MONDAY, JANUARY 18. 191.-.
PLATTSMOUTH SEMI-WEEKLY JOURNAL.
PAGE 5.
-pu.i
I
Copyright, 1314, by
CHAPTER V.
Tne Stampede to Squaw Creek.
TWO months after Smoke P.el
lew and Shorty wv.it after
moose for a irnthstake they
were back In the Klktvnn sa
loon at Dawson. The hunting was
done, the meat hauled In and sold r;ir
$2.50 a ponnd. end between them they
possessed JSi.OCO In cold dust and a
pood team of dogs. They hud played
In luck. Despite the fact that the sold
rush had driven the game a hundred
miles or more into the mountains, they
had within halt that distance bagged
Jour moose in a narrow cauyou.
The mystery of the strayed animals
w::s no greater than the lin k of their
killers, for within the day fcur fam
is(io Indian families. re;ortiug no
game In three days" journey tack,
camped beside them. Meat was trad
m1 for starving dogs, and after a vvpek
of feeding Ssjioke and Shorty harness
ed the animals and began freighting
the meat to the eager Dawson market.
The problem f the two men now
was to turn their gold dust into food.
The current price for Hour and beau
was $1.5 a pound, but the difficulty
was to tird a seller. Dawson was in the
ttm es of famine. Hundreds of men.
with money, but no food, had been com
pelled to leave the country.
Smoke met Shorty in the warm sa
loon and found the latter jubilant.
"Life ain't no pumpkins without
whisky an' sweetenm'." was Shorty's
greeting as tie pulled lumps of ice
frjm his thawing mustache and flung
them rattling on to the floor. "An' 1
sure Just get eighteen pounds of that
same sweetenm . lhe gce.er only
charged S3 a pound for it. V.'hut luck
did you haver"
'"I. tco. have not been idle." Smoke
answered with pride. "1 bought fifty
js.n;uds of tloui. And there's a man up
on Adam creek who says he'll let me
have fifty pounds more tomorrow."
"CJreat: We'll sure live till the river
opens. Come on an" have a drink. 1
lust got to celebrate them eighteen i
pounds of sweeteuin." j
Several minutes later, as be weighed
in vn the gold scales for the drinks, he i
gave a start of recollection.
"I plutnb forgot that man I was t ,
meet In ,tne Tivoli. He's pot some !
spoiled bacon he'll sell for a dollar an' j
half a pound,
doers. So Jong."
We can feed it to the
Hardly had Shorty left the place j
when a fur clad man entered through
the double storm doors. His face light
ed at sight of Smoke, who recognized
him as Breck. the man whose boat
they had run through the Box canyon
and the White Horse rapids.
"I heard you were In town." Breck
said hurriedly. "Been looking for you
for half an hour. Come outide; 1
want to talk with yon."
As they emerged Smoke drew off
one mitten, lighted a match and glanc
ed at the thermometer that hung be
side the door. He remittened his nak
ed hand hastily, as if the frost had
burned him.
"What did it say?" Breck asked.
"Sixty below. An hour ago ir was
only 52. Don't tell me it's a stampede."
"It is." Breck whirred back no
ttausly. "You know Squaw creek
empties in on the other side the Yu
kon, thirty miles up?"
"Nothing doing there." was Smoke's
judgment "It was prospected years
ago."
"So were ail the other rich creeks.
Listen! It's big. Only eight to twenty
feet to ledrock. There won't be a
claim that doesn't run to half a million
It's a dead secret Two or three of my
close friends let me in on it. I to'd
my wife right away that 1 was going
to find yon before I started. Now. so
ioT:g. My pack's hidden down the
bir.k. In fact, when they told me they
in ide me promise not to pull out unti?
Dawson was asleep. Yon knw what
if means if you're seen with a stam
I"!ii:g outfit. G't your partner and
follow. Von ought to stake fourth or
f ft!) claim from Discovery. Don t for
pet Squaw creek. It's the third after
Jo'l pass Swede creek."
