Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-06-25


them that tells Believing prayer soar,
deeper than diving bell ever sank; dart,
quicker than lightning ever flashed Though
we have used only the back Of this weapon
instead Of the edge, what marvels have beer
wrought II saved we are all the captives Of
some earnest prayer. Would God that, II
the desire for the rescue Of souls, we might II
prayer lay hold Of the resources of the LORD
Omnipotent.
We may turn many to Righteousness by
Christian admouition. Do not wait unit
you can make formal speech Address the
one next to you. You viii not go home alone
today. Between this and your place Of stop
ping you may decide the eternal destiny Of
an immortal spirit Just one sentence may
do the work Just one question Just one
look The formal talk that begins with @
sigh, and ends with a canting shuttle, Is no,
what is wanted, but the heartthrob Of mar
In dead earnest There is not q SOU
on earth that you may not bring
to God il you rightly go at ii. They said
Gibraltar could not be taken 1t Is a rock,
sixteen hundred feet high and three miles
long. But the English and Dutch did take
it Artillery, and saprers. and miners, and
fleets pouring out volleys of death, and thou.
sands Of men, reckless Of danger, can do any.
thing. The stoutest heart of sin, though Il
be rock, and surrounded by an ocean d
trapsgression, under Christian lombard
ment may be made to hoist the flag Of re-
demption-
But is all this admonition and prayer and
Christian work for nothingi My text
promises to all the faithful eternal luster.
'They that turn many to Righteousness shall
shine as the stars forever"
As stars, the redeemed have q borrowed
light What makes Mars and Venus and
Jupiter 90 luminousi When the sun throws
down his torch in the heavens the stars pick
up the scattered brands and hold them in
procession as the queen Of the night ad-
vances; 30 all Christian workers. standing
around the throne, will shine in the light Dor
rowed from the Sun Of Righteoumess-Jesus
in their faces, Jesus in their songs, Jesus in
their triumph Christ left heaven once for q
tour of redemption ON earth, yet the
gloriied ones knew he would come back
again But let him abdicate his throne,
and go away to stay forever, the music
would stop; the congregation disperse; the
temples of God be darkened; the rivers of
light stagnate, and every chariot would be-
come a hearse, and every bell would toll, and
there would not be room on the hill sides to
bury the dead of the great metropolis, 70.
thsre would be pestilence In heaven. But
Jesus lives, and no all the redeemed live
with him. He shall recognize them as his
comrades in earthly toll, and remember what
they did for the honor of his name and
for the spread Of his kingdom All their
prayers and tears and work will rise before
him as he looks into their faces, and he viii
divide his kingdom with them; his peace
their peace; his holiness-their holiness; his
joy-their joy. The glory of the central
throne reflected from the surrounding
thrones, the last spot of sin struck from the
Christian orb, and the entire nature a-trem-
BILE and a-flash with light, they shall shine as
the stars forever and ever.
Again: Christian workers shall be like the
stars in the fact that they have q light indie
pendent of each other. Look UP at the night,
and see each world shows its distinct glory.
It Is not like the conhagTation, in which you
cannot tell where one flame stops and another
begins Neptune, Herschel and Mercury are
as distinct as if each one of them were the
only star; 30 our indivi6ualism will not be
lost In heaven. A great multitude = vet
each one as observable, as distinctly recog-
nized, as greatly celebrated, as If in all the
space, from gate to gate, and from
hill to hill, he were the only in
habitant; no mixing up-no mob-no indis-
crirninate rush; each Christian worker
standing out llrstrious-aI the story of
earthly achievement adhering to each one;
his self denials, and pains, and services, and
victories published. Before men went out to
the last war, the orators told them that they
would all be remembered by their country,
and their names be commemorated in poetry
and in song; but go to the graveyard in Rich
mond and you will finS there six thousand
graves, over each one of which is the inscrip-
tion, "Unknown.n The world does not re-
member its heroes; but there will be no un-
recognized Christian worker in heaven.
Each one known by all; grandly known;
known by acclamation; all the past story of
work for God cleaning in cheek, and brow,
and foot, and palm. They shall shine with
distinct light as the stars, forever and ever
Again: Christian workers shall shine like
the stars in clusters In looking up, you find
the worlds in family circles. Brothers and
sisters-they take hold of each others hands
and dance in groups Orion in a group.
The Pleiades in group The solar system
Is only company of children, with bright
faces, gathered around one great fireplace.
The worlds do not straggle of. They go in
squadrons and fleets, sailing through i'm
mensity.
So Christian workers in heaven viii dwell
in neighborhoods and clusters I am sure
that some people will like in heaven great
deal better than others. Yonder is con-
stellation of stately Christians. They lived
on earth by rigid rule. They never laughed.
They walked every hour, anxious lest they
should lose their dignity. But they loved
God, and yonder they shine in brilliant con-
stellation. Yet shall not long to get into
that particular group. Yonder Is a constei-
lation of small hearted Christians asteroids
in the eternal astronomy. While some souls
go up from Christian battle and blaze like
Mars, these asteroids dart feeble ray like
Vesta Yonder is a constellation of martyrs,
of apostles, of patriarchs Our souls, as they
go up to heaven, VIII seek out the most con-
genial society. Yonder Is q constellation
almost merry with the play of light On
earth they were full Of sympathies and songs,
and tears and raptures aud congratulations
When they prayed, their words took fire,
them; when they wept over a worlds woes,
they sobbed as IL heart broken; when they
worked for Christ, they famed with enthu-
siasm- Yonder they are-circle of IghtI
Constellation Of joyi galaxy Of firel Oh,
that you and I, by that grace which can
transform the worst into the best, might at