Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-03-21
THE REST.
Outline of Sermon Preached at the
PRESBYTERIAN Church.

Outline of Sermon Preached at the
Presbyterian Church.
Sunday morning the Rev. C. S. Con-
verse took for his theme Rev. 1921, ITO
him that overcometh will l grant to sit
with me in my throne, ven as l also
overcame, and am set down with my
Father in his throne"
The New Testament abounds with
exhortations to the Christian to medi-
tate on heaven-its joys and blessings.
Thus will he find comfort in the hour of
sorrow, strength in weakness, solace in
disappointment. The rays of heavenly
bliss will illumine the darkness of
earth's pathway and elevate the soul
above the dull cares of our daily career.
1t is very important that we have
right conceptions of heaven, that we
gaze upon it in the true bible light. with
itc various images held in due proper
ton. 1t is very possible for the visions
Of the heavenly city to degenerate into
mere sickly sentimentality. Many a
man of selfish and unholy life fondly
dreams of its rest and beauty and sings
Of its bright skies, when in reality it
would be misery to him could he be
transplanted thither, because there is a
lack of that soul fitness without which
enjoyment is impossible. We must
keep close to bible thoughts of heaven
or our soaring fancies will be a curse
instead of blessing. The bible gives us
various views, suited to the different
emergencies of our life career. Its
triumph fires the enthusiasm of the
young believer; its rest is a blissful calm
amidst the tempests; its illusions to the
Lamb that was slain kindles the purest
devotions, and it's abiding blessing is a
boundless Joy to the weary of life's
tolls.
But these thoughts of rest and beauty
and tranquil joy must be tempered with
emphatic conceptions of holiness, for
only holy souls can enjoy Gods pres
ence. This phase of heaven is very
strongly presented in the promises to
the overcoming saints at the close of
each of the letters to the seven churches
of Asia. (Rev. II and Ill.,
These promises have a beautiful con-
n~ection with the substance of their re.
spective letters-their celebrations and
warnings. But we can only now con-
slider them at this time collectively-a
vision of the warriors triumph.
Heaven, the rest of the Christian
soldier! How often our hearts have
been thrilled by a visit to some Soldiers
Home. The mangled forms and SCARED
faces were mutely eloquent. And the
"reminiscences of hard fought battles
and forced marches we're of enhancing
interest. So, too, heaven is a soldiers
home of eternal rest. There will be no
mangled forms, for faiths battles are
not physical. and the resurrection body
will be perfect. But doubtless there
will be memories of many a trial and
victory rehearsed. Possibly deeply in
terested audiences Of saved children,
who never knew the bitterness of con-
fict, and angelic beings who know of
sin only by sin and not by experience,
will gather round to learn how the
grave can give victory to earth's feeble
children.
The completeness of the triumph
over sin is seen by grouping together
the seven promises:
l. To the church at Ephesus. The
~victors shall "eat of the tree of life,
which is in the midst of the paradise of
God" Hence We have paradise re-
gained, all consequences ofsin removed,
and man blessed as before the entrance
of sin into the garden of Eden. The
"tree of life" grows by the river of life
flowing from the throne of God and the
Lamb. (Rev. xx11:l2.) The redeemed
soul in heaven will still be sustained by
the mercy and grace of the heavenly
Father and the Savior. There is no
absolute, independent life for even a
redeemed creature.
2. Smyrna. The second death has
lost its terrors. Death was the penalty
OF Adams sin-not only physical but
moral death. The Christian is not re-
lieved of the first or bodily death. It's
pang is but momentary, and is relieved
by the glorious hope that lies beyond.
The second, the eternal death, is the
horror to be dreaded. And this is re.
moved through the redemption of
Christ.
8. Pergamos. Feeding on the hid
den mama and possessing the white
stone with a new unknown name
written On it. Part of Adams punish
ment was toilsome labor, earning his
bread by the sweat of his brow on fields
cursed with thorns and thistles. But
the victor shall be fed on heavenly food,
like the mama which sustained the
1sraelites in the desert without the toll
of weariaome labor. But, more, it is the
hidden mama. A pot of mamma was
laid up in the ark as a memorial
stored in the sacred receptacle that re-