When Smoke entered the Mttle cabin
mi the hillside back or Dawson he
l.t :r J a heavy, familiar breathing.
"Aw. go t" bed." Shorty mumbled as
f'r.ii'ke shoel: his .shoulder.
'.ih: into your clothes." Smoke
sr :!. "We've got to stake a couple of
l;.ims."
Mi.irty sat up and started to explode.
Sh:" Smoke warned. "It's a big
st: Squaw creek. Breck gave me
v t:;. Shallow bedrock. Go'd from
tl: i-riss toots down. Cmne on. We'll
s- ' .. j. a couple of liaht packs together
: puil .i.t "
::! i;iali stampeding pack. on their
iiiey ii .-ed lhe door behind
ai d -t.-ul. M d vn the lull. Shorty
i.-.l i.fl
;!
a turn ot the trail into
.-i.d ra'M-d his xoi'r in
toe date ot the Week and
2 or
fen. ..th and ytar.
FI III
LONDON.
the Wheel er Syndicate
"Can't you keep still?" Smoke elud
ed. "You'll have all Dawson awake
and after us."
Huh: See the light in that cabin?
An' in that one over there? An hear
that door slum? Ob. sure. Dawson's
asleep: Them lights? Just buryin
their dead. They ain't stampedin";
Detcher lire they ain't!"
Hy the time they reached the main
street a hundred men were in line be
hind them, and while they sought in
the deceptive starlight for the trail
that dipped down the bank to the river
more men could be heard arriving
Shorty slipped and shot down the
thirty foot chute into the soft snow.
Smoke followed, knocking him over as
be was rising to his feet The next
moment they were scrambling wildly
out of the way of the bustling bodies
of those that followed.
"lt'9 a sure stampede." Shorty de
cided. "Or might all them be sleep
walkers ?"
"We're at the head of the proces
sion at any rate,' wns Smoke's an
swer. "Oh. 1 don't know! Mebhe that's a
firefly ahead there. Alebbe they're all
fireflies that one. nn' that one. Look
at em: Believe me. they is a whole
string of processions ahead."
It was a mile across the jams to the
west hank of the Yukon, and candles
flickered the full length of the twist
ing trail. Behind them clear to the i
top of the bank they had descended
were more candles.
Smoke quickened and was soon at
the rear of the nearest bunch of stam
peders. He counted eight men and
I two women in this party, aud before j
the way across the jam ice was won j
he and Shorty had passed another par
ty twenty strong. j l.v caught up. and he was glad to ease
Within a few feet of the west bank to a walk at their heels. Almost im
the trail swerved to the south, emerg- j mediately he got the impression that
ing from the jam upon smooth ice. i the oti nearer him was a woman
The ice, however, was buried under j Dow thid impression came he could
several feet of fine snow. Through j ut teI1- Hooded and furred, the dark
this the sled trail ran. n nnrrow rih- i form was as any form, yet there was
bon of packed footing barely two feet
in width. On either side one sank to j
his knees and deeper in the snow.
The stampeders they overtook were i
reluctant to give way, and often Smoke
and Shorty had to plunge into the deep
snow and by supreme ctorts flounder
past
The average pace ot the stampeders
on the smooth going was three miles
and a half an hour. Srnoke and Shorty
were doing four and a half, though
sometimes they broke into short runs
and went faster.
Half hour by half hour they alternat
ed in setting pace. Nor did they talk
much. Their exertions kept them
"Get outa the way, stranger. Let some
body stampede that knows how to
stampede."
warm, though their breath froze on
their faces from lips to chin. So in
tense was the cold that they almost
continually rubbed their noses and
cheeks with their mittens.
Often they thought they had reached
the lead, but always they overtook
more stampeders who had started be
fore them. Occasionally groups of men
attempted to swing in behind to thclr
pace. but invariably they were dis
couraged after a mile or two and dis
appeared In the darkness to the rear.
