The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-10-30

to have on every stone and every timber
would be the letter G., for that would stand
both for Christ and for catholicity. The
last two words | uttered in the old church
Friday night, some of you may remember,
were "Hallelujahl Amenw
The two words that / utter now as most
expressive OF my feelings in this our first
service after the baptism OF fire are, Halle
luJah Amen! None OF these things move
me-"
We are kept in this mood by two or
three considerations. The first is that God
rules. In what way the church took fire
do not know. II has been charged on
the lightnings. Well, the Lord controls
the lightnings. He managed them several
thousands of years before our electricians
were born. The bible indicates that,
though they flash down the sky recklessly,
God builds for them a road to travel.
In the psalms it is said: "He made
way for the lightning and the thunder
Ever since the time of Benjamin Franklin
the world has been trying to tame the
hghtnings, and they seem to be quite well
harnessed, but they occasionally kick over
traces. But though we cannot master
great natural forces God can and does, and
that God is our father and best friend,
and this thought gives us confidence.
We are also reinforced by the increased
consolation that comes from confraternity
of sorrow. The people who, during the
last sixteen years, sat on the other side OF
the aisle, whose faces were familiar to you,
but to whom YOU had never spoken-yOu
greeted them this week with smiles and
tears as you said: 'Well, the old place is
y Non I'D ~ RI n
and so you swept the sleeve near the cor
ner of your eve and pretended it was the
sharp wind made your eyes weak. All.
there was nothing the matter with your
eyes; it was your soul bubbling over. l
tell you that it is impossible TO sit for years
around the same church freside and not
have symDathies in common. Somehow
you feel that you would like those people
on the other side Of the aisle, about whom
you know but little prospered, and par
doned, and bless, d, and saved You feel
as if YOU are in the same boat, and you
want to glide up the same harbor and
want to disembark at the same wharf.
If You put gold and iron and lead and
zinc in sufficient heat they will melt into
a conglomerate mass, and really feel that
last Sabbath's fire has fused us all, grosser
and finer natures, into one. 1t seems as If
We all had our hands on wire connected
with an electric battery and when this
church sorrow started it thrilled through
the whole circle, and We all felt the shock.
The oldest man and the youngest child
could join hands in this misfortune.
Grandfather said: q expected from those
affairs to be buried" and one OF the chill
dren from last Sabbath cried, "Grandpa,
that place was next TO our own house"
Yea, we are supported and confident in
this time by the cross of Christ.
That is used to the fire. On the dark
day when Jesus died the lightning struck
it from above, and the flames of hell
dashed up from beneath. That fearful,
painful, tender, blessed cross still stands.
On it we hang all our hopes; beneath it
we put down all our sins; in the light of it
we expect to make the rest of our pilgrim
age. Within sight of such a sacrifice who
can feel he has it hard? In the sight OF
such a symbol who can be discouraged,
however great the darkness that may come
down upon him? Jesus livesl The low
ing, patient, sympathizing, mighty Jesus!
1t shall not be told on earth. or in hell, or
in heaven that three Hebrew children had
the son OF God beside them in the fire,
and that whole church was forsaken by
the Lord when they went through a fur
mace about two hundred feet wide
O, Lord Jesus shall we take out of thy
hand the flowers and the fruits, and the
brightness and the joys, and then turn
away because thou dost give us one cup
of bitterness to drink? On, no, Jesus we
will drink it dry. But how it is changed
Blessed Jesus what hast thou put into the
cup to sweeten it? Why, it has become
the wine of heaven, and our souls grow
strong / come now and place both of my
feet deep down into the blackened ashes
of our consumed church, and | cry out
with an exhilaration that never felt since
the day of my souls emancipation:
Victory Victory through our Lord
Jesus Christi