The Monmouth inquirer., 1906-09-27

Summit, but would willingly go six
times that distance on the level road.
Bvery few yards we had to stop and
let the horse rest. One man handled
the break, the other led or drove the
horse. Zigzag. backward and forward
the switchback road went. In one
place you could look up and see where
the road. like lazy river. curved
backward and forward in seven dis
tinct places. 1t was only by the most
persistent effort and struggle that at
last, tired and exhausted and hun
CRY, we came to the top. Then we
reached the ravlnes where the thunder
storms were Graded and the mighty
tempests were sent forth on their mis-
sion Of giving drink to the famished
crops and orchards of the valleys be-
low. Yes. truly am pSght when as
sert that the secret places of the thun-
der are always built upon the high
peaks Of the mountains of difficulties.
Low Valley Christians.
My friends, the great trouble is with
most of us we want to be Christians,
but we want to be low valley Chris
tians. We want to be Christians not
of the crags and cliffs, but of the Or
chards and the harvest fields and of
the flower gardens. We want to be
the lazy Christians, lying upon beds of
ease. where the bees will bring to us
their honey and the sun will smile upon
us a continual benediction, and the
tossing. tumbling fountains will slake
our thirst, and where the birds will
never cease to sing for US their sweet
est iuliabies. All, no, that Is not where
we will hear Gods voice speaking to
us in the secret place of the thunder.
1t Is not in the lowiands, but upon the
mountain tops. 1t Is not where we lie
down upon bed of goses and close our
eyes in indolent somnolence. but only
upon the mountain heights Of difficulty,
to scale which we will have to do as
Paul did when he described himself, in
the twelfth chapter Of Hebrews. as
running a gospel race: Wherefore
seeing we are comprised about with
so great cloud of witnesses, let us
10y dck0< GFNk1 wight uA0 AAC jail
which doth beset us. and let US run
with patience the race that is set be-
fore u.s." When you read those words,
dare you for one moment assume that
Paul had an easy time when he gave
himself up for consecrated service to
Jesus Christ?
1t 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.
1t 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 beautiful story told that in
oiden times a heather king lay dying.
He was mortally 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 come" At once the
servant drew the kings sword and
drove it into his own heart. And as
his spirit was about to speed away the
servant said. Master, will go and
tell the dead that thou wilt soon be in
their midst" oh" you say, chat
was %eausiful 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 Sc
cret place of thunder. We must be
willing 10 give up all for him. We
must be ready TO climb every noun
tain Of difficulty for his honor and
glory. $50 likewise whOseeyer he be
of you that forsaketh not ell that he
hath he cannot be my disciple"
Forsaixing All For God.
The psalmist in all probability cared
but little for the scientific causes of the
thunderstorm. In his time the national
and international systems Of weather
bureaus had not been established.
There were not then. as now, weather
outposts or observatories stationed all
around the world connected with tele-
graph wires. In our day no sooner
does q storm start south from Alaska
than the great gangiion or nerve center
at Washington is made cognizant Of
the fact, and the danger signals are
lifted aIeng the coast to warn Ameri-
can shipping In all probability David
knew nothing about the different strata
Of alr overhead He did not know that,
Just as the scfentsst today drOps faith
oan line into the ocean and finds diff
ferent currents Of water In straight
line towing above or underneath each
other In different directions, so the
aeronaut IN his balloon flnds different
currents of afr In the atmosphere over
head blowing In different directions.
But this one fact the psafmist knew
about a thundeystorm-it represented
an atmospheric change Before the
storm came the hot valleys would be
bIistered. Then the droughts would be
parching the grass and drying up the
water holes Then the sheep would be
bieating from hunger and thirst But
no sooner did the echoing of the storm
sound forth from the secret place Oh
thunder than at once the hot, blasting
air became cool Then the reservoirs
OF the clouds were emptied of their
waters. Then all nature began to TEEN