"We've been out on trail all winter."
was Shorty's comment "an' them
geezers, soft from layin' around their
cabin, has the nerve to think they can
ketp our stride. Nowif they was real
conr doughs It'd be different.'
Once Smoke lighted a match and
glanced at his watch. He never re
peated it. for so quick was the bite of
the frost on his bared hands that half
an hour passed before they were again
comfortable.
"Four o'clock." he said as he pulled
on his mittens, "and we've already
passed 3!K)."
"Three hundred and thirty-eight,"
Shorty corrected. "Get outa the way,
stranger. Let somebody stampede that
knows bow to stampede."
This latter was addressed to a man.
evidently exhausted, who could no
more than stumble along and who
blocked the trail. This and one other
were the only played out men they en
countered, for they were very near to
the head of the stampede. Nor did
they learn till afterward the horrors
of that night. Exhausted men sat
down to rest by the way and failed to
get uf) again. Seven were frozen to
death, while scores of amputations of
toes, feet and fingers were performed
in the Dawson hospitals on the surviv
ors. The other played out man they found
a few minutes later sitting on a piece
of ice beside the trail.
"nop along. Sister Mary," Shorty
gayly greeted him. "Keep rnovin'. If
you sit there you'll freeze stiff."
The man made no response, and they
stopped to investigate.
"See if he's breathing." Smoke said
as. with bared hand, he sougly: through
furs and woolens for the man's heart.
Shorty lifted one ear flap and bent
to the ice Jips. "Nary breathe." be re
ported. "Nor heartbeat." said Smoke.
He mittened his hand and beat it
violently for a minute Ik-fore exposing
it to the frost to strike a match. It
was an old man. incontestably dead.
In the moment of illumination they
saw a long gray beard massed with
Ice to the nose, cheeks that were white
with frost and closed eyes with frost
rimmed lashes froy.cn together
"Come on." Shorty said, rubbing his
ear. "We can't do uothin' for the old
geezer."
A few minutes later, when a flaming
ribbon spilled pulsating tire over the
heavens, they saw on the ice a quarter
of a mile ahead two forms. Beyond
for a mile nothing movpd.
"They're leadin' the procession."
Smoke said as darkness fell again
"Come on. let's get them."
At the end of half an hour, not yet
having overtaken the two in front.
Shorty broke into a run. "If we catch
'em we'll never pass "em," he panted.
"Lord, what a pace fiey're hittin":
They're the real sour dough variety,
you can stack on that"
Smoke was leading when thev Cnal-
a haunting sense of fami. iarity about it.
"How do you do. Miss CJaslell?"
Smoke addpessed her.
"How do you do?" she answered,
with a turn of the head and a quick
glance. "It's too dark to see. Who
are you?"
"Smoke."
She laughed In the frost, and he was
certain it was the prettiest laughter he
bad ever heard. "How many cheka
kos are there behind?"
"Several thousand, 1 imagine. We
passed over ",()."
"It's the old story." she said bitterly
"The newcomers get in on the rich
creeks, and the old timers, who dared
and suffered and made this country
get nothing. Old timers made this dis
covcry on Squaw creek how it leaked
out is the mystery and they sent word
up to all the old timer? on Sea Lion.
But it's ten miles fartter than Daw
son, and when tiiey arrive they'll find
the creek staked to th? sky line by
the Dawson chekakos."
"It Is too bad," Smoke sympathized
"But I'm hanged if I know what you
are going to do about it."
"I wish I could do something." she
Bashed back nt him. "I'd like to see
them all freeze on the trail or have
everything terrible happen to them, so
long as the Sea Lion stampede arrived
first. And now. if you'll forgive my
tirade. I'll save my breath, for I don't
know when you and all the rest may
try to pass dad and me.'
No further talk passed between Joy
and Smoke for an hour or so. though
he noticed that for a time she and her
father talked in low tones.
