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The Christian Sun. — . —.^ #2 __ _==^= - =,- - - - IN ESSENTIALS, UNITY; IN NON-ESSENTIALS, LIBERTY; IN ALL THINGS, CHARITY. VOL. XXXVII. RALEIGH, N. C„ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1884. NUMBER 37. 4 -- The Christian Sun. PVIIMHHKD KVKItV Thursday nY Key. J. PRESSLEY BARRETT. OUR PRINCIPLES: 1 The Lord Jesus Christ Is the only Head of the Church ‘I The name Christian, to the exclusion of all party or sectarian names 8. The I (ply Bible, or the Scriptures of the Old and tf*w Testament a sufficient rule of faith and prac t 4. Christian character, or vital piety, the only test of fellowship or church membership IS. The right of-private Judgment and the lib erty of conscience, the privilege and duty of all. we CAN MAKE HOME HAPPY. Though wc may not change the cottage For a mansion tall and grand. Or exchange the little grass plat For a boundless stretch of land; Yet there’s something brighter, dearer, Than the wealth we’d thus command. Though we have no means to purchase Costly pictures rich ami rare, Though we have no silken hanging For the walls so cold and bare, We can hang them o’er with garlands, For (lowers bloom everywnere. We can always make home cheerful, If the righktueurse we begin; We can make its inmates happy, And their truest blessing win; It wilt make the small room brighter: It will let the sunshine in. We can gather round the lireside, When the evening hours are long; We can blend our hearts and voices In a happy social song; , We can guide some erring brother, Lead him from the pgtli of wrong. We can till our homes with music, And the sunshine brimming o’er, If against the dark intruders We will firmly close the door; Yet should evil shadows enter, Wo must love each other more. There are treasures for the lowly, Which the grandest fail to find; There is a chain of sweet affection Binding friends of kindred mind— We may reap the choicest blessings From the poorest lot assigned. THE SUN’S PULPIT. THE BALANCE-SHEET. A DISCOURSE RY DR. TALMAGE. “All are yours.” 1 Cor. S: 22. The impression is abroad that religion puts a man on short allowance; that when the ship sailing heavenward comes to the shining wharf it will be found out that all the passengers had the hardest kind of sea-fare; that the soldiers in Christ's army march most of the time with an empty haversack ; in a word, that only those people have a good time in this world who take upon themselves no religious obligation. I want this morning to find out wheth er this is so, and I am going to take stock ; I am going to show what are the Christian’s liabilities, and what is his in come, and what are his warranty deeds, and what are his bonds and mortgages, and I shall find out before twelve o’clock just HOW MUCH HE IS WORTH, and I shall spread before you the bal ance-sheet in time to warn you all against the religion of the Lord Jesus Christ, if indeed it be a failure, and in time for you all to accept it, if indeed it be a success. I turn first to the assets, and I find there what seems to be roll of government secu rities—the Empire of Heaven promising all things to the possessor. The three small words of my text are a warranty deed to the whole universe when it says, “ All arc yours." In making an inventory of the Chris tian's possessions, I remark, in the first place, that UK OWNS THIS WORLD. My text implies it, and the preceding verso asserts it—“ whether Paul, or Apol los, or Cephas, or the world.'V Now, it would be an absurd thing to suppose that God would give to strangers privi leges and advantages which he would deny His own children. If you have a large park, a grand mansion, beautiful fountains, stalking deer and statuary, to whom will you give the first right to all these possessions ? To outsiders ? No, to your own children. You will say : « It will be very well for outsiders to come in and walk these paths and enjoy this landscape; but the first right to my house, and the first right to my statuary, the first right to my gardens, shall be in the possession of my own children.” Now, this world is God’s park, and while He allows those who are not His children and who refuse His authority the privilege of walking through the gardens, the possession of all this gran deur of park and mansion Is in the right of the Christian—the flowers, the dia monds, the silver, the gold, the morning brightness, and the evening shadow. The Christian may not have the title-deed to one acre of land as recorded in the clerk’s office, he may never have paid one dollar of taxes; but he can go up on a moun tain and look off upon fifty miles of grain field and say, “ All this is mine; my Father gave it to me.” “ All are yours.” A lawyer is sometimes required to search titles, and the client who thinks he has a good right to an estate