The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-04-23

ence in all our relations with our fell
lowmen and a different moral temper
and religious spirit in the church.
We need to hear the voice out of the
cloud.
Abraham heard that Voice. and be
went out into a country not knowing
whittier he was going. Moses heard
it, and he led the children of Israel
out of the land of Egypt, through the
trackless wilderness. ard right up to
the borders of the Promised land.
Joshua heard that voice. and he bat
tered into hopeless defeat all the ene-
mics of the Lord. Samuel heard it,
and be consecrated himself to the
Priesthood. Elijah heard that Voice,
and he stood up like a lion on Mount
Carmel and put the four hundred
prophets of Baal to utter dlscomit
ure. Daniel heard it. and he flung
open defiance at the whole of the pag
anism of Babylon. Isaiah and the
Prophets heard it, and they thunder
ed woes and anethemas against the
corruptions of Israel. 1.-The corruptions
that finally resulted in the nations
overthrow. John the Baptist heard
that voice. and in the wilderness OF
Judea he heralded the coming Christ.
Peter heard it. and be preached with
a Pentecostal fury that brought 5000
souls into the Kingdom in a single
day. Paul heard hat voice and he
went forth TO utter the story OF the
Cross with a heroism that hosts of
MALIGNANT foes could not appall. and
an enthusiasm that no floods of
trouble and opposition could ever ex
tinguish. John Wesley heard that
voice and he girdled the globe with
the wonderous glory of the Redeem
er's name. Spurgeon heard it. and
with a sacred fury that only death
could quencb, he preached the gospel
of %redeeming grace. and rivetted the
attention of eager thousands on the
sin cleansing blood that was shed our
souls to save. Brethren. we too. need
to J ear that Voice out of the cloud.
Then. and then only. are we ready to
give God our lives in consecrated SER
vice.
"And when the Voice was past,
Jesus was found alone 1--WE are taught
that even on the Mount our eyes must
be intent on seeing, not the vision
only. but Jesus. 1t must be "Jesus
only"
The vision will pass; rapturous
feelings will subside; we shall get
down to the cold grey. dead level ex-
perience of our common. everyday
lives; but Jesus remains. Take him
with you down into the valley and
when the way is dark you will have
shed around you a wonderous light
and when you are weak and the bur-
dens are heavy you will have minis
tered to you Divine strength: and
when sorrow comes you will have a
consolation that the world knows
nothing of: and when friends aud
loved ones are gone in His glorious
companlonship you will forget the
WEAKNESS of the way. On the Mount
and in all the after experiences of life
fix our eyes on Jesus only.
Let us learn, finally. that the sphere
of a Christians life is in the Valley.
Jesus and the disciples vent down
from the mountain and the first thing
Jesus did was to heal a lunatic who
was raving at its base. From the
mountain Immediately down into the
toll of the valley. AS one has said
"We rejoice in mountain fellowship
with Jesus. but We must learn that
refreshing as is the invigorating air.
b~racing as is the steep ascent, rare
and elevating as is the glorious com
partnership. we must not build our
tabernacles there.
Get on the mountain top with Jesus
as often as you IN. but don't stay
there. In the valley below there is
work for US to do, and we must hear
our Masters voice as he asks us to
descend and leads us down into the
great field of toll, and travail and
triumph"
A great many professors of religion
like to BIZ on the mountain-top, but
they are 10th to descend to the val
ley. There are too many Christians
today. of the hot-house type. Their
religion must be all sunshine; but.
remember, to be like the oak, we
must be where the oak is: not behind
some sheltered nook, bathed in sun
shine. but exposed to the blasting
storms and chilling tempests of life.
May God bring us to the mountain
top for light. inspiration and strength
and then show us the meaning of the
experience by sending US down into
the valley of the worlds strife and
toll and triumph. Amen.