1893 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



893 



But let us take up asain this foolish and pre- 

 posterous idea that Christians are to be spared 

 from physical pains and death. In one sense 

 it is true that Christianity tends to relieve suf- 

 fering — that is, common-sense Christianity. 

 There is a whole string of the most terrible 

 •diseases that afflict humanity, caused directly 

 by sin, and by breaking one particular com- 

 mandment. If we read our Bibles, and practice 

 its teachings, we as a people ought to be spared 

 all of these terrible consequences. Again, 

 Christian civilization tells us how to avoid 

 b-^ing sick. When friend Terry came on to 

 what was then a rundown farm, the doctor 

 was called so constantly in that locality, and so 

 many people had died right on that very farm, 

 that the doctor was ashamed to be seen going 

 in that direction. After Terry got his under- 

 draining managed to his notion, and had taken 

 care of his drinking-water, slops, stables, and 

 all out-buildings, the locality became noted for 

 the health of its occupants. Not one of his 

 family has been sick for years past. Thus far 

 we are all right; but to presume that a Chris- 

 tian, because he is a Christian, is to have an 

 e&sy time all through life, to have the "softest 

 jobs," to use a common expression, with the 

 biggest pay, and to get clear of thunder and 

 lightning, flood and storm, accidents on sea or 

 land, etc., would be almost preposterous. It 

 may be that there are many Christians who 

 make the burden of their prayers tliat they 

 may have such an easy life; but if there are 

 such, it is time they got over it. A young man 

 in our neighborhood once gave as a proof that 

 God did not answer prayer, that, when their 

 house took tire, all lost their lives except him- 

 self, while the others were professing Chris- 

 tians, and he alone was an unbelievt^r. He 

 said, in fact, that they prayed every night that 

 God would spare their lives and keep them 

 from such disaster; whereas, although he did 

 not pray at all, he was saved, and their prayers 

 did not avail. 



Ye ask. and receive not, because ye ask amiss, 

 that ye may consume It upon your lusts.— .Tames 4:3. 



It may be well for small children to ask God 

 to keep them from harm while they sleep; but 

 I do not believe it is well to pray very much 

 that God may spare us especially from the dis- 

 asters common to mankind; neither do I think 

 it the thing for people to he continually thank- 

 ing God because they did not happen to be in 

 a railway accident or earthquake. It suggests 

 to me a rather undignified couplet! heard years 

 ago, and yet this couplet carries a moral with it. 



O Lord, liless me and my wife; my son John and his 

 wife; 



Us four and no more. 



Please let us be careful about getting into that 

 fashion in our prayers. 



This sort of misconception has been by no 

 means confined to the present age or generation. 

 Notwithstanding the Master's teachings— not- 

 withstanding the hardships and privations he 

 <^ndured. his little band of followers would 

 again and agaiti get the idea that he was, 

 sooner or later, to enter tiie arena of politics, 

 and become an earthly king. In fact, the mul- 

 titudes wanted to crown him king again and 

 again; and pven after he had been telling them 

 that he must submit to persecution and death, 

 two of them right away afterward begged the 

 privilege of sitting, one on his right hand and 

 the othfr on his left, when he should come into 

 his kingdom. And their mother, too. joined in 

 this request — or. rather, first made it. I have 

 taken my text, as you notice, from this very in- 

 cident. He, knowing the future, and knowing 

 their awful misconception of what his kingdom 

 was to be, replied, in these sad words: '" Are ye 



able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, 

 and to be baptized with the baptism wherewith 

 I shall be baptized ? " It seems almost pitiful 

 to think that their request was in part granted 

 when they had not even a faint coniprehension 

 of wliat it ijnplied. But the poor fellows gain- 

 ed knowledge and wisdom before they died; 

 and when the time came for them to die a 

 martyr's death they realized what his words of 

 long ago implied, and, like the Master, they 

 were ready to give their lives, and undergo that 

 terrible baptism. 



Our devoted Christian friend on that fated 

 railway train, with the spirit of the martyrs of 

 old, faced the cruel death. When I read the 

 account of it in the newspapers it occurred to 

 me at once that she, like the martyrs of old, 

 received her baptism, but it was indeed a bap- 

 tism by fire. The Pharisees of olden time were, 

 I know, fond of having the best places, and the 

 highest seats in the synagogue. 



The Pharisees love tlie ui>permost rooms at feasts, 

 and tlie chief seats in the synag'og-ues.— Matt. 23:6. 



But what did Jesus say of such a religion? 

 Again, we have a glimpse of that same spirit 

 in another Pharisee when he thanked God he 

 was not as other men are, and especially singled 

 out the poor publican. Did he have any am- 

 bition or any conception of the work of raising 

 that poor publican to his own level ? Why, not 

 the slightest. He did not want the publican to 

 be any different, because it would rob him of 

 the privilege of thanking God for the difference 

 in their respective stations. He would not 

 have made a very good missionary, would he, 

 friends? Some may urge that the prospect for 

 the Christian is not a very inviting one. Well, 

 it certainly is not; and no one should expect it 

 to be inviting to the selfish or proud individual. 

 There is, however, an encouraging side that I 

 have hardly as yet touched upon. Amid all 

 these trials, hardships, and persecutions, we 

 have the promise of something better than all 

 this world can furnish. The Master says, " Lo, 

 I am with you alway, even unto the end of the 

 world." And he says. also. " He that loselh his 

 life, for my sake, shall find it." And Christians 

 away down through the ages have attested the 

 wonderful truth of this promise. He also said, 

 " ]My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." 

 The great truth embodied here is that, when 

 we once manfully shoulder the burden or the 

 yoke— for it sometimes is a yoke— then we have 

 grace and strength to hear it. Thousands of 

 Christians have testified, during their last mo- 

 ments, that 



Jesus can make a dying-bed 

 Feel soft as downy pillows are. 



We must look out, however, right here, that 

 we do not get the idea that our tasks and trials 

 and burdens are always made easy. Many 

 Christians have to endure suffering. I have 

 sometimes thought that intense suffering is, 

 very many times, the only thing that chastens 

 and subdues a proud and haughty spirit. Of*en- 

 times, when we think we have thrown our lives 

 away for conscience' sake, or for Christ's sake, 

 we find we have only entered on to a new life 

 and have begun to live. How many, many 

 have had this experience! " He that loseth his 

 life shall find it." Oh, how true that is! 



And now, as a final word of encouragement, 

 I want to say that martyrs have, many of them, 

 testified that their last sufferings, even when 

 they perished by the flames, were not so hard to 

 bear, after all. Like the Hebrew children in 

 the fiery furnace, the angel of the Lord seems 

 to come in at just the last moment, and give 

 strength and grace to bear the tortures of the 

 flesh. Who has not had experience in looking 

 forward to some terrible hardship until the 



