The Brookhaven leader., 1889-01-10

cross feel sure Of Il. am going b coax
you in. am going 10 push you in. Yea,
with all the concentrated energy Of my
nature-physical, mental, spiritual and
immortal-I am going to compel you to 60
In. like you so we'll 1 want TO spend
eternity with you!
Some of your children have already
gone. Some time ago 1 buried one OF
them, and though people passing along
the street and seeing white Grape on the
door-bell may have said: sit is only Q
child" yet when the broken-hearted
father earie to solicit my service he said:
'sCome around ard comfort us, for though
she was only fifteen I3onths old, we loved
her SO much" Ahi it does not take long
for q child to get its arms around the par
ents' whole nature
What Christmas morning 1t will make
when those with whom you used TO Keep
the holidays are all around you in Heaven
Silver haired old father young again, and
mother, who had 50 many aches and pains
and decrepitudes, well again, and al
your brothers and sisters and the little
ones. How glad they will be to see yous
They have been waiting. The last time
they saw your face, 1t was covered with
tears and distress, and pallid from long
watching. and one Of them, can imagine
to-day, with one hand holding fast the
shining eete, and the other hand swung
toward you, saying;
Steer this way, father, steer straight for me;
Here safe in Heaven I ami waiting for thee.
Oh. those Bethlehem angels, when they
went back after the concert that night
over the hills, forgot to shut the DOOR
All the secret is out. No more use or try"
ing to hide from US the glOries to comet
| 1t is too late to shut the gate. 1t Is block
| AIDED wide open with hosannas marching
this way, and hallelujahs marching that
| way.
What almost unmans me1s the thought
that it is provided for such sinners as you
| and have been. If it had been provldeo
only for those who had always thought
right, and spoken right, and acted rlgnt,
| you and would have had no interest In
| it. had no share in it; you and would
have stuck to the raft mid ocean, and LEI
the ship sail by, carrying perfect passen-
gers from a perfect life on earth to per.
| feet life in Heaven.
Oh! have heard the commander OF that
ship is the same great, and glorious, and
sympathetic One who hushed the tempest
around the boat on Galilee, and l have
heard that all the passengers on the ship
are sinners saved by grace. And SO we
hail the ship, and it bears down this way,
and we come to the side of 1t and ask the
Captain two questions: "Who art thou:
and whence?" and He says: 81 am Cap
tain of Salvation, and 1 am from the
manger" Obi bright Christmas morning
of my souls delight. Chime all the bells.
Wreathe all the garlands. Rouse all the
anthems. Shake hands in all the con-
gratulations.
Merry Christmas! Merry with the
thought of sins forgiven, merry with the
idea of sorrows comforted, merry with
the raptures to come. Oh! lift that Christ t
from the manger and lay Him down in our
hearts. We may not bring TO Him as
costly present as the magi brought but
we bring to His feet and to the manger to-
day the frankincense of our joy, the pearls
of our tears, the kiss of our love, the pros
tration of our worship.
Down at His feet, oil churches, all ages,
all earth, all Heaven. Down at His feet
the four and twenty elders on their faces.
Down the 'great multitude that no man
can number" Down Michael, the archan-
gel! Down all worlds at His feet and wor-
ship. "Glory to God in the highest ana
on earth peace, god will to men"