puts the papers in his hands, and the lawyer goes in the public records, and finds every thing right for three or four or live years back ; but after a while he comes to a break in the title, to a deficit, to a diver sion of the property; so he finds out that the man who supposed he owned it owns not an acre of the ground, while some laxly else has the full right to the entire estate. Now, I EXAMINE THE TITLE to all earthly possessions. I go hack a little way, and T find that men of the world—bad men, selfish men, wicked men—think they have a right to all these possessions ; but I go further back, and I trace the title from year to year, and from century to century, ifbtil I find the whole right vested in God. Now, to whom did He give it ? To His own children ! ~S‘ All are yours.” The simple fact is, that in the last days of the world all the architecture, all the cities, all the mountains, all the villages, will be in the possession of the church of Christ. “ The meek shall inherit the earth.” Ships of Tarsus shall bring presents. “ The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof." “ All are yours.” “ But,” you say, “ what satisfaction is there in that when I haven't possession of tjiem ?” These things will "come be fore the Supreme Judge of the Universe, and He will regulate the title, and He will eject these SQUATTERS UPON THE PROPERTY that does not belong to them, and it shall be found that “ All are yours.” So, again, the refinements of life are the Christian's right. He lias a right to as good apparel, to as beautiful adorn ments, to as commodious a residence as the worldling. Show me any passage in the Bible that tells the people of the world they have privileges, they have glittering spheres, they have befitting ap parel that are denied the Christian. There is no one who has so much a right to laugh, none so much a right to every thing that is beautiful and grand and sublime in life as the Christian. “ All are yours.” Can it be possible that one who is reckless and sinful, and has no treasures laid up in heaven, is to be al lowed pleasures which the sons and daughters of God, the owners of the whole universe, are denied ? So I remark that all the sweet sounds of the world are in the Christian’s right. There are people who have an idea that instruments of music are inappropriate for the Christian’s parlor, or for the Christian church. When did the house of sin or the bacchanal get THE RIGHT TO MUSIC ? They have no right to it. God, in my text, makes over to Christian people all the pianos, all the harps, all the drums, all the cornets, all the flutes, all the or gans. People of the world may borrow them, but they only borrow them ; they have no right or title to them. God gave them to Christian people in my text, when 11c said, “ All arc yours." David no more certainly owned the harp with which he thrummed the praises of God than the Church of Christ owns now all chants, all anthems, all ivory key-boards, all organ diapasons, and God will gather up these sweet sounds after a while, and he will mingle them in one great harmpny, and the Mendels sohns and the Beethovens and the Mo zarts of the earth will join their voices and their musical instruments, and soft south wind and loud-lunged euroclydon will sweep the great organ pipes, and vou shall see God’s hand striking the keys, and God’s foot tramping the pedals in the great oratorio of the ages ! So all artistic and literary advantages are in the Christian’s right. I do not care on whose wall the picture hangs, or on whose pedestal the culpture stands, it belongs to Christians. The Bierstadts and the Churches are all working for us. “ All are yours.” The Luxembourgs, the Louvres, all the galleries of Naples, and Rome, and Venice—they are all to come into the possession of the Church of Jesus Christ. We may not now have them on our walls, but the time will come when the writ of ejectment will be served and the Church will possess every thing. All parks, all fish-ponds, all col ors, all harvests—all, “ all are yours.” Secondly, I remark that the right TO FULL TEMPORAL SUPPORT is in the Christian’s name. It is a great affair to feed the world. Just think of the fact that, this morning, twelve hun dred millions of our race breakfasted at God’s table! The commissary depart ment of a hundred thousand men in an army will engage scores of people ; but just think of a commissary department of a world ! Think of the gathering up from the rice swamps, and the tea fields, and the orchards, and the fisheries ! No one but God could tell how many bush els it would take to feed five continents. Then, to clothe all these people—how many furs must be captured, and how much flax broken, and how much cotton picked. Just think of the infinite ward robe where twelve hundred millions of people get their clothes! God spreads