The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-05-07
Beneathit we're two tables Of stone

camels were three weeks crossing the
desert to fetch them. When at Cairo,
Egypt, / proposed to the Christian
Arab that he bring one stone from
Mount Sinai, he said, 1--WE can easier
bring two rocks than one, for we must
balance them on the back of the
camel, /" and I did not think until the
day OF their arrival how much more
suggestive would be the two because
the law was written on two tables of
stone. Those stones marked with
the words Mount Sinai, felt the earth
| quake that shook the mountains
| when the law was given The lower
stone Of the wall is from. Mars Hill
| the place where Paul stood when he
| preached that famous sermon on the
brotherhood Of the human race, de-
claring, "God hath made of one blood
all nations" Since Lord Elgin took
the famous statuary from the Aero
polls, the hill adjoining Mars Hill, the
Greek government makes it impossi-
| bic to transport to other lands any
Egyptian antiquities, and armed SOL
diery guard not only the Acrapolis but
Mars Hill. That stone I obtained by
special permission from the queen of
Greece, a most glorious and brilliant
woman, who received us as though
we had been old acquaintance, and
through Mr.. Tricoupis, the prime min
lister OF Greece, and Mr.: Snowden, our
American minister plenipotentiary,
and DIR. Manatt our American consul,
that suggestive tablet was sawed from
| .-. THE PULPIT OF ROCK
on which Paul preached. Now you
understand why we have marked it
"The Gospel" Long after my lips
shall utter in this church their last
message, these lips OF stone will tell of
the law, and the sacrifice and the
gospel. This day I present them to
this church and to all who shall gaze
upon them; Thus you have my an
swer to the question, "What mean
you by these stones?"
But you must not divert me from
the question of the text as I first put
1t. l have interpreted these four
memorials on my right hand, but
there are hundreds of stones in these
surrounding walls and underneath us,
in the foundations, and raising above
us in the towers. The quaries of this
and transatlantic countries at the
call OF the crowbar and chisel have
contributed toward this structure.
'What mean We by these stones?'
You mean among other things that
they shall be an early resid ence for
Christ. Christ did not have much of g.
home when he was here Who and
where is that child crying? 1t is Jesus,
born in an clubhouse. Where is that
hard breathing? 1t is Jesus, asleep on
a rock. Who is that in the back part
of the fishing smack, with a. sailors
rough overcoat thrown over him? It
is Jesus the worn-out voyager. O
Jesus! is it not time that thou hadst
a house? We give thee this, Thou
didst give it to us first, but we give it
back to thee. 1t is too good for us,
but not half good enough for thee.
Oh! come in and take the best seat
here. Walk up and down all these
aisles. Speak through these organ
pipes. Throw thine arm over us in
these arches, In the flaming of these
brackets of fire speak to us saying: II
am the light Of the world" o King
make this thine audience chamber.
Here proclaim Righteousness and
make treaties.
WE CLAP OUR HANDS,
we uncover our heads, we lift our
enslgns, we cry with multitudinous
reclamation Until the place rings and
the heavens listen: 20 King! live for
ever"
heard a Baptist minister once say
that he thought in the millennium it
would be all one great Baptist church;
and [ heard a Methodist minister say
that he thought in the great millennial
day 1t would be all one great Metho-
dist church; and I have known a
Presbyterian minister who thought
that in the millennial day it would be
all one great Presbyterian church.
Now [ think they are all mistaken.
think the miilennial church will be a
composite church; and just as YOU
may take the best parts of five or six
tunes, and under the skilful hands of
a Handel, Mozart or Beethoven, en-
Irvine them into one grand and over
PIONEERING symphony, so, suppose, in
the latter days OF the world, God will
take the best parts of all denomina-
tlons OF Christians, and wave them
into one great ecclesiastical harmony,
Droad as the earth and high as the
heavens, and that will be the church
OF the future. Or, as mosaic is made
up OF jasper and agate, and
MANY PRECIOUS STONES
cemented together-mosaic thousand
feet square in St. Marks, or mosaic
hoisted in colossal seraphim in St,
Sophia suppose God will make,
after awhile, one great blending of all
creeds, and allfaiths, and all Christian
sentiments, the amethyst, and the
Jasper, and the chalcedony of all diff
ferent experiences and belief, cemented
side by side in the great mosaic OF the
ages; and while the nations look upon
the columns and architraves of that
stupendous church OF the future, and
cry out: what mean We by these
stones?" there shall be innumerable
voices to respond. eve mean the
Lord God omnipotent reigneth."
Still flrther, you mean by these
stones the salvation OF the people.
We did not build this church for mere
worldly reforms, or for an educa-
tional institution, or as platform
| 1xy1>s IL, +,,x, !