The morning news., 1889-05-20

there is a whole garland OF roses. w here
there is one groan, there are three doxoIo-
gies Where there is one day of cloud,
there is whole season of sunshine. Take
the humblest christian man that You know
angels of God canopy HIM with Unelf
white wings; the lightnings of heaven are
his armed allies; the Lord Is his shepherd,
picking out for him green pastures oy sun
waters: if he walk forth, heaven IS his body
guard if he lie down to sleep, ladders
of light. angel blossoming, are let
into his dreams if he be thirsty, the
potentates of heaven are his cup-beareTs'
if he sit dOv to food, his PLAIN table blooms
into the kings banquet. Men say; LOOK
at that old fellow with the worn-ou6 coat
the angels of heaven cry out; Lift up
your heads We everlasting gates, and let
him come inn Fastidious people cry:
"Get eff my front steps," the doorkeepers
of heaven cry: Come, you blessed OF my
Father inherit the kngd mW When he
comes to die, though he may be carried out
in a pine box to the potter's field, to that
potter's field the chariots of Chrls5 VIII
come down, and the cavalcade will crowd
all the boulevards of heaven.
l bless Christ for the present satisfaction
OF religion 1t makes a man all right with
reference to the past; 1t makes man all
right with reference to the future. Oh
these neither springs of comfort! They are
perennial The foundation of God standeth
sure having this seal, The Lord knOweth
them that are his, Inc mountains Sldll
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 tribulationl When you see,
you of the world, what satisfaction there is
on earth in religion. do you not thirst after
it as the daughter of Caleb thirsted after the
water springsl 1t 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 will float the
delicate shadows of the heavenly wall, the
yellow of jasper, the green of emerald, the
blue of sardonyx, the fire of Jaclnth.
wish l could make you understand the
Joy 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 souln | 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 JulceleSs and 1oyless
religion; but l remember reading of Dr.
Goodwin, the celebrated Puritan, who in his
last moments said: "Is this dying! Why,
my bow abides in strength! | am swal-
lowed up in God" Her ways are ways of
pleasantnesS, and all her paths are peace" Oh
you, ,whO have been trying to satisfy your
selves with the "south land" Of this world,
do you not feel that you would, this morn
ing, like to have access to the neither springs
of spiritual comforts 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 ana
down the graves of your dead!
TfS ralig 1af cau civ
Sweetest pleasures while we live;
'ris 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 Othniel 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 tnat, but the upper
springs. o God, my Father, thank thee
that thou hast given me south land" in
this world, and the neither springs of spirit
ual comfort in this world; but, more than
all thank thee for the upper springs in
heaven.
1t is very fortunate we cannot see heaven
until we get into it. Oh, christian man, if
you could see what place it is, we would
never get you back again to the Office or
store or shop aud the duties you ought to
perform would go neg .ected. | am glad |
shall not see that world until l enter
it. Supp SO we were allowed to go on an
excursion into that good land with
the idea of returning. When we got
there. and heard the song, and looked at
their raptured faces, and mingled in the
supernal society, we would cry out: Let
us stay! We are coming here anyhow.
Why take the trouble of going back again
to that old woridl We are here now; let
ct, Ay,I 4 saIr1 ,1s
lence to put us out of that world, if once
we got there. But as people VINO cannot
afford to pay for an entertainment some
times come around it and look through the
door ajar, or through the openings
in the fence so we come and look
through the crevices in that good land
which God has provided for u.s. We
can just catch a glimpse of it. We come
near enough to hear the rumbling of the
eternal orchestra, though not near enough
to know who blows the cornet or who
fingers the harp. My soul spreads out both
wings and claps them in triumph at the
thought or those upper springs One of
them breaks from beneath the altar of the
temple; another at the door of "the house
of many ma; sions." Upper springs of
gladnessl Upper springs of light!
Upper springs Of love 1t is no
fancy OF mine. The Lamb which is
the midst of the throne shall lead
them TO living fountains of water" Oh,
Saviour divine, roll in upon our souls one
of those anticipated raptures Pour around
the r0Qts of the parched tongue o drop of
that liquid life Toss before our vision those
fou tam Of God, rainbowed with eternal
victory. Hear it. They are never sick
there; not SO much as a headache. or twinge
rheumatic, or thrust ueuralgc. The inhab.
liant never says: II am silk.n They are
never tired there. Flight to farthest world
fs only the play of holiday. They never
sin there. II is as easy for them to be holy
as it is for US to sin. They never die
there. You might go through all
the outskirts of the great city and find not
one place where the ground was broken for
a grave. The eyesignt of the redeemed is
never blurred with tears. There Is health
in every cheek. There is spring in every
foot. There is majesty on every brow
There is Joy in every heart There is
hosanna on every lip. How they must pity
us us they look over and down and see US
and say: Poor things away down in
that world" And when some christian is
hurled into fatal accident
they cry: GOOD he is coming Z"
And when We stand around
the couch Of some loved one whose strength
is going away, and we shake our heads fore
bodlngly, they cry: 81 am glad he is worse;
he has been down there long enough. There,
he Is dead! Come hOmel Come hOmeln