The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-01-13

IMAM tn6t Wnicn - oyoIu USbWeou couiuin6
rail trains. There IL no man who expects
to miss Heaven. But how are you going
to get over all thesp cbstaclssi I ask you
as reasonable men, II the Experiments In
the way ought not to arouss you.
Another awakening consideration is in
the value Of the soul. Tneodoric forbade
the debasing of the National coin. They
say; "We ought to debase it. We can
mix something else in it and it will be just
as good" "No," said Theodore, ~ will
not have my face imprinted on debased
COIN" Here we are. The image OF God
has been imprinted upon our soul, and yet
it has been debased and has become a
counterfeit. We have all sinned, and we
are ali lost, unless divine grace rescue and
redeem US. Now, here Is the soul. What
is it worth! Is there not something in its
value to arouse us! sometimes hear peo.
pie compare the soul in value to mine.
That is very poor comparison, for the
silver and gold in the mine will melt after
awhile, and be of no more value than the
scoria spit out from Cotopaxi, while these
Jewels of the soul will exist as long as
there are vases in eternity to hold them,
Might not rather take pair of scales!
They are rightly adjusted. The two sides
are just even now. Ihold up the balances.
On one side of that scale put in simply
soul, nothing else at all; no trapping, but
simply naked soul. That is on one side
of the balances. On the other side of the
balances l put this world with all its
riches and honors and gains, ponderous
world. But that world rises; that side
goes up, while the other side in which
thousand! million ton weight. 1t is an
immortal soul, II is priceless soul. 1t is
Gagged now. 1t beats sometimes against
the wires of the cage and tries to escape,
but it can not; but, let once the door of the
cage be opened the thousandth part of an
inch, as it will be after while opened, let
it be opened ever SO little, and that soul
goes cut, taking fifty worlds at a bound.
O!"What shall 1t profit man il he gain
the whole world and lose his own soul?"
Another arousing consideration find in
the brevity of the time in which we have
to prepare for the next world. How long
it took to complete the East River Bridge
Twelve or thirteen years. If it it had
taken twenty years from the day the first
foundation stone was laid, it would not
have been great while for so magnificent
structure. How, long was st. Peters in
building! Scores and hundreds of years.
And st. Paul's is not done yet. If there is
vast work to be done. you expect it will
take great while to do IT.. Now, here
they tell us, is temple of holiness to be
built in every mans soul. How long are
You going to give us to build that temple:
A Thousand years. 20, 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. o how vast the work and how
short time there Is to do it!
When will this procession that you SCI
every afternoon from two to four o'clock
stop This long procession going out to-
ward the cemeteries. Not until all these
merchants have gone out OF their store
and all these mechanics have gone out o.
their shops, and all these artists have gon'
out Of their studios, and all these mothers
have left their cradles, and all this cit,
shall be emptied of this present population
The procession will keep going on unit
those who are here this night shall hav,
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 sou
with such vehemence that we are rouset
up. My brother, a missionary in China
was telling me of an instrument that the,
had at work in China during the insurrec
tion for the beheading Of men. He said i
worked stroke something like that (indi
cating) and at every stroke one life went
and another, and another. And, l though
to myself, that is just like the stroke of tn
minutes. In just that way the genera
tions pass off. Certainly, as quickly a
that. A life-another is gone, and another
and another. The waves of humanit
dash up on that other beach in quick sue
cession. Every stroke of the heart says
"Be quick" The revolution of the sea
sons: "Be quick" The coming Of tn
morning, the dropping of the night: "B
quick"
Another arousing consideration find i
the glory to be won. Paul was yer,
fond of comparing the Christian life to
foot race. Those foot races have gone GU
of fashion. But you have seen racing, an,
you know that very often the driver an
his horse is influenced by the wager. H
knows whether it is large wager or
small wager. Two steamers start fo
Liverpool, and it is known that the on
that makes the quickest trip gets the job c
carrying the United States mail. Wi
not the fact that the contract will be give
to the swiftest vessel somehow infiuenc
the speed of those ships! Now, say, W
are started in race, and ought not th
fact that there are vast emoluments, gres
gains, a crown of glory that fadeth M
away, before US, ought not these consid
erati0ns to inspirit us by the way!
blessed land. II you were offered in th
gospel merely bunch Of withered flow
ers-if you were offered merely the dree
of wine cup, would not be surprise
If you felt uninterested in the result
but when tell you of the joys that al
offered tn you through the gospel do M
see how you can stop moment in Il
race. / do not understand why you d
not put forth redoubled strength that yo
may gain the prize.
"They shall hunger no more, neither thlr
any more, neither shall the sun light G
them, snor any heat for the Lamb whc
is in the midst Of the throne shall lea
shem to living fountains of water, an
God shall wipe. away all tears from the