The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-05

Europe, through America, through the hrst
century, through five centuries, through twenty
centuries, through all the succeeding centuries,
through earth, through heaven, and. at last, the
wave of influence having made full circuit,
strikes his great soul Oh. then I would like TO
see himl No one can tell the wide sweep Of the
circle OF his influences, save the One who is
seated on the circle of the earth should
not want to see the countenance Of Voltaira
when his influence comes to full orb When
the fatal hemorrhage seized him at eighty-
three years of age his influence did not cease.
The most brilliant man OF his century he
had used all his faculties for assaulting Chris.
tianity: his bad influence widening through
France widening out through Germany widen
ing through all Europe, widening through Amer.
lea, widening through the 101 years that have
gone by since he died, widening through the
earth widening through hell until at last the &C.
eumulated influence of his bad life in fiery surge
of omnipotent wrath will beat against his de.
stroyed spirit, and at that moment 1t Will be
enough to make the black hair of eternal dark
ness turn white with horror. No one can tell
how that had mans influence gi-dled the earth,
save the One who is seated on the circle Of tho
earth-the Lord Almighty.
''Well now" say people in this audience. 'this
in some respects, Is a very glad theory. and IN
Others, a very sad one We would ike to have ALI
the good we have ever done come back to US, but
the thought that all the sins we have ever COM
mitted will come back to us fills US with alright"
Ny brother, l have to tell you God can break
that circle, and will DO so at your call can
bring twenty passages of Scripture to prove that
when God, for Christs sake, forgves man. the
sins of his past life never come back. The wheel
may roll on and roll on, but you take your posi-
ton behind the cross, and the wheel strikes the
and it is shattered forever. The sins fly off
from the circle into the perpendicular, falling at
right angles into complete oblivion. Forgiven!
forgiven The meanest thing a do rs,
after some difficulty has heen settled, to bring it
up again, and God will not be so mean as that.
lIn6fC NTuh&x &Oh .0fd oil
events OF the ages but there is one thing that is
sure to slip Ills memory, one thing he is sure to
forget, and that is pardoned trapsgresson. How
do know it? will prove it. Their sins and
their iniquties will remember no more Come
into that state this morning, my dear brother,
my dear sister BLESSED 10 the one whose
transgresslons are forgiven"
But do not make the mistake of thinking that
this doctrine of the circle stops with this life; it
rolls on through heaven. You might quote In
opposition TO me what ST. John says about the
city of Heaven. He says it "lieth four square,"
That does seem TO initiate against this idea; but
you know there is many asquare house that has
a family circle facing each other and In clrcl0
moving, and can prove that this is so IN regard
to heaven. st. John says: II heard the voice OF
many angels round about the throne, and the
beasts and the elders" And again he says:
There was rainbow round about the throne"
The two former instances a circle; the last,
either a a circle or a semi-clrcle. The seats
facing each other the angles facing each other,
the men facing each other. Heaven an amphi-
theater of glory. Circumference of patriarch,
and prophet, and apostle Circumference OF
Scotch Covenanters and Theban legion, and
Aibigenses. Circumference Of the good of all
ages. Periphery of splendor unmngled and ia
descrbable. A circlel A circle
But every circumference must have center,
and what is the center of this heavenly circum-
ference9 Christ. His all the glory His all the
praise, His all the crowns All heaven wreathed
into garland round about Him. Take off theim-
perial sandal from His foot and behold the scar
of the spike Lift the coronet of dominion from
His brow and see where was the laceration of
the briers. Come closer. all heaven. Narrow
the circle round His great heart Christ, the
Savior! o Christ, the man! o Christ, the
God Keep Thy throne forever, seated on the
circle of the earth, seated on the circle of the
heaven!
ION Christ, the solid rock l stand;
All other ground is shifting sand"