The Penn's Grove record., 1905-03-24
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plant your feet firmly against Gods
truth and Gods right ere you are
swept away.
The third anchor is patience. That
was a 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 in his
epistle calls longmindedness. 1t is the
power to endure a continued strain
without finching: 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 l would say to all those
dear young friends, who have lately
been united with this church. that the
start is not sufficient, she that endur-
eth shall be saved"
This patient waiting is opposed to
every anxiety and the worry that frit-
tiers away strength and produces no
result. L will give you three simple
rules to put into practice. First, take
snort 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. IL
In ascending a mountain you look I'D
You may grow weary, and If you look
down you may grow dizzy. One step
at a time is the secret Of the successful
climb. andtheTe is noOne with strength
enough to bear to-day's duties with
the worries and interests of tomorrow
piled on top of them. Third. never
yield to the demon of disbursement.
You parents have need of patience with
your children to encourage everything
that is good, to bear with perverseness
until you can correct it. instead of only
increasing it by irritation. why do
you tell that boy twenty times" said
the father Of John Wesley to bis broth
er. Because" replied the wise man,
nineteen times go for naught and L
shall not gain my point without the
twentieth" Wise Susanna Wesley
trained the founder of Methodism.
Gods delays are sometimes a test Of
faith. Look at that SyrOphOenician
oma plucking the garment of Christ.
She persists, and clings to Him, until
he says: "Oh, woman! great is thy
faith" etc. During the first charge Of
my ministry L grew so discouraged
that l was about to give up when my
Master headed me off with one of the
most powerful reyivals 1 have known.
The darkest hour was Just before the
dawn. Here in Brooklyn to-day Gods
voice to the churches evidently is to
do their utmost work, to pour forth
the most fervent prayer, to engage in
the most personal effort and trust to
Him for the blessing. The best enter
prises in this world have had their Pc
RODS of discouragement. when pa
thence was the vital grace that won the
day. That glorious old missionary,
Judson, worked for five years in Bur-
mai without a convert. Then the cloud
burst and the great and permanent
Burmah mission resulted. The lesson
to-day, beloved members of this
church, is: stand by the pastor, assist
him in every movement, echo his every
e%xhortation and, with united pastor
and people, let US move on to spiritual
harveStings and victory.
The fourth anchor is that beautiful
word, hope. That is not the possession
of good things; it is rather the conf
dent expectation of good things that
are assuredly in store for us. I'VE are
saved by hope" In our spiritual life
hope is vitality important. 1 thank God
that throughout my life He has en-
abled me to be an inveterate hopper.
The word, however, in the New Tesla
ment has sometimes a peculiar mean
ing in describing the Christian. The
apostle, in speaking of the hope of sal
walton, calls it ian anchor sure and
steadfast holding to that within the
vale" Let me ask each one of you
this morning, Where is your hope? On
what are you resting for this world and
the next? Is your hope an anchor
fastened to the Lord Jesus, or is it only
a mere cable attached to sand? That
great Christian, Harmon Page. who
made it a rule never to be with any
one ten minutes without saying INT
thing good. He went into his Sunday
school with a note book in hand and
asked each one, Have you a hope of
salvation?" Most of them gave him
an affirmative answer. He came to one
man, a stranger, in the adult Bible
class. who shook his head and said.
Il have none" Sagaeious Mr.. Page,
instead of rebukfng him, in a very pa
thetic tone said, 'Then 1 will put you
down as having no hope" The gen.
tleman could not sleep that night. He
said, page has me down in his book
as a hopeless man." and he laid hold
Christ and made his decision for the
Master, and the next time he met the
superintendent he said. THANK God
for your plain, loving talk with me, for
l have a hope now like an anchor" I
cite the case of that philanthropist
who came to New York as a humble
carpenter, and who wrought such q
work that owe 100 souls were con
verified under him. Brother believers.
let the storms of earth howl as loudly
as they will, if we have committed
everything to Jesus all should be well.
for so it came to pass that when the
daylight broke the tempest-tosSed mar
on the shores of Melita come
safe to land.
So it viii be with US, through the
darkness, through perilous voy-
ages we shall each have our souls fast
anchored TO the u-niverSalizing Saviour,
whom alone we can trust for salvation.
My last. loving counsel to every enc
Of you before me, whom l am rejoiced
to address once more from this dear
old pulpit, is. make fast your anchors
to the Lord Jesus Christ if at last you
would find peace in the desired haven.
Keep Ysur Character.
1t is strange how easily some pro-
faScad Christians paO nuf off +bair