Year: 1873

lSuk iDLCy lOol ITO NoinO W tACu4f bhO LILO
visible became promi nent and absorb
ing.


There is one word in the preceding verse
that we would notice: "These light affli :
tions worketh for us far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory"


What a strange word in this connection
/ suppose their trials, and Affections, and
sacrifices in the ministery were as severe as
ours but they were filed with strange
joy, the news Of which comes down to us
like song through the ages. When
look at their joy, after they had forsaken
all, almost feel sorry that we do not have
to forsake all, for then the Kingdom OF
God would be as dear to US as to them. IL
those early days of Christianity those who
gave their hearts to God literally suffered
the loss of all things They knew when
they did it that they would have no certain
dwelling place, that they must part with
friends, and all things, yet for His sake
men and women took joyfully the spelling
of their goods, and suffered DEATH &c
over the strange catalogue of Paul's suffer.
ings; see him, too, iourneying toward
Jerusalem when he is assured that bonds
and imprisonment await him; hear him
say ''None of these things move me. Meth
er count l my life dear unto myself


The way to be successful in spiritual life
is to come to clear conception of eternal
things. This will bring heroism. This will
help a man to get by the backsliding point
We are not likely TO go back while we keel
our gaze fixed on eternal things.


Open to the 18th chapter of Hebrews and
60 along with the Apostle to Mt Zion-te
the innumerable company of angels-ts Goo
the judge of ALTO the spirits Of just mer
made perfect-to Jesus the mediator of the
New Testament, and by the time you get sc
far along, you will not want to 60 back
You will want to go to work as though the
salvation of men depended upon you. A.
though you have a special commission to &C
to dying men and rescue them.


The power of the invisible is a great
thought The great forces of nature are
beyond the tangible. Water is greater
power than earth, and steam of more power
than water; yet steam is more tangible-it
is more easily eluded. Make it white with
heat and it becomes power that breaks
everything.


When you get beyond the material can





not tell what you will be. do not know
what power is in you, and what you may dc
when you are beyond the material bounds.


There is electricity-one of the most
powerful forces in nature yet you eapno'
see or handle it. It is nearly like spirit
it only lacks intelligence. The other day
wanted to speak to my wife, 800 mile,
away, abo ut her sick brother-I stepped in
to the office and left the message, show is
he ?" In about an hour, the reply was back
"He is better" But this is only one Of the
powerful forces of nature. God has great
many to make known unto US.


/ am glad that it is easier to believe to-day
than ever before. met an infidel ON the
cars, who said much about the conflict
between religion and science: told him
there was no such conflict, and asked him
to write down the great discoveries in sci
ence that infidels had made.


He began to think, and he could not
think of one. He could not write gravita-
ton, for the immortal Newton was disci-
pie Of the cross. He could not write the
steam engine, for Watts belonged to Jesus.
And Morse of telegraphic fame disdI..a
Methodist--that is, died shouting. might
have helped him little on his side, and
would had thought of it. / might have
told him that the infidel Darwin after long
study had discovered that his great-great-
great grandfather was monkey, or ought
to have been. Christians have made the
great discoveries of the age, and men every
where now have their eyes fixed on the in
visible, to see what God will next reveal.
But there are greater discoveries that those
of Science. Believers make discoveries of
pardon from God, Of sanctfication for the
soul, and of the glory of God.





o the powers of the invisible world.
We feel these forces when we are alone
when happiness comes upon us and we cam
not tell why we are happy. How near God
and the holy angels are to us. am glad
that know about these things myself. 1t
may be that can not analyze these spirit
tual forces, and would not if / could. 1t
is possible to give such attention to anal
ysis as to lose the thing itself. Some things
we know about it, however. 1t is silent
we hear it not. Like light and electricity
it has no outward noise 1t has power of
inspiration. Read the 18th, and 18th chap
ters of Hebrews. l often wish they were
one in our own Bibles, as they ought to be.


True it would be mighty long chapter,
but it would be a glorious one. 1t is all one
subject. 1t begins with faith, then tells
what faith did until you come toward
the close of the 11th chapter,
where you read how faith stopped
the mouth of lions, quenched the violence of
fire, and turned to flight the armies of the
aliens. Then he steps out to say, "Where-
FORE"


The s'wherefores" of Paul are grand.
used to love the ''wherefores" of Euclid,
but Paul's are better and ring all through
my soul. Wherefore seeing we are
about by so great cloud Of wit
nesses, let us lay aside every weight"


The Apostle knew the power of witnesses
upon us. read a story about fire. A
little girl appeared in the third story win
dow and called for help. A ladder was put
against the tottering wall, and a man went
half way up, when his courage began TO fail,
and he was about to come down and leave
the child to her fate A man in the crowd
who understood what could be exerted on
men, said, "Let US cheer that man. On
The air went up rcusing cheer. At once
The man started mp again, reached the win
dow and returned with the saved child.