Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-06-19
couch of the dying saint is the Mara.

couch of the dying saint is the Mara.
! thon.
! That is the way the mighty ministers
of the Gospel were made in olden times.
Oh, for the great wave Of revival to roll
over our theological seminaries, and
our pulpits, and our churches, and our
eccleastical courts and over all Christen-
dom! That would be the end of contro-
versy. While such deluge would float
the ark of God higher and higher, it
would put all the bears and tigers and
reptiles Of raging scelesiasticism fifteen
! cubits under.
Do you know that think thGr if all
ministers in all denominations would
stop this nonsense of ecclesiastical strife
and take hold the word of God, the only
question with each of us being how
many souls we can bring to Christ, and
in how short q 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 vesselin which she
sailed was far 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 welcome, and the thunder of
the great guns at Glasgow and Edin-
burgh 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 re-
ceive 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 bonfires. Of
victory? Why not unlimber all the
across the earth, and. boom into the
parting heavens? The King is ready to
land if we are ready to receive Him.
Why cannot we who are now living see
His descent? Must it all be postponed
to after ages? Has-notI our poor world
groaned long enough in mortal agonies?
Have there not been martyrs enough,
and have not the lakes of tears and the,
rivers of blood been deep enough? Why
cannot the final glory roll in now? Why
cannot this dying century feel the in
| coming tides of: the oceans of heavenly
mercy? Must, our eyes close in death
| and cure ears take on the deafness of the
| tomb, and these hearts beat their last
throb before the day comes in? o
Christ! Why Earliest thou? Wilt thou
not before we go the way of all the
earth, let us see thy SCARED feet under
some monday cloud coming this way?.
Before we die let US behold thy hands,
that were spiked spread out in bene-
diction for lost race. And why not let
us with our'mortal ears hear that voice
which spoke peace as thou didst go up
speak pardon and emancipation and love
and holiness and joy to allnations as
thou contest DOWN.,
But the skies do not part. I hear-no
rumbling Of chariot wheels coming down
/ over the sapphire. There is noswoop of
wings. 1 see no flash,of angelic appear,
ances. All is still. Ihear nothing but
| the tramp of my own heart as 1 pause
between these. utterances. The King
does not land because the world is not
ready and the church is not ready. To
clear the way for the Lords coming let
us devote all our energies of body, mind,
J and soul. A Russian general, riding
over the battlefield, his horse treading
amid the dying and. dead, wounded
soldier asked him for water, but the
officer did not understand his language,
and knew not what the poor fellow
wanted. Then the soldier cried out,
'Christos.!" and that word meant sym
pathy and help. and the Russian officer
dismounted and put to. the lips of the
sufferer a cooling draught.
Be that the charmed word with which
we go forth to do. our whole duty. In
many languages it has only little diff
ference of termination. Christos! It
stands for sympathy. 1t stands for help.
1t stands for pardon. 1t stands for hope.
1t stands for Heaven. Christos! In
that name we were baptized. In that
name we took our first sacrament. That
will be the battle shout that will win the
whole world for God. Christos! Put it
on our banners when we march! Put it
on our lips when we die! Put it in the
| funeral psalm at our obsequies! Put it
on the plain slab over our gravel Chris.
tos! Blessed be His glorious name for
| ever! Amen!