
in ascending a mountain you look up
you may grow weary, and If you look
down you may grow dizzy. One step
at time is the secret of the successful
climb, and there is no one with strength
enough to bear to-day's duties will
the worries and interests Of tomorrow
piled on top of them. Third, never
yield to the demon Of discoura cement
You parents have need of patience will
your children to encourage everything
| that is good, to bear with perversenes!
until you can correct it, instead of only
increasing it by irritation. "Why dt
you tell that boy twenty times?" salt
the father OF John Wesley to bis broth
e.. Because" replied the wise man
nineteen times go for naught and
shall not scin my point without th
twentieth" Wise Susanna Wesle,