The Red Cloud chief., 1890-01-17

~ yOW hbOW 80
enlsrges "a tits retold. and by tho time
Shat story gets down into the southern
part Of Arabia Felix, and the Queen Of
Sheba hears II. II must be . tremendous
story. And yet this Queen declares Ia
regard u II, although she had heard 80
much n had her anticipations raised
no high. the half the half was not told
her.
80 religion IL always surprise 10 any
n that gets u. The story Of grace
an old story. Apostles preached IL with
arm OF fire; dcath-bcds have affirmed II
with visions Of glory, and ministers Of
religion have sounded IL through the
lanes, and the highways, and tho
chapels, and tho c~athedrals. II has
been cut into stone with chisel and
spread on canvas with pencil; and IL
has been recitcd In the doxology Of
great congregations. And yet when a
man FIRST comes To look on the palace
OF Gods mercy, and TO sec the royalty Of
Christ. and the wealth OF this banquet,
and h luxuriancc Of His attendants,
and the loneliness " His face. and tho
Joy OF His service, he cxclaims, with
prayers. with tears, with signs, with
triumphs: "rhc half-:hc half was not
told me-"
! appeal 10 those who arc Christians.
Compare the idea you had Of the Joy Of
the Christian life before you became Q
Christian with the appreciation Of that
JOY you havo now since you have DO.
come = Christian, and you are willing Ia
attest before angels and men that you
never In the days OF your spiritual bond.
age, had any appreciation Of what was
to come. You are ready to-day 20 an.
swcr and say In regard to the discover.
les you have made Of tho mercy and tho
grace and goodness OF God: ''rhc half
the half was not told mel"
Well. VIC hear n great deal about tho
good time that Is coming TO this world
when 1t Is To be girdcd with salvation.
Holiness on tho bells Of tho horses. Tho
lions name patted by the hand Of Q
babe. ships Of Tarshish bringing car-
goes for Jesus, and the hard, dry, bar
'rcn, wi~ntcr-blcachcd, storm.scarrcd:
thundcr-split rock breaking into foods
OF bright water. Deserts into which
.dromedarics thrust their nostrils, be-
cause they were afraid Of the simoon-
deserts blooming into ~carnation roses
md silvcr.tipped lilies.
II Is the old story. Every body tells
1t. Isaiah told IL, John told It. Paul
told II, Ezekiel told II. Luther told IL,
Calvin told IL. John Milton told it-cvcry
body tells II; and yet--and yet. whom
tho midnight shall ny the hills. and
Christ shall marshal His great army. and
China. dashing her idols into the dust,
shall hear the voice Of God and wheel
into line: and India. destroying her
~Juggcrnaut and snatching up her little
children from the Gauges. shall hear tho
voice Of COD and wheel into line; and
~vinc.covcred Italy, and whcat-crowncd
Russia. and all tho nations Of tho earth,
shall hear the voice Of God and fall into
line; then the Church, which had bcen
toiling and struggling through tho cent.
uries, ROBBED and ~garlandcd like n bride
adorned for her husband. shall put
aside her vail and look up into the face
OF her Lord and King and say: ''The
half-the half was not told mol"
well. there 10 coming . greater sur.
prise to every Chrlstian-a greater sur.
prisc than any thing ! havc depicted.
Heaven II an old story. Every body |
talks about It. There IL hardly q hymn |
In tho hymn-book hat docs not refer to |
IL. Children read about II in their Sab |
bath.school hooks. Aged men PIT ON |
their spcctacles 70 study II. We say II
IL n harbor from tho storm. We call IL |
homo. w say II IL the house OF many
mansions. We weave together all
sweet, beautiful. delicate. e~xhilarant
words; we weave them into letters. and |
thcn spell IL out In rosa and lily and
amaranth.
And y"t that place Ia going tn be
surprise to the most intelligent Chris.
tian. Like the Queen of Shcba. the RI.
port has come Ia us from the far coun. |
try. and many OF Nv have started. II IL
q desert march. but we urge on the
camcls. What though our feet be bis |
tered with the way? We are fastening
to the palace. We take all our loves
and hopes and Christian ambitions. a.
frankincensc and myrrh and cassia. to
the great King. We must not rest. We
must not halt. Tho night IL coming on, !
and II IL not safe out here in the desert.
Urge on the camcls. see tho domes
against the sky, and tho houses Of
Lebanon and the temples and the gar.
dens. Soc the fountains dance in the
sun and the gates fash NJ they open to
let In the poor pilgrims.
Send the word M to tho palace that
We are coming. and that We arr weary
Of the march 81 the desert. The King
will come out and say: WELCOME Ia
the palace; battle In these waters: re-
cline on these banks, Take the CHINA !
mon and f~rankinccns" and myrrh and
put II upon u censor and swing II before
the altar" And yet. my friends. when
Heaven burst upon W. II will h. q great
err surprise than that Jesus ON the
throne, and We made like Him, All our
Christian friends surrounding us In
glory. All our sorrows aud tears and
sins gone by forever The thousands Of
thousands, the mi hundred and forty
and four thousand. the great maltitudes
ekAA a. 49, IL