The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-09-30


 meet at the foot of wonder hills Then If we do not find the sheep in the valley, l why, we must seek her in the hills. | Thus they do, and the lost sheep is not found. Then up the rocks they begin to l go, higher and higher. Now the darkness ' settles Now is heard the blood eurdling i scream of the wildcat. Now comes the roar of the mountain lion hunting his ! prey. They climb on Their flesh is lacer- | ated Their clothing Is torn. They stumble and fall. Now they have to go over a narrow ledge by the side of a steep preci- 1 pice. Ephralm grows tired. He trembles with fear. He says: David I am going back. We can never find that lost sheep She has either been dashed to death upon | the rocks or else she has been slain by | the wild beasts" But David keeps on.- He keeps on climbing and slipping. but ! higher and higher he goes as he calls. ''Yooheei Yooheel Oh, lost sheep, Yoohee! Yoohee" At last-yes at last, he finds her In the secret place of the thunder.
 On Mountain Tops.
 An, yes; the secret place of the thunder Is always to be found upon the mountain tops of difficulty. It Is no easy matter to be real Christian. It is no small task to listen to the voice of God in the secret place of thunder and hear alright and obey alright. was never more impressed A l was tramping along the country roads of the lowland a couple of automobiles passed me- The women in those cars were dressed in the latest fashion. The men were lounging back in their seats. The gentleman with whom 1 was walking said, How would you like to be riding in one of those machines ?" NO" I answer ed; That is not the way people get health. Nature does not give strong lungs and stout limbs to those who are seeking the easy times, but only to those who are will ing to make sacrifices for It." But the work of tramping over the lowlands was nothing to the work of climbing the San Bernardino hills In the first place, even though We were walking, we had to take every ounce of weight out of the wagon that we could take We kept In the wag- on only light camp stove a few blan- kets and enough to eat for a few days. We threw aside every extra pound and had our goods carried up by the heavy team wagons. Then we made our trip to the foot of the mountains early in the evening and went to sleep, and when the night had settled down and the moon had come up and the heat of the day was gone we were up and on our way.
 My, what a journey it wasl The grado was the steepest I ever climbed. They say 1t is about five miles to the summit, but would willingly go six times that distance on the level road Every few yards we had to stop and let the horse rest. One man handled the break the other led or drove the horse. Ziggag, back ward and forward the switchback roAtd. went. In one place you could look up and | see where the road. like lazy river, curv- | ed backward and forward in seven dis | tinct places It was only by the most persistent effort and struggle that at last, tired and exhausted and hungry, we came to the top. Then we reached the ravines where the thunder storms were cradled and the mighty tempests were sent forth on their mission of giv- Ing drink to the famished crops and or chards of the valleys below. Yes, truly am right ~fen I assert that the secret l places of the thunder are always built upon the high peaks of the mountains of difficulties
 Low Valley Christians.
 | My friend. the great trouble Is with most of us we want to be Christians, but we want to be low valley Christians | We want to be Christians not of the crags and cliffs, but of the orchards and the harvest fields and of the flower gar dens. We want to be the lazy Christians, | lying upon beds of case, where the bees will bring to us their honey and the | | diction, and the tossing, tumbling foun- tains will slake our thirst, and where ! the birds will never cease to sing for us l their sweetest lullabies. An, no, that is not where we will hear Gods voice speak, ing to us in the secret place of the thun- | der. It is not in the lowlands, but upon i the mountain tops. It is not where we | lie down upon a bed of roses and close our eyes in ndolent somnolence but only 1 upon the mountain heights of difficulty, | to scale which we will have to do as 1 Paul did when he described himself in the twelfth chapter of Hebrews, as run l ming a gospel race: Wherefore seeing we are eompassed about with great a | cloud of witnesses. let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth beset us, and let us run with patience the race l that is set before us" When you read 1 those words, dare you for one moment assuma that Paul had an easy time when he gave himself up for consecrated ser- i vice to Jesus Christ?
 | It is only when we are able to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus that we are able to reach that prize It is | only when we are willing to climb the highest mountains of difficulty that we are able to hear God speaking to us in tones of love as he spoke to Moses in the secret places of thunder. There is a | pedudlui story tolu tidt III oluen llnes a heather king lay dying. He was mor- tally wounded on the field of battle. No sooner did he receive the fatal thrust than he sent for his most trusted servant and { said, Tell the dead that I come" At once the servant drew the kings sword and drove 1t into his own heart. And as his spirit was about to speed away the servant said. Master. I will go and tell the dead that thou wilt soon be in their midst" "Oh," you say. that was a beau- tlful devotion That servant was willing to give up all for his king" So must we sacrifice if we are to hear our divine | king speak to us in the secret place of thunder We must be willing to give up all for him. We must be ready to climb every mountain of difficulty for his honor l and glory. So likewise whatsoever he be