Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-03-10


ture comes into his heart and he sees
that he cannot depend upon his NOR
rality for salvation. He says: "Oh
Lord God, 1have been dependingupon
my good works, I find I am sim
ner, and l want thy salvation. Lord,
for Jesus sake, have mercy on me-"
And God pardons him, and immedi-
ately one of the towers OF heaven
strikes silvery chime, for there are
four towers to the heavenly temple.
Here is q man who is bad; he knows
he is bad, and everybody else knows
he is bad, but he is not an outcast,
far from being an outcast. He moves
in respectable circles. But one day,
by the power of the Holy Ghost, he
rouses up to see mis- sinfulness and be
says: 30 Lord, have mercy, I am
wanderer, and without Thee perish
Have mercy" God hears him. and
Immediately two OF the towers of
heaven
STRIKE A SlLvERY CHIME.
But here is an outcast. He was
picked up last night out of the gutter
and carried to the police station. He
has been in the penitentiary three
times. He is covered and soaked with
loathsomeness and abomination.
Arousing from his debauch, he cries
out: 80 God, have mercy on me.
Thou who didst pardon the penitent
thief, hear me cry for mercy" And
the Lord listens and pardons, and no
sooner is the poor wretch pardoned
than three of the great towers of
heaven strike up a silvery chime. But
here is waif OF the street. She passes
under the gaslight, and your soul
shudders with a great horror. No
pity for her. No commiseration for
her. AS she passes down the street,
she hears q songin 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, 30. 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;
go in peace" Now all the four towers
of heaven strike a silvery chime, and
they who pass through the celestial
streets say, "What's that? why, the
worst sinner must have been saved.
Hear all the four towers ring and ring
and ring" "And there is Joy in heav-
en- among the angels of God over one
sinner that repenteth."
MY SUBJECT 1MPkEssEs YOU,
think, with the thought that it is
possible for us to augment the happi-
ness 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 ofGod.
When she died she left her son in this
world a vagabond. That son repent
ed Of his iniquities 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?
My subject also impresses me with
the idea that heaven and earth are in
close sympathy. People talk OF heav-
en- as though it were a great way off.
Christ says in one place it is not "a
hours distance, when he says to the
penitent thief, "This day shalt thou
be with me in Paradise" 1t is not a
day, it is not an hour, it is not min
ute, it is not q second. o! how near
heaven is to earth.
My subject also impresses me with
the fact that the salvation of the soul
is of vast Importance. II you should
make 5000, 900 this year, do you sup
pose that news would be
CARRIED TO HEAVEN.
It would not be of enough import
ance or significance to be carried
heavenward. If at the next quadren-
NAL election you are made president
of the United States, do you suppose
that news would be carried to heaven?
Do you suppose that the news of q
revolution in France or Spain would be
carried to heaven? These things are
not OF enough Importance, but there
is one item that is sure to be carried.
1t is the salvation Of your soul, it is
your repentance before God. The fly
ing hoofs of Gods couriers clash
through the gates and the news goes
from gate to mansion, and from man.
sion to temple, and from temple to
throne, and "there is Joy in heaven"
among the angels of God over one sin
ner forgiven. It must be of vast inn
portance to be OF any moment in
heaven, your salvation, in that land
where gladnesses are the everyday oc-
currence, in that land where the COM
mon stones of the field are jasper, and
emerald, and chrysoprasus, and car
buncle, and sardonyx. And yet, the
news OF your salvation makes Joy be.
fore the throne of God.
Expensive, After All.
IT, rna.kes little or no difference how