this table first of all for His children. Of course, that would be a very selfish man who would not allow other people to come and sit at his table sometimes ; but, first of all, the right is given to Christian people, and therefore it is ex treinc folly for th'em evor to fret about food or raiment. Who fed the whales sporting off Cape Hatteras this morning ? Out of whose hand did the cormorant pick its food ? Whose loom wove the butterfly’s wing? Who hears the hawk’s ery*^’ It God takes care of a walrus, and a Siberian dog, and a wasp, will Fie not take care of you ? Will a father have more regard for reptiles than for his sons and daughters? If God clothes the grizzly bear, and the panther, and the hyena, will He not clothe His own chil dren ? Come, then, this morning, and get the key of the infinite storehouse. Come and get the key to the infinite wardrolie. Here they are—all the keys. “ All are yours.” So all THE VICISSITUDES of this life, so far as they have any re ligious profit, are in the right of the Christian. You stand among the Alle ghany Mountains, especially near what is called the “ Horseshoe," and you will find a train of cars almost doubling on itself, and sitting in the back car you see a locomotive coming as you look out of the window, and you think it is another train when it is only the front of the train in which you are riding ; and some times you can hardly tell whether the train is going toward Pittsburg or to ward Philadelphia, but it is on the track, and it will reach the depot for which it started, and all the passengers will be discharged at the right place. Now. there are a great MANY SHARP CURVES in life. Sometimes we seem to be going this way, and sometimes we seem to be going that way ; but if we are Christians we are on the right track and we are go ing to come out at the right place. Do not get worried, then, about the sharp curve. A sailing vessel starts from New York for Glasgow. Does it go in a straight line ? Oh, no. It changes its tack even little while. Now, you say, “ This vessel, instead of going to Glasgow, must be going to Havre, or it is going’to Ham burg, or it is going to Marseilles.” No, no. It is going to Glasgow. And in this voyage of life we often have to change our tacks. One storm blows us this way, and another storm blow-s us that way ; but He who holds the winds in his fists will bring us into a lraven of everlasting rest just at the right time. Do not worry, then, if you have to change tacks. One of the best things that ever hap pened to Paul was being thrown off his horse. One of the best things that ever happened to Joseph was being thrown into the pit. The losing of his physical eyesight helped John Milton to see the battle of the angels. One of the best things that ever happened to Ignatius was being thrown to the wild beasts in the colliseum. and while eigldy thousand people were jeering at his religion he walked up to the fiercest of all the lions and looked him in the eye, as much-as to say, “ Here I am, ready to be devoured for Christ's sake.” All things work together for your good. If you walk the desert, the manna will fall and the sea will part. If the feverish torch ot sickness is kindled over your pillow, by its light you can read the promise. If the waves of trouble dash clear high above your girdle, across the blast and across the surge you can hear the promise, “ When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee.” You never owned a glove, or a shoe, or a hat, or a coat more certainly than you own all the frets and ANNOYANCES AND EXASPERATIONS of this life, and they arc bound to work your .present and your eternal good. They are the saws, the hammers, the files by which you are to be hewn and cut and smoothed for your eternal well-be ing. Here is a vessel that goes along the coast; it hugs the coast. The captain of that vessel seems chiefly anxious to keep the paint on his ship from being marred, or the sails from being torn. When that vessel comes to the “ Nar rows,” nobody looks on it with any in terest. But here is a vessel that went across the sea with vast product, and comes in with vast importation—sails patched, masts spliced, pumps all work ing to keep out the water ; it has come through the hurricane which has sunk twenty steamers. The bronzed men are cheering among the rigging. Now the meu-of-war anchored iu the harbor boom forth their welcome through the pot holes. So there are some Christians who are having an easy time. It seems to them smooth sailing all the way. When they get into heaven there will be no excite ment, there will be very few people who will ever find out they are there; but those Christiaus who have gone through a thousand miguight hurricanes—storm to the right of them, storm to the left of them, storm all the way—wheu they come up the hurbor of heaven, all