Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-08-08

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sven now: but they were worse in the apos-
s,lir times. l imagine to-day we are stand
sng in the Philippian dungeon. Do you not
- tbe chill? Do you not hear the groan of
.hose incarcerated ones who for ten years
hsve not seen the sunlight, and the deep sigh
~ women who remember their fathers house
nj mourn over their wasted estate? Listen
srsin Ii is the cough of consumptive, or
sSe struggle of one in the nightmare
ia great horror. You listen again and hear
seuiprit. his chains rafting as he rolls over
n lis dreams, and you says: Sod pity the
nrisoner.n But there is another sound in
bat prison. 1t is a song of joy and gladness
What place to sing inl The music comes
winding through the corridors of the prison,
md in all the dark wards the whisper is
heard: whats that? What's thatT'
II Is the song of Paul and Silas They
cannot sleep. They have been whipped, very
badly whipped. The long gashes on their
bseks are bleeding yet They lie fat on the
nd ground, their feet fast in wooden sock
cts. and of course they cannot sleep But they
can sing. Jailer. what are you doing with
these people? Why have they been put in
here Oh, they have been trying to make
ne world better. Is that ALI That is all
AMT for Joseph A lions cave for Dan
al A blazing furnace for Shadrach.
climbs for John Wesley. An anathema
for Philip Melancthon. A dungeon
for Paul and Silas. But while we are stand
Ing in the gloom of the Philippian dungeon.
and we hear the mingling voices of sob and
0rosn and blasphemy and hallelujah, sud
Senly an earthquake The iron bars of the
prson twist, the pillars crack off, the solid
masonry begins TO heave and all the doors
swing open. The jailer, feeling himself re-
sponsibIe for these prisoners, and believing,
N his pagan ignorance suicide to be honora-
ble-si since Brutus killed himself, and
Cato killed himself, and Cassius killed
himself-puts his sword to his own heart,
proposing with one strong, keen thrust to
put an end to his excitement and agitation.
But Paul cries out: .'Stopl Stop Do thy
self no harm. We are all here Then / see
the taller running through the dust and amid
the ruin of that prison. and see him throw
ing himself down at the feet of these prison
ms crying out: "What shall l do? What
shall doya Did Paul answer: ''Get out of
this place before there is another earthquake;
put handouts and hopples ON these
other prisoners, lest they get awayfp
No word of that kind His COM
pact, thrilling. tremendous answer, an
swer memorable all through earth and
heaven. was: believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ and thou shalt be saved" Well, we
have all heard of the earthquake in Lisbon,
in Lima, in Aleppo, and in Caracas, but we
live in latitude where severe volcanic dis
p1rOduceS are rare. AuQ yet we nave Seeu
fifty earthquakes. Here is a man who has
been building up large fortune His bid on
the money market was felt in all the cities.
BE thinks he has got beyond all annoying
rivalries in trade, and he says to himself:
Snow | am free and safe from all
possible perturbation" Bat IN 1887, OF
In 1857, or in 1873 national panic
strikes the foundations of the commercial
world and crash goes all that magnificent
k,a a fcl,p lie a maj he
has built up a very beautiful home. His
daughters have Just come from the seminary
with diplomas Of graduation. His sons have
started in life honest, temperate and pure.
When the evening lights are struck there lisa
happy and unbroken family circle. But
there has been an accident down at Long
Branch The young man ventured too far
out in the surf The telegraph hurled the |
terror up to the city. An earthquake struck !
under the foundation of that beautiful home |
The piano closed; the curtains dropped; the |
laughter hushed. crash go all those domes-
dc hopes and prospects and expectations. SO. /
my friends, VIC have all felt the shaking |
down of some great trouble, and there was
time when we were as much excited as this
man Of the text, and we cried out as he did |
What shall dos What shall | dor The |
same reply that the apostle made to him is
appropriate tous: Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ and thou shalt be saved"
There are some documents of so little inn
portance that you do not care TO put any /
more than your last name under them, OF
even your initials; but there are some docu-
ments of so great Importance that you write
out your full name. So the Saviour in sonle
parts of the Bible is called Lord" and IN
other parts of the Bible Heis called Jesus
and in other parts of the Bible He is called
Christi but that there might be no mistake
about this passage, all three names come TO
gether-''The Lord Jesus Christ"
Now who is this being that you want M
to trust in and believe in? Men sometime
come to me with credentials and certificate
Of good character, but cannot trust them
There is some dishonesty in their looks tbs
makes me know / shall be cheated If con
fde in them. You cannot put your heart
confidence in a man until you know wha
stuff he is made Of and am
unreasonable to-day when / stop e
ask you who this is that you want me
to trust in? No man would think OF ventur
ing his life on vessel going out to sea that
had never been inspected. No. you must
have the certificate hung amidships, telling
how many tons it carries, and how long ago
I was built, and who built it. and all about
II. And you cannot expect me 10 TisK
the cargo of my immortal interests
on board any craft till you tell me
what it is made of, and where it was maze
ana what IL Is. when, then, ASK JOu WIZ
this is you want me to trust in, you tell me
de was very attractive person Contem-
porary writer's describe His whole appear
ance as being resplendent There was no
need for Christ to tell the children to come
to Him. Suffer little children to come
unto Me- was not spoken to the children II
was spoken to the disciples. The cnilaren
came readily enough without any invitation.
No sooner did Jesus appear than the little
ones jumped from their mothers arms an
avalanche of beauty and love, into his
zap. Christ did not ask John to put his nese
down on His bosom; John could not help %
put his head there. suppose to look at Chris
was to love Him Oh, how attractive ~
manner. Why, when they saw Christ con
ing along the street they ran into their mouse
and they wrapped up their invalds as que
as they could, and brought them out thas
de might look at them. There was some
thing so pleasant, so inviting, SO cheering ~
everything He did. in His very look. Nnen
these sick ones were brought out, did He say;
: Do not bring Ne these sores; do not trouble
Me with these leprosiesY No, no; there was
kind look, there was a gentle word, there
was healing touch. They could not KEEP
away from Him.
h. In addition to this softness of character,
there was a fiery momentum. How the kings
Il Il IInw