Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-08-09

to it, and you stop, and you go a little
, way on and you stop, and you fall back
and you experiment. You say, "How dc
l know that bridge will hold me?" in
stead of marching on with firm step,
asking no questions. but feeling that
the strength of the eternal God is under
you. Oh, was there ever q prize prof
fered so cheap as pardon and Heaven
are offered to you? For how much? 4
million dollars? 1t is certainly worth
more than that. But cheaper than that
YOU can have it. Ten thousand dollars:
Less than that. Five thousand dollars:
Less than that. One dollar? Less than
that One farthing? Less than that.
"Without money and without price.
No money to pay. No journey to take.
No penance to suffer. Only just one
decisive action of the soul: "Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt
be saved" Shall I try to tell you what
it is to be saved? ! cannot tell you.
No man. no angel can tell you. But /
can hint ut it, For my text brings me
up to this point. Thou shalt be saved. "
1t means a happy life here. and peace
full death and blissful eternity. 1t is a
grand thing to go to sleep at night and
get up i'll the morning, and to do bust
ness all day feeling that all is right be-
tween my heart and God. No accident,
no sickness. no persecution, no peril,
no sword can do me any permanent
damage. i am forgiven child of Cod;
and He is bound to see me through.
The mountains may depart, the e.rth
may burn, the light of the stars may be
blown out by the blast Of the judgment
hurricane; but life and death, things
present and things to come, are mine.
| Yea, further than that-it mears q
peaceful death. Mrs. Hemans, Mrs.
Sigourney, DIR. Young, and almott all
the poets have said handsome things
about death. There is nothing besuti-
full about it. When we stand by the
white and rigid features of those whoh
we love. and they give no answering
pressure of the hand and no returning &
kiss of the lip, we do not want anybody
poetizing around about u.s. heath Is
loathsomeness. and midnight, and tic
wringing of the heart until the tendris
snap and curl in the torture, unless
Christ shall be with us. l confess to
you an infinite fear, consuming horror
of death, unless Christ shall be will
me. would rather 90 down INTO cave
of wild beasts or q jungle of reptiles
than into the grave, unless Christ goes
with me. Will you tell me that | am to
be carried out from my bright home
and put away in the darkness? 1cannot
bear darkness. At the first coming OF
the evening must have the gas lighted,
and the further on i'll life get the more
[ like to have my friends round about
me.
And am to be put off for thousands
of years in dark place with 10 one to
speak to? When the holidays come and
the gifts are distributed, shall | add no
JOY to the Merry Christmas" or the
Happy New Year," All, do not point
down to the hole in the ground. the
grave, and call it beautiful place.
Unless there be some supernatural IL
Illumination shudder back FIRM it. My
whole nature revolts at it. But now
this glorious lamp is lifted .bove the
grave. and all the darkness isgone, and
the way is clear. l look ito it now
without single shudder. Now my
anxiety is not about death; M anxiety
is that I may live Alright, for know til at
it my life is consistent when come to
the last hour, and this voice is silent,
and these eyes are closed, nd these
hands with which beg for our eter-
nal salvation to- day are foldel over the
still heart, that then shall OILY begin
to live. What power is there in any,
thing to chill me in the last lour if
Christ wraps around me the skirt If his
own garment? What darkness caa fall
upon my eyelids then amid the heavenly
daybreak? o Death, 1 will not feal thee
then. Back to thy cavern of darkness,
thou robber of all the earth. Fly! thou
despoiler of families. With this hlttle
AK hew thee in twain from helmet to
sandal, the voice of Christ sounding all
over the earth and through the Heay-
ems: % Death, will be thy plague. o
Grave, will he thy distinctions"
10 be saved is to wake up in the pres
ence OF Christ. You know when Jesus
was upon earth how happy he made
every house he went into, and when he
brings us up to his house in Heaven
how great shall be our glee. His voice
has more music in it than is to be heard
IN al the oratorios of eternity.
Talk not about banks dashed with
ethorescence. Jesus is the chief bloom
OF Heaven. We shall see the very face
that beamed sympathy in Bethany, and
take the very hand that dropped its
blood from the short beam of the cross.
On, want to stand in eternity with
Him: Howard that harpor steer. To-
ward that goal l run. / shall be salts
tied when awake in his likeness.
oh, broken hearted men and women,
now sweet 1t VIII be in that good land to
pour all OF your hardships and bereave-
ments and losses into the loving ear OF
Christ, and then have him explain why
1t was best for you to be sick, and why
1t was best for you to be widowed, and
why it was best for YOU to be prosecuted,
and why it was best for you to be tried,
and have him point to an elevation pro-
portionate to your disquietude here,
saying: You suffered with me on earth.
come up now and be glorifed with me
in Heaven" Some one went into
house where there had been a good deal
OF trouble, and said tc the woman there:
You seem to be lonely" yes" she
said, Il am lonely" "How MANY in
the family?" Only myself" Have
you had any children?' Il had seven
children" Where are they?' Gone"
All gomez" "All," "All dead?" All"
Then she breathed long sigh into the
loneliness, and said; "Oh, Sir, | have
been a good mother to the grave And
SO there are hearts here that are utterly
broken down by the bereavemerts Of life.
point you to-day to the eternal balm
OF Heaven: Are there any here that I
am missing this morning? Oh. YOU moor
waiting maid! your hearts sorrow
poured in no human car. lonelJ and
sad; how glad you will be when Christ
shall diSbnn1 all vo,,r ,1.... fN'3,s