The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-05-04
want to go to is heaven. unless you want


to be busy.
Alas, my hearers, that in this world
there should be so many lounCers and so
few workers. We 20 into the vineyard Of
the church and we hear the arbor groan
under the heft Of the vines and the clus-
tiers hanging down, large and thick and
ripe, cluster against cluster, fairer than the
punches of kshcol and Engedi, and at
touch they will turn into wine morn rudy
than that OF Libanus and Helbon. But
where are the men to gather the vintage
and tread the wine press2 There comes 10
your car n sound of a thousand wheat
fields ready for the sickle. The grain is
ready. 1t is tall, it is full, it is golden.
1t waves in the sunlight. Ii rustles in the
wind. 1t would ill the barns. 1t would
crowd the garners After awhile 1t VIII
lodge. or the mildew and the rust will
snite it.
REAPERs IN THE WORLDS HARVEST
Oh, where are the reapers TO bind the
sheavesl The enemies Of God are mar
shaded. You see the glitter of their buck
lers. You hear the paving Of their chargers,
and all along the line of battle is heard the
shout of their great captain, and at the
armies of the living God they hurl their
defiance. They come, not in numbers like
the hosts of Sennacherib, but their multi
tude is like the leaves of the forest, and the
sound of their voices like the thunder of the
sea. Mailed in hell's impeneJrable armOr,
they advance with the waving of their
banners and the dancing of their plumes.
Their ranks are not easily TO be broken,
for the batteries of hell will open to help
them and ten thousand angels OF darkness
mingle in the Fight. Where are the chosen
few who will throw themselves into the
jaws of this conflict?
King James gave to Sir John Scott. for
his courage, a charter of arms with num-
Der of spears for the crest and the motto,
Ready aye. readyr' and yet, when God
calls us 10 the work and the cause demands
our espousal and interests dreadful as the
judgment and solemn as eternity tremble
in the balance, how few of US are willing
to throw ourselves into the breach, crying,
'Ready! aye, readyP'
Oh, | should like to see God arise for
the defense Of his own cause and the dis
enthralment of a world in bondagel How
the letters would snap and how the dark
ness would fly, and how heaven would
sing. You have never seen an army like
that which God shall gather from the four
winds OF heaven to fight his battles. They
shall cover every hilltop and stretch
through every valley and man the vessels
on every sea. There shall neither be up
roar nor wrath nor smoke nor bloodshed.
Harvests shall not lie waste in the track
nor cities be consumed. Instead of the
groans of captives shall come the song of
those redeemed.
Yet the conquest shall be none the less
complete, for if in that hour when all
should be yigilant the church Of God
should neglect to seize the prize and the
cause should seem 70 fail, from the grave
yards and cemeteries of all Christendom
the good aud faithful Of the past would
spring TO their feet in time to save the
cause, and though the sun might not again
stand still above Gideon, or the moon in
the valley of Ajalon, the day would be long
enough To gain decisive victory for God
and the truth.
But my text is descriptive also of those
who hunt for opportunities, and when they
get them, do not use them. The rabbit
they overcome by an early morning tramp
lies for weeks uncooked in the dooryard.
The deer that they brought down after
long and exhausting pursuit in the Adj
rondacks lies on the doorsill updrrssed and
the savory venison becomes a malOdOr0us
carcass. They roast not that which they
took in hunting Opportunities laborious-
" captured, Vet useless, and that which
came in inxitingly, like a string Of plover
and quail and wild duck hung over a
hunters shoulder, turns to something
worse than nothing.
So with Agrippa when almost persuaded
to be a Christian. 50 with the lovely
young man who went away from Christ
very sorrowful So with tens Of thousands
who have whole hands full whole skies
full Of winged opportunities which profit
them noVnlng At all, because they roast not
that which they took in hunting Oh,
make out of this captured moment a ban
quot for eternity. The greatest prize in
the universe TO be won is the love and par
don of Christ. Win that and you can say:
Now have found Friend
Whose love shall never end.
Jesus is minel