The Grenada sentinel., 1889-05-25


arches of st. Paul's. John Bunyan, un
able to present it in ordinary phraseology
takes all the fascination of allegory
Handel, with ordinary music unable t
reach the height of the theme, rouses
up in an oratorio. Oh, there is no life oi
earth so happy as really Christian life
l do not mean a sham Christian life, bu
real Christian life. Where there is
thorn there is whole garland OF roses
Where there is one groan there are thre,
doxologies. Where there is one day o
cloud there is whole season of sunshine
Take the humblest Christian man tha
you know-angels Of God canopy hin
with their white wingsi the lightnings o
Heaven are his armed allies; the Lord IL
his Shepherd, picking out for him greer
pastures by still waters; if he walk forth
Heaven is his body-guard; If hSlie dowl
to sleep, ladders of light, angel BLOSSOM
ing, are let into his dreams If he b.
thirsty, the potentates of Heaven are
his cup bearers; if he sit down to food,
his plain table blooms into the Kings
banquet. Men say: Look at that ole
fellow with the worn-out coat:" the an.
gels of God cry: lift up your heads, ye
everlasting gates, and let him come inN
Fastidious people cry: "Get off my front
steps," the doorkeepers Of Heaven cry;
Come, you blessed Of my Father, inherit
| the kingdomw When he comes to die,
! though he may be carried out in pine
box to the potter's field, to that potter's
| field the chariots of Christ will come
! down, and the cavalcade will crowd all
| the bouleyardS Of Heaven.
| bless Christ for the present satisfac-
! ton of religion. 1t makes man all right
with reference to the past; it makes a
man all right with reference to the fut-
ure. Oh these neither springs OF COM
fort! They are perennial. The founda-
ton of God standeth sure having this
seal: THE Lord knoweth them that are
His" THE mountains shall depart and
the hills be removed, but my kindness
shall not depart from thee, neither
shall the covenant of my peace
be removed, saith the Lord, who
hath mercy upon them" Oh,
cluster Of diamonds set in FURNISHED
gold! Oh, neither springs Of comfort
bursting through all the valleys of trial
and tribulation! When you see, you of
the world, what satisfaction there is on
earth in religion, do you not thirst after
il as the daughter of Caleb thirsted after
the wafer springs? II is no stagnant
pond, scummed over with malaria, but
springs of water leaping from the Rock
OF Ages: Take up one cup Of that spring
water, and across the top of the chalice
VIII float the delicate shadows of the
heavenly wall, the yellow of jasper. the
l / 3 H..
the fire of iacinth.
wish could make you understand the
10y religion is to some of us. 1t makes
man happy while he lives, and glad when
he dies. With two feet upon a chair and
bursting with dropsies, | heard an old
man in the poor house cry out: "Bless
the Lord. oh my soul" looked around
and said what has this man got to
thank God for:" 1t makes the lame man
leap like the hart, and the dumb sing.
They say that the old Puritan religion is
a juiceless and joyless religion; but | re-
member reading Of DR.. Goodwin, the
celebrated Puritan, who in his last
moments said: as this dying: Why, my
bow abides in strength! | am swallowed
up in G0dw "Her ways are ways of
peace" Oh, you have been trying to
satisfy yours elves with the "south land"
of this world, do you not feel that you
would this morning like to have access
to the Hf5HSf ysJr riEv5sr at spiritual !S9om,
Christ bend over your cradle and bless
your table, and heal your wounds, and
strew flowers of consolation all up and
down the graves Of your deadE
Tis religion that can give
sweetest pleasures while we live;
Tis religion can supply
Sweetest comfort when we die
But have something better to tell you.
suggested by this text. 1t seems that old
father Caleb on the wedding day Of his
daughter wanted to make her Just as hap
py as possible. Though Othniel was tax
en- her away and his heart was almost
broken because she was going. yet he
gives her "south land;" not only that
but the upper springs. o God, my Fa-
therI thank Thee that Thou hast given me
a south land" in this world, and the
neither springs of spiritual comfort in this !
world: but, more than all, thank Thee
for the upper springs III Heaven. It
is very fortunate we can not see
Heaven until we get into it. Oh, !
Christian man, if you could see what a
place it is we would never get you back |
again to the office or store or shop, and |
the duties you ought TO perform would 90 |
neglected. am glad ! Shall not see that |
world until enter ii. Suppose We were
allowed to 90 on an excursion into that |
good land with the idea of returning.
there ,.l ba
and looked at their raptured faces, and |
mingled in the supernal society, we would
Try out: "Let us stay We are coming
lere anyhow. Why take the trouble of
going back TO that old world: We are
lere now; let us stay" And 1t would
axe angelic violence to put US ont of that
world, if we once got there.
But as people who can not afford to pay
or an entertainment sometimes come
'round it and look through the door ajar,
" through the opening in the fence. so
We come and look through the creyices in
hat good land which God has provided
or us. We can just catch glimpse Of
t. We come near enough to hear the
of the eternal orchestra, though
lot near enough TO know who blows the
ornet or who fingers the harp Ny soul
preads out both wings and claps them in
riumph at the thought Of those upper
prings. One of them breaks from be-
cath the throne; another breaks forth
rom beneath the altar of the temple; an
ther at the door of "the house of many
1ansions." Upper springs of gladness.
Jpper springs Of light! Upper springs OF
Jye, 1t is no fancy of mine "The Lamb