"I know 'era now," Shorty told
Smoke. 'Tie's old Louis Gastell. an
the real goods. That must be his kid
He come Into this country so long ago
they ain't nobody can recollect, nn he
brought the girl with him. she only a
baby."
"I don't think we'll try to pass them."
Smoke said. "We're at the head of
the stampede, and there are only four
of OS."
Another hour of si! Mice followed,
during which they swung steadily
along. At 7 o'clock the blackness was
broken by a last display of the aurora
borealis. which showed to the west a
broad opening between snow clad
mountains.
"Squaw creefer Joy exclaimed.
"Goin some." Shorty orulted.
It was at tills point that the Dyea
trail, baffled by ice Jarcs, swerved ab
ruptly across the Yukon to the east
bank. And here they must leave the
hard packed, main traveled trail, mount
the jams and follow a dim trail but
slightly packed that hovered the west
bank.
Louis Gastell. leading, slipped In the
darkness on the rough ice and sat up.
holding his ankle in both his hands
He struggled o his fet and went on.
but at a slower race and with a per
ceptible limp. After a few minutes he
bruntlv halted.
MIt7s no nse,1 he said to his daugh
ter. "I've sprained a tendon. You go
ahead and stake for me as well a
yourself."
"Can't we do something?" Smoke
asked.
Louis Gastell shook his head. "She
can stake two claims as well as one.
I'll crawl over to the bank, start n fire
and bandage my ankle. I'll be all
right Go on. Joy. Stake ours above
the Discovery claim. It's richer high
er up."
"Here's some birch bark," Smoke
said, dividing .his supply equally.
"We'll take care of your daughter."
Louis Gastell laughed harshly.
"Thank you Just the same," he said,
"but she can take care of herself. Fol
low her and watch her."
"Do you mind if 1 lead?" she asked
Smoke as she headed on. "I know
this country better than you."
"Lead on," Smoke answered gallant
ly, "though I agree with you it's a darn
shame all us chekakos are going to
beat that Sea Lion bunch to it. Isn't
there some way to shake them?"
She shook her head. "We can't hide
oar trail, and they'll follow it like
sheep."
After a quarter or a mile she turned
sharply to the west Smoke noticed
that they were going through unpack
ed snow, but neither he nor Shorty ob
served that the dim trail they had
been on still led south. Had they wit
nessed the subsequent procedure ot
Louis Gastell the history of the Klon
dike would have been written differ
ently, for they would have seen that
old timer, no longer limping, running
with tiis nose to the trail like a hound,
following them; also they would have
seen him trample and widen the turn
to the fresh trail they had made to the
west, and finally they would have seen
him keep on the old dim frail that still
led south.
A trail did run up the creek, but so
slight was it that they continually lost
!t in the darkness. After a quarter ot
an hour Joy Gastell was willing to drop
to the rear and let the two men take
turns in breaking a way through the
snow. This slowness of the leaders en
allied the whole stampede to catch up
and when daylight came at i) o'clock
as far back as they could see was an
unbroken line of men. Joy's dark eyes
sparkled at the sight
"How long since we started up the
creek?" she asked
"Fully two hours," Smoke answered.
"And two hours back make four,"
she laughed. "The stampede from Sea
Lion is saved."
A faint suspicion crossed Smoke's
mind. "I don't understand." be said.
"Y'ou don't? Then I'll tell you. This
is Norway creek. Squaw creek Is the
next to the south."
(To Be Continued.)
Chamberlain's Cough Remedy.
This remedy has no superior fo?
couirhs and colds. It is pleasant to
take. It contains no opium or other
narcotic. It always cures. l or sale
by all dealers.
Farms for Sale!
The Horn Farm, one mile west of
Oreapolis; pood improvements, 238
acres mostly bottom land, good nay
land, good pasture, pood farm land
Ask for our price.
40 acres well improved, close to
market.
100 acres, pood improvements
Price cheap.
