The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1876-03-30

Cling out with his eye the most shouil,
dressed members Of the congregation, ht
continued: II see some OF you is grow
ing mighty proud, wild yer silk dresses
and yer squeaky boots You needn'I
come up. De Lord don't want sich a
ye, and it's not a bit Of dis bread vel
get from my hands. And Ill tell yo an
oder thing. IL you should grow anC
grow so tall as TO bump yer heads agir
de sky. you wouldn't be any nearer
\ Heaben."
Then be went on to speak Of the state
Of unrest into which the church had fall
en-, because they were all trying, as he
/ expressed IL, ito be TO de top and he
described the dizzy exultation Of those
who stood highest on the ladder, until,
giddy with success, they tottered and
reeled back to earth, to find that they
were poor, mis- able sinners, after all.
"Thrue for himl whispered Sullivan.
creeping up behind me and in his excite
ment relapsing into a brogue. "Thrue
for him thought was howly onct; but
when ! got conyarted found there was
a little divil in me heart az big as a wood.
chuck"
Toward the close Of the service there
came one OF those abrupt transitions
that sometimes cloud a summers day
Swift and sudden rose a vast, black mass
OF vapor, surging up in great billows, up
on which leaped the distant lightning A
dread silence fell upon all things; the
very birds had ceased their singing and
the light breeze that had outrun the
clouds to warn US, passed by. There is
elsewhere no such stiffness as when q
coming tempest pauses for an instant and
holds its breath, that it may leap the
more madly upon US. So now il came
The lightning rent the heavens asunder,
and through the chasm rolled down the
ceaseless thunder. The rain dashed
wildly against the window panes, vainly
striving to be heard amid the tumult
Men turned pale and trembled and fell
upon their knees; women screamed and
wept. And when the lightning struck
tree near by, and glared in upon US as il
swept past, the scene became wild be-
yond description. Then and then only
did we see the hidden power that had
made the preacher famous. Ills voice
rose clear and loud, outvieing the thun-
der that still clashed above US. The
words in which he hushed the turbulent
throng no one Of us could afterward re-
peat But he quieted the screams 10
sobs, as in powerful tones he impressed
upon us the awiulness Of death TO the
unrepentant sinner, its joyfulness to the
trusting Christian. IL God should give
us our choice, would we dare he asked,
wish that we might never die, wish 10
stand outside Heaven, with the only gate
that could admit US closed against us by
our own desire2
The storm ceased as suddenly as IL had
begun. The sun broke forth between
the ranks Of warning clouds. the silenced
thunder fed away, and through the din
gy window-panes we saw where heaven
held up its radiant bow Of promise. The
preacher pointed to il, and he seemed to
be lifted out Of himself, as, in q voice
whose tenderness / have never heard
equaled, he spoke Of the Love that had
sent the storm to refresh the thirsty
ground and cool the fevered air Of the
Love that was continually watching over
our ungrateful lives, and would take US
into the Kingdom at last, il we would |
but trust il.
81 would give the world for such sim.
pie, unquestioning faith" said Lawyer |
Bentley, as / met him on the threshold. |
At home found Sullivan in the kitch- !
en-, and asked him what he thought Of /
the service. lie answered humbly: ut |
made me feel as if had made a mistake. /
Y yesterday me and another man counted /
up forty backsliders in our church. / /
think now ought to have counted for
ty-one.'