The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-06-24

thon.
That is the way the mighty ministers of
the gospel were made in olden times. Oh,
for great wave of revival to roll over our
theological seminaries and our pulpits and
our churches and our ecclesiastical courts
and over all christendoml That would
be the end of controversy. While such
deluQe would float the ark of God higher
and higher, il would put all the bears and
tigers and reptiles of raging ecclesiasticlsm
fifteen cubits under.
Now, what is the simple fact that you in
the pew and Sabbath-school class and re-
formatory association and we in the pull
pits have to deal with? IL is this: that
God has somewhere, and 1t matters not
where, but somewhere, provided a great
heaven. great for quietness Tor those who
want quiet, great for vast assemblages Tor
those who like multitudes. great for archi-
lecture for those who like architecture,
great for beautiful landscapes for those
who like beautiful landscape, great for
music for those who like music, great Tor
PROFESSIONS for those who like armies on
white horses, and great for anything that
one especially desires in such rapturous
dominion; and through the doings of one
who WAS born about five miles south OF
Jerusalem and died about ten minutes
walk from its eastern gate, all may
enter that great heaven for the
earnest and heartfelt asking. Is that
ali? That is all. What then is your
work and mine Our work is TO per
suade people to face that way and start
thitherward and finally GO in. But has
not religion something to do with this
world as well as the next? Oh, yes; but
do you not see that if the people start for
heaven on their way there they will do
all the good they can? They will at the
very start OF the journey get so much of
the good spirit of Christ, which is q spirit
of kindness and self-sacrifice and gener-
osity and burden-bearing and helpfulness
that every step they take will resound
with good deeds. On, get your religion
Off of stills Get it down out of the high
towers Get it on level with the wants
and woes of our poor human racei Get
il out of the dusty theological books that
few people read and put il in their hearts
and lives. Good thing is it to profess re-
ligion when you join the church, but
every day somehow we ought to profess
religion.
A peculiar patchwork quilt was, during
the civil war, made by lady and sent to
the hospitals at the front She had boy
in the army, and was naturally interested
in the welfare of soldiers But what
PATCHWORK QullI Sne sent! I'm every DlOck
of the quilt was passage of scripture ora
verse of a hymn. The months and the
years of the war went by. On that quilt
many wounded man had lain and suf-
fered and died. But one morning the hos
pital nurse saw a patient under the blan-
ket kissing the figure of a leaf in the quilt,
and the nurse supposed he was only wan
dering in mind. But no, be was the son
of the mother who had made the quilt and
recognized that figure OF leaf as part of q
gown his mother used to wear and it re-
minded him of home. "Do you know
where this quilt came from?" he asked.
The nurse answered: 81 can find out, for
there was a card pinned fast to it, and 1
will find that" Sure enough, it confirmed
what he thought Then the nurse pointed
to a passage of scripture in the block of
the quilt, the passage which says: when
he was yet great way off his father saw
him and ran and fell on his neck and
kissed him." "Yes," said the dying sol
der, II was great way off, but God has
met me, and had compassion on me-"
shall / write to your mother and tell her
that the lost one is found, and the dead is
alive again 2" He answered: al wish you
would, if It would not be too much
trouble" Do you suppose that woman
who made that quilt and filed it with
scripture passages had any trouble about
who Melchizedek was, or how the doc
trine of Gods sovereignty can be harmon
lied with mans free agency, or who wrote
the Pentateuch, or the inconsistencies of
the Nicene creed? No, no; go TO work for
God and suffering humanity, and all your
doubts, and fears and mysteries, and I'M
beliefs put together will not be heavy
enough to stir the chemists scales, which
IL I'D % nffrhf n
part of grain of camomile flowers. Why
stop a moment to understand the myster-
les where there are 80 many certitudes?
Why spend our time exploring the dark
garrets and coal-holes of a great palace
which has above ground 100 rooms flooded
with sunshine? 1t takes all my time to
absorb what has been revealed, so that /
have no time to uDturn and root out and
drag forth what has not been revealed.
The most of the effort to solve mysteries
/ and explore the inexplicable and har-
monte things, is an attempt to help the
Lord out of theological difficulties. Good
enough intention, my brother, no doubt !;
but the Lord is not anxious to have you
help Him. He will keep His throne with
out your assistance. Don't be afraid that
the bible will fall apart from inconsistent
cies. 1t hung together many centuries
DcAOIc YOU WcI6 OOlu, duu NOuI lul6Tdl
sermon will be preached from text taken
| from its undisturbed authenticity.
Do you know that / think that if all
ministers in all denominations would stop
this nonsense of ecclesiastical strife and
take hold the word of God, the only oues-
ton with each of us being how many souls
we can bring TO Christ and in how short a
| time, the Lord would soon appear for the
salvation of all nations? When the young
queen of England visited Scotland many
years ago great preparations were made
for her reception. The vessel in which
she sailed was fer out at sea, but every hill
in Scotland was illumined with bonfres
and torches. The night was set on fire
with artificial illumination. The queen,
standing on ships deck, knew from that
that Scotland was full of heartiest well
come, and the thunder of the great guns
at Glasgow and Edinburgh castle woke up
| all the echoes. Boom! they sounded out
over the sea. Boom! they sounded up
among the hills. Do you know that |
think that our King would land if we were
only ready to receive Him? Why not call
to Him from all our churches, from all our
hospitals, from all our homes? Why not
all at once light all the torches of gospel
invitation? Why not ring all the bells Of
welcome? Why not light up the long
night of the worlds sin and suffering with
| bonfres of victory? Why not unlimber