Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-08-08


shippers 10 prayer. Blessed the wafer
in which her members are baptized.
Blessed the wine that CLOVIS in her sac
ramental cups. Blessed the songs on
which her devotions travel up and the
angels Of God travel down.
As the moon goes through the midst
of the roaring storm clouds Unfinished
aud unframed, and comes out calm and
beautiful on the other side, so the
Church Of God has gone through all the
storms of this worlds persecution and
come out uninjured, no worse for the
fact that RobeSpierre cursed it and Vol
taire caricatured it, and Tom Paine
sneered al il, and all the forces Of dark
ness have bombarded 1t. Not like some
baleful comet shooting across the SKY,
scattering terror and diSmay among the
nations, but above the long, bowling
night OF the worlds wretchedneSs the
Christian Church has made her mild
way, Fair as the moon
take a step further in my sub
ject-"Clear as the sun" After
season Of storm or fog, how you are
thrilled when the sun comes out at
MONDAY! The miSts travel up hill above
hill, mountain above mountain, until
they are sky lost. The forests are full
OF chirp aud buzz and song; hOney-mak-
ers on the log, birds beak pounding the
bark, the chatter Of the squirrel on the
rail, the call OF hawk out OF the clear
SKY. make you thankful for the sun
shine which makes all the world so busy
and so glad The same sun which in
the morning kindled CONGREGATIONS
among the castles of lSId, stoOps down
10 paint the lily whi<, and the butter
cup yellow, and the tSrget-me-not blue.
What can resist the sun? Light for
voyager on the deep; light for shep-
herds guarding the GockS afeld; light
for the poor who have no lamps 10 burn;
light for the dOwnCaSJ and the weary;
light for aching eyes and burning brain
aud consuming captive; light for the
smooth brow OF childhood and the dim
vision OF the octOgenarian; light for
the queens cOrOnet and Sewing-girPs
needle. Let there be light"
Now says my text, "Who is she that
loOketh forth clear as the SUM-" Our
answer Is, the Church. You have been
going along a road before daybreak, and
on one side you thought you saw lion,
and on the other side you thought you
saw a goblin OF the darkness, but when
the sun came out you found these were
harmless apparitiOns. And it is the
great mission of the Church of Jesus
Christ 10 come forth "Clear as the sun"
20 iliumine all earthly darkness, to eX-
plain, as far as possible, all mystery,
aud 20 make the world radiant in its
brightness; aud that which you thought
was an aroused lion is found ont to be a
slumbering lamb; and the Sepulchral
gates OF your dead turn out 10 be the
gates Of heaven; and that which you
supposed was a flaming sword TO keep
you out of paradise, is an angel OF light
10 beckOn you in.
The lamps on her affairs will cast
their glow on your darkest pathway,
and cheer you until, far beyond the
need OF lantern or lighthouse, you are
safely anchored within the veil. 0, sun
Of the Church. shine on until there is
no sorrow 10 SOOthe, no tears TO wipe
away, no shackleS 10 break, no more
souls to be redeemed. Ten thousand
hands of sin have attempted TO eXtin
guish the lamps on her affairs, but they
are quenChleSS; and to silence her pull
pits, but the thunder would leap and
the lightning would flame.
The Church OF God will yet come to
full meridian, and in that day all the
mountains Of the world will be sacred
mountains, touched with the glory Of
Calvary, and all streams will flow by the
mount Of God like cool Sloan, and all
lakes by radiant with gospel memories
like GenneSaret, and all islands OF the
sea be crowded with apOcaiyptiC vision
like Potmas, and all cities be sacred as
Jerusalem, and all gardens luxuriant
as Paradise, with God walking in the
cool of the day. Then the chOralS of
grace will drown out all the anthems Of
earth. Then the throne of Christ will
OyertOp all earthly authority. Then
the crown Of Jesus will outaame all
other coronets. Sin destroyed. Death
dead. He'll defeated. The church
triumphant. All the darknesses of sin,
all the darknesSes of trouble, all the
darkueSSeS Of earthly mystery, hiding
themselves in their dens, 'Clear as the
sun, clear as the SUM-"
Further, Terrible as an army with
banners" take one more step in this
subject and say that if you were placed
for the defence of feeble town, and
great army were seen coming over the
hills with flying enSigns, then you would
be able 10 get some idea of the terror
that will strike the hearts of the enc
mics of God when the church at last
marches on like ian army with ban
ners."
You know there is nothing that ex-
cites a soldiers enthusiasm so much as
an old flag. Many a man almost dead,
cathing a glimpse OF the national en-
sign, has sprung TO his feet, and started
again into the battle. Now, my friends,
l don't want you TO think Of the Church
OF Jesus Christ as defeated inStitu
ton, as the victim OF inGdel sarcasm,
something TO be kicked and cuffed and
trampled on through all the ages of the
world. 1t is "an army with banners. "
IL has an inscription and colorS such as
never stirred the hearts Of any earthly
soldiery. We have our banner OF re-
cruit, and on it is inscribed, "Who is
on the Lords side ?' Our banner Of
defiance, and on it is inscribed, THE
gates of hell shall not prevail against
us" Our banner Of triumph, and on it
is inscribed, Victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ" and we mean 10 plant
that banner on every hilltop and wave
il az the gate of heaven.
With Christ TO lead US we need not
fear. will not underrate the enemy.
They are 4 tremendous host. They come
on with acuteSt strategy. Their weapons
by all the inhabitants Of darkness have
been forged in furnaces OF everlasting
fire. We contend not with flesh aud
blood, but with principallties and powers