Connecticut western news., 1892-03-03

queen of the south shall rise up in judgment against this generation and condemn it, for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and. behold a greater than Solomon Is here" God help me to break up the mfatuation of those people who are sitting down in idleness expecting to be saved. Strive to enter in at the straight gate. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find. knock, and it tshall be opened to you" Take the kingdom of heaven by vio. lence. Urge on the camels.
 Again, my subject impresses me with the fact that religion is a sur prise to any one that gets it. This story of the new religion in Jerusa. lem, and of the glory of King Solo mon, who was type of Christ-that story rolls on and on, and is told by every traveller coming back from Jerusalem. The news goes on the wing of every ship and with every caravan, and you know story en larges as it is retold. and by the time that story gets down into the south ern part of Arabia Felix. and the Queen of Sheba hears it, it must be tremendous story. And yet this | queen declares in regard to it. al though she had heard SO much and had her anticipations raised so high. the half-the half was not told her RELIGION WONDERFUL SURPRISE.
 So religion is always a surprise to any one that gets it. The story of | grace-an old story. Apostle preached it with rattle of chain martyrs declared it with arm of fire deathbeds have affirmed it with wis ions of glory, and ministers of re igion have sounded it through the lanes, and the highways, and the chapels and the cathedrals. It ha, | been cut into stone with chisel and spread on the canvas with pencil, and | it has been recited in the doxology oi great congregations. And yet when a man first comes to look on tn palace of Gods mercy. and to see tn, royalty of Christ. ani the wealth of this banquet, and the luxuriance of his attendants, and the loveliness oi his face. and the joy of his service he exclaims with prayers, with tears. with sighs, with triumphs, The hall the half was not tod mer
 Iappeal to those in this house whu are Christians. Compare the idea you had of the joy of the Christian life before you became a Christian | with the appreciation of that joy | you have now, since you have be come a Christian, and you are will ing to attest before angels and men that you never in the days of your spiritual bondage had any apprecia tion of what was to come. You are ready today to answer. and if gave you an opportunity in the midst of this assemblage. you would speak out and say in regard to the discov cries you have made of the mercy, and the grace, and the goodness of God. The half-the half was not told mel"
 Well. we hear a great deal about the good time that is coming to this world when it is to be girded with salvation. Holiness on the bells of the horses. The lions mane patted by the hand of babe. Ships of Tar shish bringing cargoes for Jesus. and the hard. dry, barren. winter bleached. storm scared, thunder split rock breaking into floods of bright water. Deserts into which dromedaries thrust their nostIils. be cause they were afraid of the simoom deserts blooming into carnation roses and silver tipped lilies.
 It is the old story. Everybody tell, it. Isaiah told it. John told it. Paul told it. Ezekiel told it, Luther tolu it, Calvin told it, John Milton told il
 everybody tells it; and yet-and yet when the midnight shall fly the hills, and Christ shall marshal hi, great army, and China, dashing her idols into the dust, shall hear the voice of God and wheel into line and India. destroying her Jugger naut and snatching up her little children from the Ganges. shall heaI the voice of God and wheel into line; and vine covered Italy and al the nations of the earth shall heal the voice of God and fall into line then the church which has been toll ing and struggling through the cen turies. robed and garlanded like a bride adorned for her husband, and shall put aside her veil and look up into the face of her Lord and King, and say. The half--the half was not told mel"
 Well. there is coming a greater surprise to every Christian greater surprise than anything have de. picted. Heaven Is an old story. Everybody talks about it. There is hardly hymn in the hymn book that does not refer to it. Children read about it in their Sabbath school book. Aged men put on their spec tacles to study it. We say it is harbor from the storm. We call il our home. We say it is the house of many mansions. We weave together all sweet, beautiful, delicate, exhila. rant words; we weave them into let ters, and then we spell it out in rose and lily and amaranth. And yet that place is going to be surprise to the most intelligent Christian.
 Like. the Queen of Sheba, the re port has come to us from the far country, and many of us have start ed. It Is a desert march, but we urge on the camels. What though our feet be blistered with the wayl We are hastening to the palace. We take all our loves and hopes and (,l, ,.;.+;a,, o,,, h;+;,po ou f,.ap lyi p,.a,,Sa