The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-03

| plete the East River bridget Twelve or thir
| teen years. IL it had taken twenty years from
| the day the first foundation stone was laid, it
would not have been q great while for so mag
| nificent a structure. How long was st. Peters
/ in buildinga Scores aud hundreds of years.
And st. Paurs is not done yet. If there is
vast work to be done you expect it will take a
| great while to do it. Now mere they tell US, is
a temple of holiness to be built in every mans
soul. How long are you going to give US to
build that temples A thousand years. 10 no"
| you say, you can't have so much as that" Nor
seven hundred, nor five hundred, nor three hun
dred, nor two hundred, nor one hundred, and
some of us will not have sixty, and some of us
will not have fifty, and some of us will not have
thirty, and some of us will not have twenty--to
build this great temple 0 how vast the work
| and how short a time to do it!
When will this procession that you every
afternoon from to o'clock stop? This long
procession going out toward the cemeteries Not
until all these merchants have gone out OF their
stores, and all these mechanics have gone out of
their shops. aud all these artists have gone out
| OF their studios and all these mothers have left
their cradles, and all this city shall be empted
| OF this present population. The procession will
keep going on until those who are here this night
| shall have joined it in silence o how brief life
is! We talk about it till it gets stale truth but
sometimes God strikes it on the soul with such
venemence that we are reused up My brother,
missionary in China, was telling me of an in
strument that they had at work in China during
the insurrection for the beheading of He
SAID 1T worked stroke something like that lin
olcatlngl. and at every stroke one life went
and another, and another. And. thought to
myself. that is just like the stroke of the min
utes In inst that way the generations pass
Oh. Certainly as quickly that. A life-an-
other is gone, and another, and another, and an
other, and another and another The waves of
humanity dash up on that other beach in quick
succession. Every stroke of the heart says BE
quickW The revolution of the seasons: BE
quickp The coming of the morning, the drop
ping of the night: BE quickw
Another arousing consideration find in the
glory to be won Paul was very fond of compar-
ing the Christian life to foot~race. Those foot
races have gone ont of fashion. But you have
seen racing. and you know that very often the
driver and his horse is influenced by the wager.
he knows when it is large wager and small
wager Two steamers start for Liverpool. and
| 1t is known that the one that makes the quickest
trip gets the job of carrying tho United States
mail. Will not the fact that the contract will be
given to the Swiftest vessel somehow in
fiuence the speed of those ships2
Now, say, we are started
in a race and ought not the fact that there are
vast emoluments, great gains a crown of glory
that fadeth not away, before us, ought not these
considerations to inspirit us by the way? o
blessed land. If you were offered in the gospel
merely bunch of withered fowers-;f you were
offered merely the dregs Of the winecup,
would not be surprised if you felt uninteresred
In the result but when l tell you of the joys
that are offered to you through the gospel do
not see how you can stop moment in the race.
| do not understand why you DO not put forth
redoubled strength that you may gain the prize.
They shall hunger no more neither thirst anv
more, neither shall the light them, nor any
heat, for the Lamb which is in the midst of the
throne shall lead them to living fountains of water
and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
Blest the saints beloved of God
Washed are their robes in Jesus blood
brighter than angels 10! they shine.
Their giories splendid and sublime.
There is another arousine consideration in
this subject, and that is that so many have made
shipwreck of their opportunity who mad as
good chances as we have. man takes a good
deal of responsibility when he says in regard to
any one who goes out of this world: THAT man
is lost" There is way of calculating the ex-
tinction of physical life. The physician comes
IN, examines the eye, puts his hand under the
arm. feels the pulse. and says: Life is extiuct
the man is is gone' But there is no such accu-
rate way of deciding in this world in regard to
the death OF soul. But will say this That
IT you know man who lives on without any in
terest in Jesus Christ and is careless in regard
to his immortal destiny. and that man lives in
that carelessness all the way along until his last
hour, and you never hear him say one word of
penitence, or giveany expression of faith or say
anything in regard 80 the eternal world or
his preparation for it, if he dies in silence in ref
erence to all these subjects will say in regard
to that man, 1t is warning to you and me-
Young people, where are those who entered
school with you four years agog Graduates of
colleges. where those who TOOK the diploma
with YOU on the same commencement day?
Business men, whore are those who started in
commercial life with you twenty years agol
well, you say. some of them have passed off.
There is a business man sitting here who has
partner who left the world, and now he thinks
over that case. He says: THAT man lived on
without any concern about the future world and
suddenly he died" Well, come to you to-day
aud say: What do you suppose was that
mans destinyY Where do you suppose NO isYi
Well. you embarrassed. You say: Il
wouldn't like to take the responsibility"
"Well," l say. you are not bound to take
and responsibility. want your opinion as to
where he is and again you resist the question
You don't want to take the responsibility. o
wonder it, when we are dead, there will be any
awful guessing about where we have gone.
Those men sat under the same gospel; they sang
the same songs they had the same opportunities
of salvation they rejected them all. You sit
under the same advantages and you are going
through precisely the same process, and I ask If
it is not an arousing consideration for you and
me. The day will come when you and will
have to quit this life. We may be stalwarts to-
day, we may not have an ache or pain, we may
be exuberant in our physical health. but our
common sense tells us that there will have to
come time when we will put our head to the
pillow and die. Oh! if in that hour
you hear the upbraiding Of conscience
and the reverberations of broken law and the
thunders of Gods anathemas. you will wish you
had never been born. Why not come out to-
night and have this matter gloriously settled? II
there be anything in Christ and bright hope of
heaven, why not come and get it! 1t is yours if
you will have it. In the name of my Lord Jesus
Christ plainly offer it. Pardon for all your
sin. Comfort for all your trouble. Help for all
your burdens The gospel that preach is not
one of destruction but gospel of salvation.
Pertinax heard, one night, pounding at his
palace door, some messengers who wanted to get
in. He said to himself 'They have come to
take my life, and he trembled, and he refused
to open the door. They kept on pounding aud
pounding away until he almost tainted with
fright; but after awhile, plucking up
courage and girding on his sword
and putting his hand on the hilt he
had the door opened, when. 10! the messengers
had come to offer him crown. They said:
1.-The King died one hour ago of apoplexy, and
you have been chosen to be his successor. and
we have come to offer you the CROWN O ]