Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-06-01

threaded with light to get forth the pleas
ure of religion? David, unable to de
scribe it in words, played it on a harp
Mrs. Hemans, not finding enough power in
prose, sings that praise in q cantT Chris
topher Wren, unable to describe it in Ian,
guage, sprung it into the arches of ST
Paups. John Bunyan, unable to present
1T in ordinary phraseology, takes all the
fascination Of ~allegOry. Handel, with or
binary music unable to reach the height
OF the theme. rouses it up in an oratorlo
Oh, there Is no life on earth SO happy as
a really Christian life. | do not mean a
sham Christian life, but a real Christian
life. Where there is a thorn, there is a
whole garland Of roses. Where there is
one groan, there are three doxologies.
Where there is one day Of cloud, there il
a whole season Of sunshine. Take the
humblest Christian man thai you know
angels OF God canopy hlm with their
white wings; the lightningso of heaven are
his armed allies; the Lord is his Shep-
herd, picking out for him green pastures
by Still waters; IL he walk forth, heaven
is his body guard; if he lie down 10 sleep.
ladders OF light, angel blossOming, are let
into his dreams; if he be thirsty, the no
tentat S Of heaven are his cup bearers; #
he sit down TO food, his plain table
blooms into the Kings banquet. Men
say: Look at that old fellow with the
worn out coat the angels OF sod cry
Lift up your heads, We everlasting gates,
and let nim come inr' Fastidious people
cry: Get of my front steps The door
keepers of heaven cry: Come, you
blessed of my Father, inherit the king
domp' When he comes to die. though ne
may be carried out in a pine box II the
potter's field, TO that potter's field the
chariots Of Christ will come down, and
the cavalcade Will crowd all the boule
wards of heaven.
bless Christ for the present satisfac-
ton of religion. 1t makes a man al right
with reference 10 the past; it makes Il
man AL right with reference to the fu-
ture. Oh these neither springs OF com
forti They are perennial. The founda
ton of God standeth sure having this
seal, The Lord knoweth them that are
his" The FOUNTAINS 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 goldl 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 ii as the daughter of Caleb thirsied
after the water springs 1t is no stag
nant 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 will float the delicate shadows Of
the heavenly wall, the yellow jasper, the
green Of emerald, the blue of sardonyx,
the fire of jacinth.
| wish I could make you understand
the Joy religion is to some Of US. 1t
makes a man happy while he lives, and
glad when he dies. With two feet upon
a chair and bursting with dropsios, |
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 Col for?' Ii
makes the lame man leap ike tue hart,
and the dumb sing. They gay that the
old Puritan religion is a ~iuiCeless and
iOyless religion; but | remember reading
of DR. Goodwin, the cel, brated Puritan,
W uo III Ills licI nlOilltn'S Bblh. 10 Lki46
Why, my bow abides in
strength | am swallowed 40 in God"
Her ways are ways of pleas4ntness, and
all her paths are peace" On, you who
have been trying IT, satisfy yourselves
with the south land of this world, do
you not feel that you would, this morn
like to have access 10 the neither
springs Of spiritual comforr? Would
you not like to have Jesus Christ bend
over your cradle aud bless your table and
heal your wounds and strew flowers Of
consolation all up and down the graves
of your dead2
IT'S religion that can give
Sweetest pie asure while we live;
TITS 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 happy as possible. Though 0thniel
was taking her away, and his heart was
almost broken because she was going,
yet he gives her a South land - not only
that, but the neither springs; not only
that, but the upper springs. q God, my
Father, | thank thee that thou hast
given me a South land in this world;
but, more than all, | thank thee for the
uppir springs in heaven.
1t is very fortunate we cannot see
until we get into it.. Oh, Chris
tian man if you could see what a place it
is. we would never get you back TO the
Office or store or shop, and the duties you
ought to perform would go neglected.
l am glad l shall not see that world until
I enter il. Suppose We were allowed to
on an excursion into that good land
with the idea of returning. When we got
there, and heard the song, and looked at
their enraptured faces, and mingled in
the supernal society, we would cry out:
Let us stay We are coming here any
how. Why take the trouble of going
back again to that old worldp We are
here now; let US stay And it would
take angelic violence to put us out of that
if once we got there. But as PEG.
pie who cannot afford TO pay for an IN
tertainment sometimes come around it and
look through the door ajar, or through
the openings in the fence. so We come
and look through the creviccs IN that
good land which God has provided for
rs. We can just catch a glimpse Of il.
We come near enough TO hear the rum
bling of the eternal orchestra, though not
,o, enough IN know who bloWG Ihp cnr.