The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-01

Christian ease Is always the life of fall ure. The life of self-saorfcing struggle for Jesus Is always the life of spiritual success. It Is said that the greatest ar tistic genius England ever produced was a young man named Hawkins He was, like Thomas Chatterton, precoclous marvel. When he was twenty years of age he was heralded as "the coming Michael Angelo" But the trouble with young Hawkins was that he was never willing to make the sacrifices necessary for his success in art. On one occasion he was asked by MT. Ackefs, a prominent member of the British parliament, to make pleasure journey with him and some friends to Paris. "I cannot he re- piled. q have to finish a picture" "IGow much do you exepct to get for that pie ture after 1t is finished?" asked MT. Ack- CTS Fifty pounds" T will give you that much for it now" With that Mr. Ackers lifted his foot and drove 1t through the canvas, saying; NOW. Hawkins, drop the old picture and spend your $50 and let us have come fun" So it Is with all men who are living the easy life. Like the prodigy Hawkins. their lives are doomed to failure. So It Is with the Christian life We must bat tle with storm. We must sacrifice. We must give up for Jesus, or else Jesus
 
 CT Christian life
 , But there is one more lesseon I want to draw from this Mediterranean ship wreck in reference to the Christian life. and then am done. Paul did not say to those tossing, trembling seamen, "One- half of this crew shall be saved if ye abide by the ship" He did not say, 'Three-fourths or five-eighths or nine tenths of this crew shall be saved if -l.s [. ,,1f ,f the men and women would have grum- bled had he said that. They would have answered: Why are some of us saved and not all?" But Paul said, "The an gelic messenger said to me, 'Lo God hath given thee all them that sail with thee ' So I come to you today and say: Men and women and children in the name Of Jesus Christ you can all be saved through his blood If you will only cling to the cross of Jesus Christ and live. VIII you accept that invitation? Will you be saved by that cross? All Yea, all, Will you believe God and accept him now?
 And, oh If you will only believe this and accept Christ. what a glorious time 1t will be when we are landed upon the other shorel I suppose when that great Alexandrian corn ship went to pieces upon the island of Malta the inhabitants of that island were down there upon the DeaCn 10 Help the SlTuSBliuB ihSil eti''' women to land Cannot you see them plunging into the surf to drag the poor fellows out? When the time of our land ing upon the celestial shore comes, can not you see our dear ones rushing into the river Of Death to drag us out? Oh. yes; they will come so near when the surges of death are rolling over us that n'ethnlxs their celestial hands will almost touch our dying pillows. Aye can you not see those hands reaching out now :? Can you not see them beckoning? Will you not accept this invitation for that heavenly reunion awaiting us all? Yea, for all who will be saved through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ! Listen. Let me read And so 1t came to pass that they escaped all safe to land Fa- ther. mother, brother. sister. child Is that to be the record of your family 5 celestial advent?
 Copyright. 1907. by Louis Klopscho