Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1885-10-01
No. 23.

the word aN'l temples of the living Godl---
Look at China sl,rmo,;ntir.r her long exist
ing prejudice AND opening kcr gates to wei
come the 2hEiltian missionary! Look at
Turkey pr0claming universal religious lib
cly and calling for the scriptures of truth
Look at Spain, throwing off the shackles OF
the man of sin, and fa,s approaching to the
liberty whcrcwiLl Chgi,t makes us tree.--
Look at Italy, signing for some better reljg-
ion shan that of unmeanng f)rms, and de-
handing u libcral constitution, an open Bi-
bic and freedom Of consciencc Look at our
own beloved country with its extending ter,
ritoryy appealing for the means 0f religious
instruction. and everywhere ripe for an ex-
tcn>ivc harvest. This is no time for the
church to slumhcr. 1t is cmphatically har-
vi.t time, and it is now we should thrust in
the sickle and reap. We Cannot cause the
seed to Grow, but we can scatter 1t. We
cannot ripen, but we can gather the harvcsls.
Thus may we AL become "Llbornrs together
with God.' We may help by our prayers,
our contributions and our personal efforts
,
ity is a new accession to the kingdom Of
Christ and an advance in the work of re.
lrrming this lost world to God and holiness,
The term harvest is also applied in Script
are to the period Of mans final des,iny.--
1t is in ,his sense lhc term is used in The
text, The harvest is the end of the world"
Tine God Of nature ha, wisely appointed the
order and the succession OF the scAsonS---
wv hilr the earth remainclh, seed time una
hary' It >hl!l not CEASE Equally certain
and fixed is the harvest in the end of the
world. This earth with its seed times and
harvcet~ will come TO an end 10 that end
We are all approaching. Each harvest brings
IIs one year nearer We have only seventy
or at most eighty harvCst> 80 spend Oh earth,
then We begin to reap our moral sowing;
they that have soWn 10 the tlcsh, corruption;
they that have Sown t. the spirit, ltr eyer
lasting. Cod has appointed a day in which
He will judi" the world in Righteousness.
NJ Ihc destined period tn" angel Of the Lord,
with one foot upon the STA and the other
upon the dry land will lift his hand and
swear that time shall be no longer. Toward
that solemn and momcntous occasion We are
all rapidly tending.
"'rnc clM of tho World' to all intens aud
purposes for each individual is his death,
WlI,n he closes his eyes on the scenes Of the
world, when his cars no longer hear
lis sounds. his feet no longer run in its
paths Ny death is to me the end of the
world = hut "lhc harvest Is the end Of the
word,' Therefore ! may expect to he reap
mo my harvest Immediately after death.
That Is the end OF my probation. That is
the beginning of my harvest. \ thousand
worlds cannot purchase for me another day
Of prObHt ion. No NOR" SabDalhS, sermons
and prayer, for me. The last invitation of
mercy has been given. My scr, tim" is past
my harvest is begun. If have been faith
tUl in the right Improvement of seed time,
niue will he IL harvest Of rejoicing, in then
witnessing the results Of my lahorS and III
Tie crown of honor which will Men I've conflr-
I'd upon me as the reward ofmy fidelity. On
what Joy will spread throughout the innum-
crah'c lhrong of redeemed sinners rs they
are N,,t conducted into the presence OF their
cyaitrl SAyiuUr transformed into Ills per-
feet likeness, and favored With eternal trl-
lowohip with Him in His kingdom.
But If 10 some this will be harvest of joy,
to Others il will hca harvest Of woe, The
wicked will MtI. already begin to reap Just
what they have sowcd in this life. They
shall cat the frNit of their own doings, and
be- ii led with their own devices, Immediate
" after they have closed their eyes upon and
are done with this wOrlt for that is in their
case "tlc end Of the world All their ar-
tons IN time will meet them in eternity, the
moment they have crossed over the deep
dark stream of death, Thry cannot if they
would ret away from their own character.
As they sOwcd tarcs they must reap tarcs.
a, they sowcd the wind they must reap the
whirWind.
Some imagine they are to spend til" tim"
of the intermediate state between death and
and the final judgement in unconscious
slccp But the Bile ~ivrS no warrant for
any such theory What would you think OF
the idea that the spirit of Moses since God
buried his body in an NnkNown ScpUlchcr at
Ncho more than three thousands years ago,
has been dwelling in some secluded corner
of the universe dcaming and unconclously
slccping away the hoUrs of eternity? Away
with such oschatology. "Enoch walked
with God and was not for God took him
The thief the same day he was rructcd was
with Christ in Paradise. Immediately after
death we enter upon the conscious rcaza-
ton of happiness or woe. Then our proba-
ton ends and our rrlrhution begins al
though we NAV not until after the rcsurrcc-
lion of our hodies to the full extent either
! enjoy the felicity of heaven, or suffer the
pangs of hell. And in this sense of the
phrase "thc end Of the world,' how near at
| hand is our great harvest time,
| If, nv nearer the angels were now to hc
sent to gather the people Of God from the
four quarters OF the earth and conduct them
! to their eternal home, and to gather up the
iarcs and cast them into unQurnChahle fire,
where would YOU he found? What are You
sowing here, and what may You hereafter
expect to reap? What shall your harvest be
! "in the end of the world =