The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-03-09


fulness and he says: 20 Lord, have
mercy, am wanderer, and without
Thee / perish. Have mercy" God
hears him, and Immediately two of the
towers of Heaven strike silvery chime
But here is an outcast He was picked
up last night out'of the gutter and ear
ried TO the police station. He has been
in the penitentiary three times. He is
covered and soaked with loathsome.
ness and abomination. Accusing from
His debauch he cries out: 20 God, have
mercy on me. Thou who didst pardon
the penitent thief, hear me cry for mer-
cy." And the Lord listens and pardons,
and no sooner is the poor wretch par
doned than three of the great towers of
Heaven strike up silvery chime But
here is waif of the street. She passes
under the gaslight, and your soul shud-
ders with a great horror. No pity for
her. No commiseration for her. AS
she passes down the street, she hears a
a song in a midnight mission, and as
she listens to that song she hears;
All may come whoever will,
This Man receives poor sinners still.
She puts into that harbor, she kneels
by the rough bench near the door, she
says: 80, Lord! Thou who didst have
mercy on Mary Magdalen, take my
blistered feet off the red hot pavement
of hell" God says: my daughter,
thy sins are forgiven thee; goin peace. !"
Now all the four towers of Heaven strike
silver chime, and those who pass
through the celestial streets say:
whats that? Why, the worst sinner
must have been saved. Hear all the
four towers ring, and ring, and ring
"And there is joy in Heaven among the
angels of God over the sinner that re-
penteth."
My subject impresses you, I think,
with the thought that it is possible for
us to augment the happiness of heaven.
People think that souls before the
throne are as happy as they can be. /
deny it. Look at that mother before
the throne of God. When she died
she left her son in this world vag-
abond That son repented of his iniqui-
ties and came to God The report OF
that salvation has reached Heaven. Do
you tell me THAT mother before the
throne of God has not her Joy richly
augmented? There is many man in
this house to-day who could go out with
torch and kindle new bonfire of vic
tory on the hills of Heaven. If you
would this day repent and come to God
the news of your salvation would reach
Heaven, and then, bark! to the shout Of
the ransomed Your little child went
away from you into the good land.
While she was here you bought her all
kinds of beautiful presents. Sometimes
you came home at nightfall with youi
pockets full of gifts for her, and nc
sooner did you put your night-key into
the latch than she began at you, say.
ing: "Father, what have you brought
me?" She is now before the throne Of
God. Can you bring her gift to-day
You may. Coming to Christ and repent
ing of sin. the tidings will go upts
the throne of God, and your child will
hear of it. 0, what a gift for her SOU
to-day! She will skip with new glad
ness on the everlasting hills when she
hears of it,
was at Sharpsburg during the war
and one day saw sergeant dash pas
on lathered horse, the blood dripping
from the spurs, said: "That sergeant
must he going on a very important
message, he must be carrying very
important dispatch, or he wouldn't ride
like that" Here are two angels of Goo
fitting through the house, fitting
toward the throne in quick dispatch
What is the news? Carrying up the
story of souls repentant and forgiven
carrying the news to the throne of God
carrying the news to your kindred whc
are forever saved. o, there is Joy il
Heaven among the angels of God owe
one sinner that repenteth." And sup
pose this whole audience should turn tt
the Lord? Heaven would be filed will
doxologies. 0, Heaven, beat with all tn,
hammers that the rock may break. Oh
Heaven, strike with all thy cleaning
swords that our souls may be free.
was reading of king who, after gain
ing great victory, said to his army
mo; no shouting; let everything be il
quiet; no shouting" But if this hou
your soul should come to God, nothin,
could stop the shouting of the armies o
God before the throne: for there is 10,
in Heaven among the angels of Go,
over one sinner that repenteth." Il
some families they keep vacant chat
and vacant plate for the departed
but if in some of your households 20,
kept vacant chair and vacant plat
for those who have gone away from yol
into the next world, the vacant chair
and the vacant plates would outnumbe
those which are occupied. l once sal
to you there are no vacant chairs il
Heaven; but l recall that. Right be
side your loved one in that good Ian,
there is u vacant chair, not made vacan
by death, for death never enters there
it is vacant chair for you. VIII yo1
take it?
My subject also impresses me wit
the idea that Heaven and earth are il
close sympathy. People talk of HEAVIER
as though it were great way off. The.
say it is hundreds of thousands of mile
before you reach the first star, and the
you go hundreds of thousands of mile
before you get to the second star, an
then it is millions of miles before yo
reach Heaven. They say Heaven is tn
center of the universe and we are o.
the rim of the universe That is no