the j redeemed will turn out to greet them, and bid them hail and welcome. I go further, and tell you that the Christian owns not only this world, but he OWNS THE NEXT WOKT.I) No eliasin to he leaped, no desert to be crossed. There is the wall; there is the gate of heaven. He owns all on this side. Now, I am going to show you that he owns all on the other side. Death is not a ruffian that comes down to burn us out of house and home, destroying the house of the tabernacle, so that we should be homeless forever. Oh, no! He is only a black messenger who comes to tell us to move; to tell us to get.yut of this hut, and go up into the epalaiitS' The Christian owns all heaven. “ A ft are jours.” Its palaces of beauty, its towers of strength, its castles of love. He will not walk in the eternal city as a foreigner in a strange city, but as a farmer walks over his own premises. “ All are j'ours.” All the mansions jours. Angels jour companions. Trees of life jour shade. Hills of glory your lookout. Thrones of heaven the place where jou will shout the triumph. Jesus is jours. God is yours. You look up into the face of God, and saj-, “My Father.” You look up into the face of Jesus, and say, “ My brother.' Walk out on the battlements of heaven and look off upon THE CITY OP THE SUN. No tears. No sorrow. No death. No smoke of toiling warehouse curling on the air. No voice of blasphemyJ;h rilling through that bright, clear Sabbath morn ing. No din of strife jarring the air. Then take out jour deed, and remember that from throne to throne, and from wall to wall, and from horizon to hori zon, “all are jours.” Then get up into the temple of the sun, worshippers in white, each with a palm branch, anil from the high gallery of that temple look down upon the thou sands of thousands, and the ten thousand times ten thousand, and the one hundred and forty and four thousand, and the great “ multitude that no man can num ber,” and louder than the rush of the wheels, louder than the tramp of the re deemed, hear a voicing saying, “ All are yours 1” See the great procession march ing around the throne of God. Martyrs who went up on wings of flame. Inva lids who went up from couches of dis tress, Toilers who went up from the workhouse, and the factoty, and the mine. All the suffering and the bruised chil dren of God. See the chariots of salva tion ; in them those who were more than conquerors. See them marching around about the throne of God forever and for ever, and know that “ all are j'ours. O ye who have pains of bodj- that ex haust j our strength and wear out j our patience, I would hold before j-ou this morning TIIE LAND OF ETERNAL HEALTH and of imperishable beauty, and “ all is yours!” 0 ye who have hard work to get your daily bread, hard work to shel ter your children from the storm, I lift before you the vision of that land where they never hunger, and they never thirst, and God feeds them, and robes cover them, and the warmth of eternal love fills them,, and all that is yours. O .ye whose hearts are buried in the grave of your dead at Greenwood, Laurel Hill, or Mount Auburn—O ye whose happiness went b3- long ago—O ye who mourn for countenances that never will light up. and for eyes closed forever—sit no longei among the tombs, but look here. A home that shall never be broken up. Green fields never cleft of the grave. Ran somed ones from you parted long ago, now radiant with a joy that shall never cease, and a love that shall never grew cold, and wearing garments that shall never wither, and know all that is yours. Yours the love. Yours the acclaim. Yours the transport. Yours the cry of the four-amt-twenty elders. Yours the choiring of cherubim. Yours the lamb that was slain. In the vision of that GLORIOUS CONSUMMATION I almost lose my foothold, and have to hold fast lest I be overborne by the glory. The vision rose before St. John on Pat inos, and he saw Christ in a blood-red garment, riding on a white horse, and all heaven following Him on white horses. What a procession! Let Jesus ride. He walked the way foot-sore, weary, and faint. Now let Him ride. White horse of victory, bear on our Chief. Hosanna to the son of David! Ride on, Jesus ! Let all heaven follow him. These cav alry of God fought well and they fought triumphantly. Now let them be mounted. The pavements of gold ring under the flying hoots. Swords sheathed and vic tories won, like conquerors they sit on their charges. Ye mounted troops of God, ride on! ride ou! ten thousand abreast, cavalcade after cavalcade. No blood dashed to the lips. No blood drip ping from the fetlocks. No smoke of battle breatkod from the nostrils. The battle is ended—the victory won ! Oh, if there be any present who are yet enemies of the cross of Christ, I be seech them at once to Vie reconciled t/i Hod ! Remember that if you are not found among