Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1892-02-27

hons OF miles before you reach heaV-
en-. They say heaven is the center
of the universe and we are on the
rim of the universe. That is not the
idea of my text / think the heart
of heaven beats very close to our
worhl. We measure distances by
the time taken to traverse those dis
tances.
1t used to be a long distance to San
Francisco. Many weeks and months
were passed before you could reach
that city Now it is six or seven
days. 1t used To be six weeks before
you could voyage from here to Liv
erpool. Now You can go that dis
tance in six or seven days And SO
measure the distance between earth
and heaven and find it is only a
flash. 1t is one instant here, and an
other instant there. 1t is very near
today. Do you not feel the breath
of heaven on your facet Christ says
in one place it is not twenty four
hours distance, when he says to the
penitent thief, This day, this day.
shalt thou be with me in Paradise. :"
1t is not Il day, it is not an hour. it is
not minute, it is not a second.
oh, how near heaven is to earth.
By oceanic cable you send message.
As it is expensive to send message.
you compress great deal of meaning
i'll a few words Sometimes in two
words you can put vast meaning.
And it seems to me that the angels of
God who carry news from earth to
heaven. need to take up this hour, in
regard to your soul, only two words
in order to kindle with gladness all
the redeemed before the throne, only
two words, Father saved, mother
saved, son saved, daughter saved.
And there is joy in heaven among
the angels of God over one sinner
that repenteth.
THE SALVATION OF THE SOUL
My subject also impresses me with
the fact that the salvation of the soul
is of vast Importance. If you should
make 5000, 600 this year, do you sup
pose that news would be carried to
heaven. II would not be of enough
Importance or significance to he car
ried heavenward. If at the next
quadrennial election you are made
president of the United States. do YOU
suppose that news would be carried
to heavenl Do You suppose that the
news of revolution in France or
Spain would be carried to heaven!
These things are not of enough i'm
portance; but there is ore item that
is sure to be carried. 1t is the saliva
ton of your soul. it is yotn repent
ance before God
The flying hoofs of Gods couricrs
clash through the gates and the news
goes from gate to mansion and from
mansion to temple and from temple
to throne, and there is JOY in
heaven among the angels of God
over one sinner forgiven. II must be
of vast importance To be of any mo
ment i'll heaven. your salvation in
that land where gladncsses are the
everyday occurrence in that land
where the common stones of the field
are Jasper and emerald and chryso
pr;isus and carbunclc and sardonyx.
And yet the news of your salvation
makes JOY before the throne of God
You remember years ago stage
driver III the White mountains be
came very reckless He had large
number of passengers on the stage,
and the stage was drawn by six
horses, wild and ungovernable. and
he drove near the precipice. and he
drove off, the stage with its precious
freight rolling down the embank-
ment, and many were slain, but few
We're saved suppose when they
wrote home they wrote with con
gratulations at their rescue. The
angels of God look down and they
see men driving ON the edge of great
precipices of ruin ana danger drawn
by wild, leaping, foaming and un.
governable perils i'll this life. and if
any shall escape before they capsize.
do you not suppose the angels of God
rejoice, crying: Good, good! Saved
from sin, saved from death, saved
from hell, saved forever"
The supreme court of the United
States does lot adjourn for anything
trliling. II must he the death of
cabinet minister, or the death of
president. or some matter of very
great moment When | find all
heaven adjourning its other joys for
this one JOY, make up my mind it
is of very great Importance if heav
en- can afford to adjourn all other
festivities To celebrate this one tri-
umph.
Do you wonder that so many of
these Christian people have toilcd
night and day in this work of soul
saving, if it is of such vast impor-
tancel Do You wonder that Nettle-
ton and Finley and Bishop Asbury
and John Wesley and George White
field and Paul and angels aad Christ
and God stripped themselves for the
work. Around that one soul circles
the mist, the fire. the darkness, the
Jpg NAAt stiNsV tAlt tiiG
hallelujah and the woe of Gods uni
verse If the soul is saved. then lip
comes to trumpet and fingers to harp
and hammer to bell and there is
joy among the angels of God over
that one soul forgiven" For such
soul plead.
RELIGION \ COMFORT AND \ JOY.
Having found in my own expert
ence that this religion is comfort
and joy. stand here to commend
it to you. In the days of my infancy
/ was carried by Christian parents to
the house of God, and consecrated in
baptism to the Father, and the Son,
and the Holy Ghost; but that did
not save me. In after time | was
taught to kneel Mt the Christian
family altar with father and mother