And many others on our list
sale.
Farm Loans at low rates,
delays.
T. (!. POLLOCK,
for
No
Tel. No. 1
Plattsmouth
HORSESHOEING!
I am now prepared to look
after all general blacksmithing
and horseshoeing. Shop 4 1 -2
niles west of Murray.
JOHN DURHAM.
L. J. Hall
The Union Auctioneer
Union, Nebraska
All sale matters entrusted to my care
will receive prompt and care
ful attention. (
Farm and Stock Sales
a Specialty!
Rates Reasonable!
6TAddress or phone me at Union
for open dates.
-BLACMHiNG-
Eicf?2j?3 AND r " : j
Mi IIP NUT
1 il
How to BscoriB a True Chris
Hungry Souls Ask For Bread of Life
Indigestible Stones and Fetid Errors
Repel Only the Bread From Heaven
Truly Satisfies God's True Message
Delicious, Satisfying Error Led to
Error In Dark Ages Discarding Er
rors, We Return to Simplicity, Truth.
Louisville, Ky
January 17. I'as-
tor Kussell preach
ed here today at
Macauley's Tbea
ter twice to splen
did audiences. We
report one of his
able discourses
jit,
from the text
'T resent your
V4
bodies a living sac
"PASTOR. gUSSELLlj
rifice, holy, accept
able to God, and
your reasonable
service." Romans 12:1.
Speaking with great earnestness, the
Taator declared that he repeatedly
meets with people inquiring for the
Bread of Life. These seem to know
that there is something radically wrong
with the preaching of the nominal
churches. They tell that they are im
pcrtuned for money: but that when
they ask for soul-food they meet with
evasion and subterfuge from many of
the great and learned, who appear to
have lost sight of the Bible and heart
conversion. Or, on the other band, they are met
by the Salvation Army, with traditions
as indigestible as a stone, to anybody
of ordinary Intelligence. They are told
with all seriousness that God created
our race, with knowledge and Intention
that nearly all of them would spend
eternity in torture. They are told that
to be saved from that awful fate they
s',ou,d become Salvationists, and storm
the slums for Jesus. Their experiences
remind one of Jesus words respecting
a father who, asked for bread, would
give his son a stone; who, asked for
fish, would give him a serpent
The Pastor hoped that some of these
hungry souls were present in his au
dience. He proposed to give them no
human theories or speculations nor
would he compromise the Truth nor
dodge the question. lie would endeaT
or to make the way to God so plain
that a wayfaring man need not err
therein; and he would do this by pre
senting God's arrangement and quot
ing Cod's own Word.
Where Eternal-Torture Error Lead 3.
No doubt those who invented the
theory of eternal torture thought that
they were taking the proper steps to
drive the whole human family to God
Hut, on the contrary. It seem3 to drive
away from God and the Bibie the most
intelligent people of every land, who
have naturally a more reasonable and
just conception of the Creator than the
one presented in the church creeds.
Instinctively they are repelled with
the thought that the Creator would
pursue a course which would be be
neath the most degraded.
Undoubtedly the Bible is true In de
claring such fallacies "doctrines of de
mons." (1 Timothy 4:1.) From this
Bible viewpoint we can see that it was
a master stroke on the part of Satan
and his subordinates to misrepresent
the teachings of the Bible, so as to re
pel those who might be "feeling after
God" and desiring to draw near to
Him. Acts 1727.
Truth-telling Provokes the Clergy.
To tell the truth to the people, even
on so simple a subject, means the an
gering of the clergy: Why, do you
ask? Because It proves them to be
In the wrong, and proves that they
have not been feeding the people with
the Bread of Heaven. Instead of
building up the House of God, the
Church, they have been building meeting-housesseeking
for numbers and
popularity rather than to Instruct the
people in God's Word. IlemaTkably
few church members of any denomina
tion know what they believe. They
give evidence that, if Christians at all,
they are the merest babes In Christ.