that white-robed army who follow the Saviour in his victorious march, your part must be with those concerning whom it is said, “ The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those that know not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of Ilis power, when He shall come to be glorified iif His saints, am'F'te be admired in all them that believe.” “ Bkar ye one another's burdeps.'Sltd so fulfil the law of Christ." The verse had been Dr. Horton s text the day before, and now it came into Doris’ head so quickly that she almost let fall the dainty pink-flowered cup she wa3 polishing on one of her aunt Janet’s soft towels. Mrs. Barr w as talking to Dolly in the next room, and Doris had heard her say that the doctor had told her that very morning that Johnny must go to the country where he could have plenty of air and exercise, or he would never get strong and wTell again, and Dolly an swered that everbody had to have their share of trouble. Doris thought that poor comfort, but Mrs. Barr seemed to think it a very true remark, for she said, “ Yes, Mrs. Dennis finds that out too, for she has been having a sorry time with Ned, and is nearly heart-broke about him. He’s got in with a lot of boys old er than- he is, and they’re up to all sorts of mischief. Ned s not really a bad boy but he's easily influenced and full of fun. So his mother is in fear that they li get him into something wicked.” “ Why don't she make him leave off with them ? ’’ asked Dolly. How can she when he meets them on the street all the time? He and John ny used to be fast friends and together all the time, but since he had the fever and hits been so long getting well, Ned has got to going with the other boys. He thinks the world of Johnny and comes often to see him; but Johnny has not strength to walk about much yet, so Ned's got off with the other boys. Yes. everybody has got their burden to car ry-" It was just there that the verse about bearing each other's burdens came into Doris' head. But then, her thoughts ran on. what had she to do with Mrs. Barr or Mrs. Dennis’ trouble ? She was only- visiting, her aunt Janet for a little while, and surely she was not called on to look after their affairs. It did seem a pity that Johnny could not go to the country, and if his friend Ned could go with him he might break off from the associates he had formed. It was queer that Mrs. Barr did not have some relations in the country where she couldd Iseud Johnuy for the summer. Most likely she had. / but perhaps she eould not afford to pay his expenses there. Anyway, it did not make any difference to her, jand Doris rubbed the cups until each separate rose bud on them shone with a gloss of its own. But some way she eould not keep Johnny out of her thoughts, and Johnny and the verse seemed closely linked to gether. Doris had seen Mrs. Barr several times since she had been at her aunt's. She was a pale, delicate-looking widow, with two or three children younger than the boys she had been talking about. Doris knew that she did sewing and sometimes line ironing for her aunt, and that she lived over in the most crowded part of the city, where the streets were narrow and the houses close together, and the great factories and foundries made the air hot and unhealthy. “ Why don’t Mrs. Barr send Johnny to the country ? ” asked Doris when Dolly came in with the dishes. “She can't afford it. Johnny was sick so long that she had to use up the little money she had saved against a rainy day. And she is deep in debt on account of the doctor's bill and the necessaries and the few luxuries she had to buy for Johnny. While he was so sick she could not do any work and so got be hind.'’ Dorris thought of the ten dollar gold piece she had laid safely away in the corner of her writiug-desk. which had been given her to buy for herself any pretty trifle which took her fancy while in the city, and wondered if it would not be more than enough to take Johnny to his relations in the country. Then the verse about one another's burdens came into her mind again. She thought about it several times that morning. Once she concluded that she would wait and tell her aunt Janet about Johnny, and ask her to help him. But that did not satisfy her, for the verse <li<l not say, get somebody else to bear another's burden. So she made up her mind that her preeiousgold piece should do a bit of good and help -Johnny to get well. She could not consult her aunt -Janet, for she had Iteen called away that very morning to stay a few day# with a sick friend.; and Doris felt that she did not want to wait a minute to carry out her plan, now that her mind was made up. So when Dolly went that afternoon to carry to Mrs. Barr the work her aunt had left for her, she went with her. When Doris saw what a pale little .shadow Johnny was. she was more than jsfl$d