The Red Cloud chief., 1889-05-24

it into the arches OF st PauFs. John
Bunyan, unable to present it in ordinary
phraseology, takes all the fascination OF
allegory. Handel. with ordinary music
unable to reach the height Of the. theme.
rouses it up in an Oratorio. q. there is no
life on earth SO happy as a really Chris.
tian life. l do not mean a sham Christian
life, but a real Christian life. Where
there is a thorn there 10 . whole garland
of roses. Where there is one groan there
are three doxologies. Where there is one
day Of cloud there is a whole season of
sunshine. Take the humblest Christian
man that you knOw-angels Of God cano-
py him with their white wings; the light
nings of heaven are his armed allies; the
Lord is his Shepherd, picking out for him
green pastures by still waters; if he walk
forth Heaven is his bodyguarj; if ne sit
down to food his plain table blooms into
the kng's banquet. Men say: "Look at
that old fellow with the xorn-Out coat"
the angels OF God cry: Lift up your
heads, We everlasting gates, and let him
come in" Fastidious people cry: Get
of my front steps," the doorkeepers of
Heaven cry: Come. you blessed of my
Father, inherit the kingdOm!" When he
comes to die. though he may be carried
OUT in a pine box to the potter's field. to
that p~otter's field III, chariOts of Christ
will come down and the cava!cads will
crowd all the bOuIevards Of Heaven.
l bless Christ for the present sa~tisfac-
| ton of reiig on. It makes q man all right
with reference to the past; it makes a
man all right with reference to the future.
U these neither springs of comfort! They
are parental. The foundation of God
/ ..-.. pk-,:n- ,n,1 sSNha Odd
knoweth them that are His" .''The mount
aims shall depart and the bills be re-
moved, hut My kindness shall not depa0
from thee, neither shall the covenant of
My peace he removed. saith THE Askord,
who hath mercy upon them." o! lister
OF diamonds set in FURNISHED gosa! o.
neither springs of comfort bursting
through ali the valleys Of trial IN tribu-
.ation!
When you see, you of the world, what
satisfaction there is on earth in relisionj
do You not thirst after it as the daughter
of Caleb thirsted after the water springs:
1t is no stagnant pond. scummed over
with malaria. but springs Of water leap
ing from the Rock Of Ages! Take up one
cap Of that spring water. and across the
| top of the chalice will float the delicat.
shadows of the heavenly wall, the yellow
| Of jasper, the green OF emerald. the blue
OF sardonyX, the fire of jacinth. l wish l
| could make you understand the Joy reli-
giOn is to some of Us. 1t makes a man
| happy while he lives and glad when he
dies. With two feet upon a chair II
bursting with dropsies. l heard an old
man in the poor house cry out: Bless
the Lord. .. my SOUL" ! looked around
and said: What has this man
got to thank God fCr:" 1t
makes the lame man leap like the hart ant!
the dumb sing. They Jay that the old
Puritan religion is "a juiceless and joyless
religion; but: l remember reading Of DR..
Goodwin, the celebrated Puritan, who in
his last moments said: Is this dying:
Wiyihy bow nbides in strength! l am
swaliewed up i'm God" ''Her ways are
Axans ee%asantness. and all her paths
fH&~O you nave been trying to
3 yourselves with the 'sOuth lane"
etffs world, do you not feel that You
would, this morning, like to have access
to the neither springs of spiritual comfort:
Would you not like to have Jesus 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 dead:
IT'S religion that can give
Sweetest pleasures while We live;
Tis religion can supply
Sweetest comfort when we die.
But l have something better to tell you.
suggested by my text. 1t seems that old
father Caleb on the wedding day of his
daughter wanted to make her just as
happy as possible. Though Othniel was
taking her away, ard his heart was almost
broken because she was going, yet he gives
her a south land;" not only that, but the
upper springs. o God. m Father. l
thank Thee that thou hast given me q
south land" in this world, and the neither
springs of spiritual comfort in this world;
but, more than all. l thank Thee for the
upper springs in Heaven.
1t is very fOrtunate we can not see
heaven until We get into it U Christian
man, if you could see what a place it is
we would never gst you back again to the
office or store or shop, and the duties you
ought to perform would 60 neglected. l
am glad l shall not see that world until I
enter it. Suppose we were allowed to go
on an excursion into that cool land with
tie idea of returning. When We got there,
and heard the song, and looked at their
raptured faces. an1 mingled in the super.
nal society, we would cry out: Let US
stay! We are coming here anyhow.
Why take the trouble Of going back again
to that old world: We are here now; let
us stay" And it would take angelic vio-
lence to put Us out OF that world il we
once got there. But as people who can not
afford to pay for an entertainment some-
times come around it and look through
the door ajar, or through the open.
ihgs in the fence. so We come and look
through the CT, vices in hat good land
which God has provided for US. We can
just catch a glimpse Of it. We come near
enough to hear the rumbling OF the eter-
nal orchestra. though not near enough to
know who blows the cornet or who fingers
the harp. My soul spreads ,u, both wings
and claps them in triumph at the thought
Of those upper spr ngA One of them
breaks from beneath the throne; another
breaks forth from beneath the altar of the
temple; another at the door of 1.-THE house
of many mansions" Upper springs of
gladness! Upper springs Of light! Upper
springs If love! 1t is nc fancy OF mine
1.-THE Lamb which 10 in the midst of the
throne shall lead them to living fountains
Of water" o Saviour divine, roll in upon
our sou one Of those ant.ci.
--H -.-.- De- $1,000 A.