The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-05-13

ed poem from the grass Of the d Id, a
sermon from the ravens wing We are
to initiate in all our religious teachings,
everywhere, the example of Him who
talked to the farmers about sowing, and
to the fishermen about the drawnet that
brought in fish of all sorts. and to the
vine dressers about the idlers in the vine
ward, and talked to the newly affianCed
about the marriage supper, to men cram
ped in money matters about the two
debtors. We must bring everything to
Jesu Christ-the wealth of language,
the tenderness of sentiment, the deica
cv of morning dew, the saffron of the
fl ,sting cloud, the tangled foam of the
tossing sea, the bursting thund.r guns OF
the storms bombardment. Every star
must point down to Him, every drop OF
the suMmer shower must fash his glory,
and all the branches Of the forest must
thrum the music in the great orchestra
that shall celebrate world redeemed.
Well all this being so, what is the most
common sense thing for us to doH II lie
easy for us to plan something for next
week or next year, but what is the com
mon sense thing for you and me to do
now? Well, that will depend upon the
surroundings, and there are three facts
and everything will depend upon these
nree facts, as to what is really the com
mon sense thing to be done, The first
fact is, we are all ruined by our sin. |
need not bring single scripture passage
to prove that every man knows that in
body, mind and soul he has felt the
touch of sin. I will not Insult you by
stopping now to prove that, We all feei
we have blasted by iniquity. That is one
fac. The second fact is, that Christ Je'
sus came to recover, to reconstruct, to
undo all the ravages of sin. The third
fact is, the present time is the only time
in which we are certain that Christ will
pardon our sins. Now take those three
facts, and what is the common sense
thing for US to do? Why it is to give up
our sin and take Christ and take him
now. II ,ould persuade that to.mor
row, Monday, in your store, between II
and II o'clock, you could make $4,000,
but on Tuesday there might be some
doubt about it, the more doubt on We'd
nesday, and so on during the week, you
would not postpone to Tuesday or Wed.
nesday that matter. No. You would
say, ITO morrow, Monday, at 12 o'clock,
that matter must be attended to, for
that is the only time. am certain as to
this oppor unity" Now, a you have no
certainty about the future, and Christ Of
fers you full, complete pardon for all the
sins of your life, is it not the most COM
mon sense thing in the world for you to
close in with the offer? If thought
there was any doubt about Christ being
able to do this thing, | would not say
what | have. Do you suppose would
go into hospital and tear off the band
ages from the wounds when l had no
balm to put into them2
In a gallery in Venice, we will sup.
pose, there hangs q Raphael. 1t has
been a wonderful picture. The history
of art declares it. But the picture has
nearly faded out. You may only here
and there catch lineament of the Coun.
tenance to be represented '0h, what a
pity that glorious picture should have ia.
ded," you say. A very unskilled artist
comes up and says, Il will restore it,"
"Oh, stand back" you say; l would rath.
or have that Raphael in its faded state,
than have you attempt to restore it" and
you reject him. After awhile one comes
mighty as Raphael himself. YJu are
certain of it, He says: / can take that
picture and restore il; can bring out all
its original power" Then you say, Let
the work be DONE" He goes to work.
He touches this imperfection and that
imperfeCtion, until the DETACHMENT de.
parts, and all the original power Of the
picture comes out to the observer.
Well, now, my friends, we were made
IN the image Of God, but we are defaCed
The work has been going on
and thousands of years, until
he divine lineaments are almost driven
)ut of that picture. Here comes One
whom l shall call the Divine Raphael.
He has all power on earth and in heav-
an. He is equal to the one who made
hat picture, and he comes out and says:
1 will restore it," And he touches it
lere and there, and thus sin is gone, and
hat transgression, and this DETACHMENT,
md IL! the lineaments of the divine ma
ure come out again, and where sin did
'nce abound, grace doth much more
bound" Will you prefer to continue
n this DETACHMENT of your moral nature,
'r will you let the Eternal God come
nd make complete restorationP l can
lot think any man in this house will re.
use 80 fair an offer. | don't ask you to |
Demean yourself; l don't ask you to give
p the glittering banquets of sin, and &C.
ept the crust of destitution and aban.
lonment, Oh, mol l invite you up to |
igher banquet-more chaliCes, sweeter |
music, grander apparel. One of the |
'rinCes of Europe was sitting amid his
oystering companions in a place of sin,
1hen there was a rap at the door, and a
Messenger came in and said the King
ad just died, and the Prince was to take
he throne, He rose up from the chair
nd looked upon his registering Compan.
1ns in their sin and folly, and said:
Men, want you to tamper with me no
1nger; am Emperor 0, / wish l
ould invite you up from the wassai Of
in, from all evil CompanioLships, and
,ish you could feel that the Lord is 20.
1g to put a crown on your head, and
lake you king and priest forever, and
on could look down with contempt on
Ii the follies and bad associations of this
'orld, and say: Bother me no longer; l
m Emperor" And yet no minister ever
,els 80 weak as when he comes to try
nd persuade men to give their hearts to
ne Gospel. The fact is that every ser.
ION is failure unless the Omnipotent
pirit speaks through it. 0, Holy Spirit!
let that mercy Comel l know very well
could with some heavenly pathos,
resent to you in sketch of two min
tes what Christ has done to save His
aggregation, there would 90 over this
1dience an overwhelming tide Of en-
lusiasm.
Mamma" said little girl to her moth.
r, who was putting her to bed at night
Mamma, what makes your hand 80
'arred and twisted, so it doesn't look
ke other peoples hands?" "Oh, my
nil1 anna uaaru o,VO mbay, ,,o,, ,ra.o