that she had decided as she had. f While Dolly did her errand Doris nlade friends with the two little girls and talked to Johnny. But it was not until they were ready to leave that she asked Mrs. Bap* if she did not think Johnny would get well quicker if ly; went to the country, and her plan was completely upset by her saying, not that she could not afford to send him, but that she had no rela tions or acquaintances outside the city nearer than Minnesota. Such a far away place was quite out of the question, but Doris had. seen the eager interest Johnny showed at the mention of the country and she pondered over the matter all the way home. If she only could think of some one who wanted a boy to do light chores I She thought over all the people she knew at home, and at last remembered the very person who she believed would take not only Johnny but Ned also, for all the summer, and wondered why she had not thought of Mrs. Wilson at first; for just the morning before she left home she had heard her ask her mother if she knew, of any boys who would like to work for their board and a little pay. Doris knew it would be the very place for them. Mrs. Wilson lived on a little farm just out of the village, and raised small fruits and vegetables which she brought to the village and sent to the city. That evening's mail took a letter home to her mother, and the next day came an answer saying the boys could come at once, for Mrs. Wilson would take them both. There were some thankful In arts when Doris told her plan, anti the tears in Mrs. Barr's eyes were anything but sor rowful ones. Xelsonville was only twenty miles from the city, so Doris did not have to spend all her money, although after the first struggle she was quite willing to. and ' felt almost sorry that she did not have ! to. It did not seem a very great act to Doris, and she did not realize that she had done as much as she had : but by “giving them the help she did she assist ed t wo boys to make themselves honest, men, for Johnny grew strong, and Ned i ceased caring for the boys he had been going with. They both stayed all sum mer with Mrs. Wilson and went again this year to work for her. They are K eomiug real farmers, and the height of their ambition is to have farms of their own so they can all go to the country to live. STEADY WALKING. BY GRACE WEBSTER lirXSDAI.E. . I watched au expressman carry a heavy trunk on his shoulder down a long stair case. It was almost frightful t6 see him move so carefully, the huge, unwieldly trunk kept in position by one hand. The man moved with a steadiness and atten tion wliich could not have been lessened without the certainty of letting the box fall. And I thought. •• Well, that, is steady walking under a burden. I thought of what Boswell said to John son, •• Garrick, will soon have an easier life." Johnson replied, •• l doubt that, sir." Boswell answered, Why, sir, he will be Atlas with the burthen otii his back." But I know not', sir,' said John-' son, “ if he will be so steady without his load." It was profitable to think of burdens in this light for a moment. There were pome weighing quite heavily upon my own shoulders just at that time. Bur- j dens were as common among my friends as snow-laden boughs after a storm in winter. And I thought, “ These weights which press me down day by day were appointed to me by my Father; they are too peculiarly appropriate to my own spirit to have any chance about them.” Again I said to myself, •• My faith shall i believe that my burden shall • work for good.' I will fling it in among the ■' all things.' " Again I questioned my heart, “ Is there love' enough in here to my Father to accept his will, just because it is his will ?" “ Oh, but how do you know that it is his will ? Pain and poverty and trouble come from the devil. ‘ God is lovehe surely is not the author of your afflictions, and he would never bind a heavy burden on his child.” Unbelief got its answer from Job when he said, '■ The hand of God hath touched me.' The Ohiustiax Sun. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION: ((’A“'ll IN Al'VANCK. I tint-yeak, |»>staKc inflmini.sq oo Six months, ■* . I no TERMS OF ADVERTISING: Owisqmire, ton Hues, lirsl insertion.ft *M> For each subsequent insertion. Ml one square thro’ months. 5 00 tine square six months. 