The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-12-03

Take hint from astronomy. Tho
Ptolcmaic system made the earth tho ceu-
ter Of the solar system, and every thing
was thought to turn round the earth But
the COpernican system came, and made
the sun the center, around which the
planets revolved. The bigot makes his
little beiier the center Of every thing, but
the large Christian makes the Sun OF
Righteousness the center. and all denomi-
nations, without any clashing, and each at
its own light and in its own sphere, re-
vOlving around it
Over the tomb Of Dean Stanley, in West
minister Abbey, is the passage Of Script
ure: "Thy commandments are exceeding
broad" LIE: no man crowd US on to path
like the bridge Al Sirat, which tho Moham-
mcdan thinks leads from this world over
the abyss OF hell into paradise, the breadth
Of the bridge less than the web of astarved
spider. or the edge Of sword or razor,
OF the edges OF which many fall. No; while
the way is not wide enough to take with US
any OF our sins, it is wide enough for oil
Christian believers to pass without peril
into everlasting safety.
But do not any o; you depend upon what
you call sound creed for salvation. A man
may own all the statutes OF the State Of
New York, and yet not DO a lawyer, and a
man may own all the best medicine treat
ises, and not be q physician; and a man may
own all the best works on painting and
architecture, and not be either painter or
architect; and a man may own all the
sound crceds in tho world, and yet not be
Christian. Not what you have in your head
or on your tongue, but in your heart and in
your life, will decide every thing.
In olden times in England, before the
modern street lamps were invented, every
household was expected to have o lantern
suspended in front Of his house, and the
cry of the watchmen in London as they
went along at eventide was: "Haug out
your lightsr' Instead Of disputing in your
house about the different kinds Of lantern.
as u Waterman on the walls of Zion I cry:
"Lct your light so shine before men that
they, seeing your good works, may glorify
your Father which is in Heaven"
Hang out your lightsl You may have a
thousand ideas about religion, and yet not
the great idea of pardoning mercy. 1t is
not the number of your IDEAS. but the
greatness of them. A mouse hath ten Off
spring in her nest, while the lioness hath
one in her lair. All ideas about forms and
ceremonies and church government put to-
gether are not worth that one idea of get
ting to Heaven yourself and taking your
family with you.
But do not reject Christianity, as many
do, because there are so many sects Stand
ing in Westminster Hotel, London, / looked
out of the window and saw three clocks, as
near rs can remember-one on the Parlia
mcnt House, another on st. Margaret:
Chapel, another. on Westminster Abbey
| and they were all different. One sac
twelve o'clock at noon; another said IL :55:
| another said 12:O6. / might as well have
concluded that there is no such thing as
| time, because the three time-pieces
| were different, as for you to conclud,
that there is no such thing as pure Chris
| tianity, because the churches differ in thei,
statement of it. 1t is about twelve o'clocls
noon of the glorious Gospel dispensation
although the church clocks somewhat diff
fer, and under the present light you have
no excuse for neglecting your duty because
! you do not like this or do not like that
How shall we escape if we neglect SC
great salvation!"
But let us all rejoice that, although part
! of our family may worship on earth in one
church, and spart in another church, or.
bowed at the same affairs, it must be in o
| compromise OF preferences, we are, re-
deemed, on the way to O perfect church.
where all preferences will be fully graft
fled.
Great cathedral of eternity, with arches
Of amethysts, and pillars of sapphire, and
| floors of emerald, and windows aglow with
the sunlight of Heaven! What WIDE aisles.
spacious enough to allow empires to enter!
What amphitheaters Of pilei-up splendor,
gallery above gallery, Princes anc
Princesses, Kings and Queens bending
| over them! What stupcndous towers, witt
| chimes angel-hOisted and angcl-rung!
What myriads of worshipers, white
! robed and coroneted! What an officiator
| at the altar, even the .'Great
High Priest of our profession" What
| walls, hung with the captured shields and
| flags, by the church mi litant passed up to
| be the church triumphant! What doxologies
| of all nations! Coronet to coronet, cymba
| to cymbal, harp to harp, organ to organ
Pull out the tremulent stop to recall the
| sufferings past! Pull out the trumpet stoI
| to celebrate the victory!
When shall these eyes thy Heaven built walls
And pearly gates behold;
Thy balwarks with salvation strong,
And streets of shining gold:'