Democratic messenger., 1892-08-13

She gathers np the glory of Il Saviour's
snfferings, Saviour's death. a Saviours
resurrection. a Saviour's ascension. and
pours that light on palace and dungeon,
on squalid hcaihcnism and elaborate
skepticism. on widows tears and mar
tyr'S robe of flame, on weeping pen-
tencc and loud mouthcd Scorn.
She is the only institution today that
gives any light To our world. Into her
portals the poor come and get the sym
pathy of once pillowlcss Christ the
bercavcd come and see the bottle in
which God saves all our tears, and the
captivcs come, and ON the sharp corners
of her altars dash off their chains, and
the thirsty come and put their cup under
the Rock of Ages" which pours forth
from its Smittcn side living water spark
ling water. crystalline water from under
the throne of God and the Lamb.
Blessed the bell that calls her worship
ers To prayer. Blessed the water il.
which her members are baptized. Bless
ed the wine that glows in her sacra-
mental 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
and unharmed. and comes ont calm and
beautiful on the other side. so the
church of God has gone through all
the storms of this worlds persecution
and come ont uninjurcd. no worse for
the fact that Rohespierre cursed it.
and Noltaire caricaturcd it, and Tom
Paine sneered AT il. and all the forces
of darkness have bOmbar,led it. 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 wretched-
ness the Christian church has made her
mild way. Fair as the moon"
take step further in my subject
Clear as the suiI." After season of
storm or fog. how you are thrilled when
the sun comes out at MONDAY. The
misis i:avcl up hill above hill, mountain
above mountain. until they are sky lost
The forests are full of chirp and buzz
and song: honey makers on the log,
birds beak pounding the bark. the chat
ter of the squirrel on the rail. the call of
:. hawk ont of clear sky makes YOU
thankful for the sunshine which makes
all the world 50 busy and 81 glad. The
same sun which in the morning kindled
conflIgrationS among the castles of
cloud scoops down 10 paint the lily
white and the buttercup yellow and the
forgetmenot hlue.
WHAT CAN RESIST THE Sun!
What can resist the sun: Light for
voyager on the deep. light for shepherds
guarding the flockS afiCld. light for the
poor who have no lamps to burn. light
for the downcaSt and the weary. li:h,
for aching eyes and burning brain and
consuming captive. light for the smooth
brow of childhood and the dim vision of
the octoScnarian. light for queens
coronct and sewing girls needle. Lee
there be ligh'"
Now, says my text. Who is She that
looketh forth clear IL: the sum" Our an
swcr is. the church You have been go
ing along Il road before daybrcak, and
on one side you thought YOU saw lion.
and on the other side you thought yor.
saw a goblin Of the darkness. but when
the sun came ont You found these were
harmless apparitiOns. And il Is the
great mission of the church of Jesus
Christ in come forth "clearses the sur
TO illumine all carly darkness. to ex-
plain. as far as possible. all mystery. and
10 make the world radiant in its bright
hess: and that which You thought was
an aroused lion is found out to be a
slumbering lamb; and the sepulchral
gates of your dead turn ont to be the
opening gates of heaven; and that which
you supposed was a flaming sword to
keep y0u ont Of paradise is an angel OF
light io heckon YOU III.
The lamps on her altars will cast their
glow on your darkest pathway and cheer
you until. far bcyond the need Of Ian
tern or lighthouse. you are safely an
chorcd within the veil oh. sun of the
church. shine on until there is no sor-
row Ia suothc. no tears 10 wipe away.
no Shacklcs 10 break. no more souls To
ie redeemed, Ten thousand hands Of
sin have attempted to cXi:nguisl tire
lamps ON her altarS. but they are quench-
less. and to silence her pulpiis. but the
thunder wonld leap and the lightning
would flame
The church of God will Vet come 10
full meridian. and in thar day all the
mountains of the world will he sacred
mountains, touched with the glory OF
Calvary. and all streams will flow by
the mount of God like cool Sloan, and
all lakes be radiant with Gospel memories /
like Genncsaret. and all islands of rhe
sea be crowned with apocalyptic vision
like Patmos, and ali cities be sacred rs
Jerusalem. and all gardens luxuriant as
paradise. with God walking in the cool I
of the day. Then the chorals of grace
will drown ont all the anthems of earth.
Then the throne of Christ will overtop
all earthly authority. Then the crown
of Jesus will outflame all other coronets.
Sin destroyed. Death dead. He'll de- /
feated. The church triumphant. All
the darknesses of sin. all the darknesses
Of trouble. all the darknesses of earthly
mystery hieing themselves to their
dcns. Clear rs the sun, Clear as the
SUM-"
Further. Terrible rs an army with
uannria. take one more step IN tnIS
subject and say that if you were placed
for the defense Of II feeble town. and
gteat army We're seen coming over the
hills with fiying enSi2ns. then you would
be able 10 get some idea of the terror
that will strike the hearts of the enemies T
of God when the church at last marches
on like IAN army with banners"
You know there is nothing that OK
cites soldiers enthusiasm so muci n
an old flag. Many man almos; dead, /
catching glimpse of the national en-.
sign, has sprung To his feet and started
again into the battle Now. my friends,
| don't want you to think of the church |
of Jesus Christ as defeated institu. |
iion. as the victim of infidel sarcasm
something to he kicked and cuffed and
trampled on through all the ages of tn,
world. 1t is IAN army with banners.