None Is able to judge another's heart,
but all should be able to judge of each
other's lives fruits. "By their fruits
ye 6hall know them," said the Master.
-Matthew 7:20.
If the majority of Christians have
the fruits of the Holy Spirit, they keep
them hidden; and surely many of them
manifest the fruits of the Evil Spirit
"anger, malice, hatred, envy, strife, bit
terness, slander." etc. which the Apos
tles style works of the flesh and of the
Devik-Epbesians 451; Galatians 5:19-
Jl; 1 John 3:S.
We would not be misunderstood; we
are not complaining that there are not
nice people connected with all the
churches. On the contrary, we com
pliment them on their education, their
refinement, their wealth, their influ
ence. Moreover, we compliment them
on their humanitarian sympathies, as
represented in hospitals, asylums and
Jother benevolences. But all these
things 'are hnred "evenly by--reople
who nre not niemlers of churches,
participation in Rood works is by no
means a proof that one Is a Christian.
Christian is a person who has come
into a very special relationship to God
through Christ: ttnri this relationshfp
exists not in respect to educatioa.
wealth, color or sex. ' ' .:
1
5
With the popularizing of Christianity
cams such u modification t teiichin
as invited all decent worldly people
into the Church, and made them think
thut they were consecrated saiLts oi
God ad heirs of the blessings prorn
ised la the Scriptures. By inference.
rather than by direct statement, the
theory has gone forth that the penalty
for sin will be visited only ujion those
who neglect to 6ay, "God forgive me,'
a few moments before they die. Not
withstanding the plain statements of
the creeds, every funeral discourse
lands the dead in Heaven, so far as
the auditors can understand. A misin
terpretation of the Savior's words to
the dying thief is made the basis for
this absurdity.
Let me say, then, with all kindness
toward those who are deceiving them
selves and others, that the vast majorl
ty of church members and of preachers
are not Christians at all. according to
the Bible standards. This does not
mean that the Bible condemns them
to eternal torment. Thank God. no
It does mean, however, that these self-
deceived ones will have neither part
nor lot in the wonderful blessing pro
vided for God's eh?ct Church. It
tneaus. further, that God's Church is
separate from all human institutions;
and that only saintly persons, regard
less of denominational lines, are mem
bers of the true Church, "whose names
are written in Heaven."
Surrender Self Sacrifice to Gcd.
According to the Bible, no human be
ing is fit for Divine fellowship or eter
nal life. The reason is given that all
are sinners. The explanation of the
sin is that it was committed by Father
Adam when he was perfect, in God's
image; and that, cut off from God. the
race deteriorated, passing lmperfec
tions of mind, morals and body from
parent to child. (I'salm 51:3). Im
erfeet beings would be quite out of
place amongst the perfect; and so long
as Imperfection continues, siu will con
tlnue. and with it. necessarily, sorrow.
pain and death, sin's consequences.
God declares His sympathy for the
sinner, and that He has made provision
for man's recovery from bis present
deplorable state. Not only so. but a
time hns been set for the recovery;
and the Bible tells us bow it will be oc
complished by Messiah and His Mil
lennial Kingdom. We pray. "Thy
Kingdom come." not with the thought
that God will neglect His promise to
establish that Kingdom, but by way of
giving acknowledgment to the fact
that that Kingdom is the hope of the
world and of the Church.
The Church's hope In the Kingdom
is that of becoming sharers with Christ
in the glory, honor and work of that
Kingdom for the blessing and uplift
Ing of humanity out of sin and death.
There is no attempt being made at the
present time on God's part to convert
the world. Few now hear the Gospel
Message, and still fewer believe it
They are deluded by the Adversary
into thinking that God has been trying
to convert the world for six thousand
years and has been making a misera
ble failure of it all along; and that
whatever is done, we must do for our
selves. Thus has unbelief been culti
vated, and trust In God and In the
teachings of the Bible thrust aside.