8 00 One square twelve months.IS 00 Advertisers chamrinc weekly must make a special iwreenient. Yearly advertisers will (my monthly or quarterly in advance. Transient advertisements to la- paid for on insertion. : Fie would not recognize second causes in his trials, nor lielieve that (Foil had not counted every arrow which had wounded him. Ft is hard to carry burdens all day and lie down at night with the weight still pressing upon you. Burdens of sus pense, of perplexity, of grief, of anxiety— what sleep with such burdens on one's heart! It is dark both day and night ; and to be at peace in the daytime and to rest at night is like sleeping in danger ous places ; it is like lying down when one has lost the way. But the Great Shepherd says. My flock shall sleep in the woods." It works both ways. These burdens do, on the whole, force us into a steady walk. And, on the other hand, we can not get the patient steadiness with which to endure without a genuine faith -that God is" and is our Friend. There is no carrying grievous burdens with unbend ing strength without this sweat convic tion and power of faith. ■ If God permits my trials, how can lie sympathize with me ? Why should he, if it is his will that I should he tried?" We ask this out of our unbelief, and then go to friends, poor human friends, for sympathy and consolation. Can we de scribe to them all the trouble ; can we make them really feel the weight we are hearing ? There is One who knows the uttefmost concerning us, and we are dearer to him than to any friend, and his pity is linked with power; it might be healing and comfort and strength to us to pour our hearts out before him ! It would be if we ■■ believed the love he [lath to us." After a while the promises do grow ireeious to us in these hours of sutfer ng. Pliny speaks of those who behold he glory of the sun and the light of the stars from the gloomy recesses of the leepest mines." It is in the darkest lours of life that faith is privileged to lehold most clearly the Sun of Right •ousness. Faith at last learns to live on i strength not her own. I am willing :o bear my burden, but I have no strength." IIow often we hear it. We forget whose strength is being tested. It is not my strength, for my Father knows I have none. It is his strength upon whom 1 am allowed to roll my burden, [f I believe, l shall tipd relief. Poor faith always has her lessons to learn in the school of experience. And the be liever not only becomes patient through faith, but submits. Patience may make supportable what I can neither remedy nor prevent, but submission is a still higher attainment. It will rejoice in the Lord apart from his gifts, and so lie quietly satisfied with all his will ; the very stones of the wilderness are turned into pillows [ And we ought not to bo discouraged as to the spiritual result of the discipline to which we are subjected.' When and where shall the fruit of God s dealings with us lie found? Pear soul, co-ope rate with God in a trustful spirit, and let him show you the result here or there, as he will, lie has no impatience in re gard to his work, and impatience can only be a hindrance and depressing ele ment in our own hearts. As to getting rid of your burden, if you find that you cannot loose it from oil'your shoulders, just move on steadily in the strength of faith and be ready with praise to greet your Moses when he comes to deliver you. Think what it might be to us to have all the burdens of life removed before we were ready for the hour of unrestrained impulse in de sire and action. M ho knows •• if he will lie so steady without his load" ? BURIED 1ALENT IN THE CHURCH. Much has been well written and spok en on this practical subject, but more is needed, and line upon line, till the Church comes to see and t'eel how much she sutlers—how her work is delayed and the salvation for which she stands is put back for the want and waste of unusual energy. Not more than 15 per cent of the energy—it has been compu ted—entrusted to the Church to be ex pended in plans and labors to save men and build up the kingdom of Christ is utilized and expended for this purpose The remaining S5 per cent is either bur ied and not put to use or used to set up the kingdom or darkuess and sin. The word of God is by no means si lent on this subject. The Revised Ver sion throws new light upon it, and shows, that Christ's ascension gifts—the gift of apostles and prophets, evangelists, pas tors and teachers—were for the express purpose of utilizing the whole energy a id making every member of the body of Christ an active and effective worker. “ And he gave some to be apostles; anti some, prophets; and some, evangel ists ; and some, p: s ors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ: till we all at tain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Sou of God, unto full-grown man, unto the measure of tl stature of the fulness ot' Christ” sians iv, 11—Id.) This Scripture is also suggestive the way in which the hidden energy of the Church is to be -called out It puts forward the pastors and teachers of the Church. Upon them lies the responsi Mility of calling'out the energy that hidden, and directing the ; to whom “ '
The Christian Sun (Elon College, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 11, 1884, edition 1
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