The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-12-01


the SOmmerVille cemetery. Mother
would sit down in the evening and say:
''Well, l don't know what makes me feel
so tiredP' Father would fall immedi-
| ately to sleep seated by the evening
stand, overcome with the days fatigues.
One of the four brothers, after preach
ing the gospel about fifty years, entered
upon his heavenly rest. Another of the
four is now on the other side of the
earth, missionary of the cross. Two
of us are in this land in the holy minis
try, and | think all of us are will
ing to acknowledge our OBJ
legation to the old folks at home.
About seventeen years ago the one
and about nineteen years ago the OLher
put down the buTd ems of his life but
| they still hold the rope. Oh, men and
women here assembled, you bTag some
time how you have fought your way in
| the world, but think there have been
| helpful Influences that you have never
| fully acknowledged. Has there not
been some influence in your early or
| present home that the world cannot seer
Does there not reach to you from
among the New England mills, or from
Western pTairies, or from Southern
plantations, or from English, or Scot
ti5h or Irish home a card of influence
that has kept you right, where you
would have gone astray, but which af
| ter you had made acrOOked track recall
| ed you? The rope may be as long as
| thirty years, OF 500 miles long, or 5000
miles long, but you want very swift
horse and you need to TOwell him with
sharpest spurs and to let the reins lie
loose upon the neck and to give shout
to racer if you are going to ride out of
reach of mothers prayers. Why,
ship crossing the Atlantic in seven days
can't sail away from that! A sailor
finds them on the lookout as he takes
his place and climbs the ratlines to dis
entangle rope in the tempest, and
finds them swinging on the hammock
and acknowledge it-the most of uswOuld
long ago have been dashed to pieces
had not gracious and loving hands
| steadily and lovingly and nightly held
the rope.
But there must come a time when we
shall find out who these Damascenes
were who lowered Paul in the basket,
| and greet them and ali those who have
rendered to God and the world unrecOg-
| niZed and unreccOrded services. That
is going to be one OF the glad excite
ments of heaven-the hunting up aud
picking out of those who did great good
on earth and got no credit for it. Here
the church has been going on nineteen
centuries and this is the first sermon
ever recognizing the services of the peO-
pie in that Damascus balcony. Charles
G. Phinney said to dying Christian,
Give my love to st. Paul when you
meet him" When you and L meet him,
as we will, Ishall ask him to introduce
me to those people who got him out of
the Damascene peril. We go into long
sermons to prove that we will be able to
recognize people in heaven when there
is one reason we fail to present, aud
that is better than all-GOd will intro
duce us.
We shall have them all pointed out.
Many who make great noise of useful
ness will sit on the last seat by the front
door of the heavenly temple, while
right up within arms reach of the
heavenly throne will be many who,
though they could not preach them
selves, or do great exploits for God,
nevertheless held the rope. Come let
US go right up and accOst those on the
circle of heavenly thrones. Surely they
must have killed in battle million
men. Surely they must have been bur-
led with all of the cathedrals sounding
dirge and all the towers of all the
cities tOlling the National grief. Who
art thou, mighty one OF heaVenp II
lived by choice the unmarried daughter
in an humble home, that [ might take
care of my parents in their old age, and
l endured without complaint all their
querulOusness and administered to all
their wants for twenty years." Let us
pass on round the circle of thrones.
Who art thou, mighty one of heaVenp
81 was for thirty years a Christian in
valid and suffered all the while,
occasionally writing note of
sympathy for those worse off than /, and
was general cOnfdant of all those who
had trouble, and once in while 1 was
stI Ong enough to make a garment for
that poor family on the back lane" Pass
on to another throne. Who art thou,
mighty one of heaVenp II was the
mother who raised whole family of
children for God, and they are out in
the world, Christian merchants, Chris
tian mechanics, Christian wives, and |
have had full reward of all my toll"
Let us pass on in the circle of thrones.
IL had Sabbath school class, and they
were always on my heart. and they all
entered the Kingdom of God, and am
waiting for their arrival" ButwhO art
thou, the mighty one of heaven, on this
other thrOneP "In time of bitter perse-
cutiOn owned house in Damascus-a
house on the wall. A man who preached
Christ was bounded from street to street
and hid him from the assassins, and
when L found them breaking in my
house and could no longer keep him
safely advised him to fly for his life,
and basket was let down over the wall
with the maltTeated man in it, and |
was one who helped hold the rope" And
1 said, "Is that alp" and he answered,
THAT is ALL" And while L was lost in
amazement heard strong voice that
sounded as though it might once have
been hOarse from many exposures, and
triumphant as though it might have be-
lOnged to one of the martyrs and it said:
Not many mighty, not many noble are
called, but God has chosen the weak
things of the world to cOnfOund the
things which are mighty and base
things of the world. aud things which
are despised hath God chosen, yea, and
things which are not to bring to naught
things which are, that no flesh should
glory in his presence" And looked to
see from whence the voice came, and 10
it was the very one who had said,
Though window i'll a basket was l
let down by the wall"
HencefOrth think of nothing as iusig-
nifieant. little thing may decide your
all. A CunaTder put out from England
for New York. 1t was we'll equipped,
b,,k on in ha MI h..