Nevertheless, the I.erd declares. "My
Word that has gone forth out of My
mouth shall not return unto Me voIJ;
but it shall accomplish that which I
please, and it shall prosper in the
thing whereto 1 sent it." (Isaiah 5,1:11.)
God's Word was sent forth to invite a
very special class of humanity a class
loving righteousness and hating iniqui
ty, weary and heavy-laden with sin.
ignorance and suiersiitUii. and desir
ous of coming back into harmony with
God and being blessed of Him.
For nearly nineteen centuries the
Message has been going hither and
thither, quietly, unostentatiously. The
world and the nominal churches would
say that It had accomplished nothing
that everything gTeat had been accom
plished by them. But we prefer to
stand by the Bible aud to recognize
that God's consecrated ones have in
deed lifted up a light which the world
has hated a light on account of which
they have frequently been put to death.
or have had "their names cast out as
evil," or have been boycotted, socially
or otherwise.
If their hopes were merely in the
present life, these would lo making a
miserable failure of their opportuni
ties. But not so; they are waiting for
their reward in the future at the Sec
ond Coming of Jesus by a share in the
First Resurrection. And even now
their joy. peace and fellowship with
God more than offset all their trials.
difficulties and ostracism. Besides,
To them It is given to know the mys
teries of the Kingdom of God," which
to all others are parables and dark
sayings, hard to be understood.
Shepherd's Voice, "Come Unto Me."
The trials and difficulties of life
pressing many today nre giving them
a hearing ear for the Great Shepherd's
words, "Come unto Me. all ye that la
bor and are heavy-laden, and 1 will
ive you rest." He does not say. "Go
to the Lutheran Church; go to the Pres
byterian Church: go to the Methodist
Church; go to the Roman Catholic
Church"; or "Go to any other Church";
He says. "Come unto Me."
It is the privilege of whoever hears
this Message to go immediately to the
Lord, direct. True, he cannot go to the
neavenly Father direct: for as we read.
"God henreth not sinners." But he can
go to Jesus, because Him hath God
set forth to be our Savior, our fie
tleemer. . Thus Jesus said. "No man
cometh. unto the Father but hy Me
(John 14:). He did not say. "No man
can come unto Me except through " J
preacher, or a priest, or a bishop, or a
pope"-ne made the way simple for j
""""""f oewe in eume.
; But 'when we deire to ome to the
Father, and learn thut we must come
through Jesus, what shall we say to
Him? We have only one alternative;
namely, to ask Hiui upon what terms
He will Introduce us to the Heavenly
Father, and thus Icing us back frni
the condition of condemnation Into the
family of God. When we suggest that
Jesus would raise conditions, the prop
osition seems astounding to some.
They have somehow gotten the im
pression that the Heavenly Father and
Jesus are in great distress because so
few people desire to become members
of the Church; and that they woul.l
be ready to receive anything and
anybody on any terms, simply
have another name added. How
absurd this is. when we come to think
of it!
We call to niinJ the teaching of the
Master. He did not say. "So m:my of
you as wish to bit the sawdust trail can
go to Heaven!" He did not say. "Seek
to excite the people and get them t do
something that they would not afler
ward fully understand and appreciate."
Ho did the reverse: He said. "Sit down
first and count the cost." before com
plying with the terms of disclpleshi;.
And so He still says to all who eoine
to Him, "Sit down and count he ct."
Do nothing rashly.
Some of us can count more rapidly
than others. Many of the poor one
who are weary and heavy-laden
through sin are ready to say. "I knw
the cost of sin In my personal cxixrl
euces. The cost of ring disciples of
Jesus cannot be greater than the cost
of being rebels against the Iivine
Law." Such are frequently ready to
decide quickly and take their stand
fumly on the lord's side. Others are
like tiie rich young man who came ti
Jesus, sayiug, "What good thint can I
do that I may inherit eternal life? I
have kept the Law from my youth up.
What lack 1 yet?" Matthew l!t:K; Jo.
There are few today like that young
man. of whom we read. "Jesus, behold
ing him, loved him." And we may le
sure that Jesus still loves tho-e who
are striving hard to live right, right
eous lives. But this class has the hard
er struggle. They think they hate
done everything that they ought to do.
or at least everything that the Lord
would have them do. But Jesus says.
No. To that young man lie said. "Go
sell what ycu have, and give to the
poor; and come, take up your cross and
follow Me." Agaiu He said. "If any
man will be My disciple, let him deny
himself, and take up h!s cross and fol
low Me. and where I am. there shall
My disciple be."
To be a disciple of Christ Is to be n
follower, a pupil one who walUs an
He walked. The proposition is self de
nial, self-effacement. It means gixin
one's self wholly to God. ns in our text.
"Present jour bodies a living sacrifice.
holy, acceptable to God, your reason
able service." No one ned go far to
make this consecration. Bath, nt his
own bedside, can give his little ull to
God, through Christ.
How to Become a Christian.
It should not require long to count
how much more we shall receive than
we give. We give a condemned ad
dying existence: we give mental, mor
al and physical inijerfections we Lave
no more except as our Savior, by Im
puting His merit, makes our sacrifice
of value In God's si'lit. But in ex
change we receive riches of grai-e tn
the present life pea re. joy, blessing
of heart, wl.i'ii the world eari neltner
give nor take away-and In the life to
come, "glory, honor, ai d Immortality."
jouit-heirship with our Savior in the
Heavenly Kingdom which shall domi
nate the world for the thousand years.
for its blessing and uplift.
Iteally, after counting the cost, there
is a danger that we won Id (eel b
ashamed of the littleness of oiu oiler-
lug that we would fear to tome to tho
Lord with it. We gain courage to pic-
sent our bodies only by a knoul.dgo
of the Lord's Word, and a ica!i,Mli m
of the mercy and favor which ha
prompted Ills kind invltati -u for
exchange of something of little val'jj
for great things of inestimable velue.
But unless wn take this very Mep. and
definitely and (ositiv.!y enter into a
contract with the Lord, we have nei
ther part nor lot with Him. W nre
still of the world, however muc'i we
may try to pattern our lives nfur de
cent models and to avoid the grosser
ind the finer m'ii. The covenant with
the Lord is the beginning, nnd to eai h
covenanter conies Trace t lierp iu
every time of need"; ns Jesus said.
'Without Me ye can do nothing."
But, says une. Surely this Is not the
only way of coming into Gods family!
Yea, we answer. It the only wny.
There is none other Nnnie given un
der Heaven or nraong-t men whenbv
we must be saved" from our condition
of condemnation, and be brought b.-u k
Into the family of God. Jesus Him
self makes the distinctive terms that
we must become His full disciples tn
order to have this blessed privilege ot
disciplesbip.
nave you ever heard the limitations
and obligations of the Christian k-
Scrlpturally defined before? Have not
the facts been hidden from yon by th
clergy? Have they not rather nought
to set aside the words of Jesus tcr:ius
they conflict with their theories? Is
not this really why so ninny have been
unable to find the satisfying "meat In
due season" in the nominal churches?
We believe it is; nnd we nrgo all-
ministers-, everybody to return t tin
Bible simplicity of a fully consecrated
Church of Christ nis elect Bride Cass.
and then a restltutionary blessing for
mankind through Christ's "Millennial
Kingdom.
The blessing upon the world will Ih
earthly restitution to human naturp. in-
frteafl of n change to the Divine nature,
as promised to the Church. All wi...
refuso I(0tn tu? Cal, of he prt.5ent
tIme an(1 thc opportunity of the future.
Tef ttnf l.n n-111 f.. C,., f....,.
which St. Peter describes as like th2t
of the natural brute bea3t. Acts
8:19-23; 2 Peter 2:12.
