The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-03-02


ring and ringp "And there is joy in
heaven among the angels of God over one
sinner that repenteth."
HEAVENS HAPPINESS MAY BE AUGMENTED.
My subject impresses you, think, with
the thought that it is possible for US to
augment the happiness of heaven. Peo-
pie 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 a vagabond That son repented of
his iniquities and came to God. The re-
port of that salvation has reached heaven.
Do you tell me that mother before the
throne of God has not her JOY richly aug
mented? There is many a man in this
house today who could 20 out with torch
and kindle a new bonfire of victory on the
hills of heaven. If you would this day re-
pent and come to God, the news of your
salvation would reach heaven, and then,
harkl to the shout of the ransomed. Your
little child went away from you into the
good land While she was here you
brought her all kinds of beautiful pres
ents.
Sometimes you came home at nightfall
with your pockets full of gifts for her, and
no sooner did you put your night key into
the latch than she began at you, saying,
Father, what have you brought me?"
She is now before the throne of God. Can
you bring her "A gift today? You may.
Coming TO Christ and repenting OF sin, the
tidings will 90 up to throne of God and
your child will hear of it, Oh. what gift
for her sOul today! She will skip with new
gladness on the everlasting hills when she
hears of it.
was at Sharpsburg during the war, and
1av~ I 1u.-f
lathered horse, the blood dripping from
the spurs. ! said. That sergeant must be
going on a very important message, he
must be carrying a very important dis
patch, he wouldn't ride like that"
Here are two angels of God fitting through
the house, fitting toward the throne on
quick dispatch What is the news? Carry
ing up the story of souls repentant and for
given, carrying the news to the throne of
God, carrying the news to your kindred
who are forever saved. Oh, there is Joy
in heaven among the angels of God over
one sinner that repenteth," And suppose
this whole audience should turn to the
Lord? Heaven would be filled with dox-
ologies. o heaven, beat with all thy
hammers that the rock may break o
heaven, strike with all thy cleaning
swords that our souls may be free
was ANoNillE VI a kAtiS, wiz il JcI gam
ing great victory, said to his army mo,
no shouting; let everything be in quiet; no
shouting But if this hour your soul
should come to God, nothing could stop
the shouting of the armies of God before
the throne, for there is JOY in heaven
among the angels of God over one sinner
that repenteth."
In some families they keep vacant
chair and a vacant plate for the departed,
but if III some of your households you kept
vacant chair and a vacant plate for those
who have gone away from you into the
next world. the vacant chairs and the va
cant plates would outnumber those which
are occupied | once said to you there are
no vacant chairs in heaven but | recs.,
that. Right beside your loved one in that
good land there is vacant chair, not made
vacant by death, for death never enters
there; it is a vacant chair for you. VIII you
take it?
SYMPATHY IN HEAVEN FOR EARTH.
My subject also impresses me with the
idea that heaven and earth are in close
sympathy. People talk of heaven as
though it were great way off. They say
it is hundreds of thousands of miles before
you reach the first star, and then you go
hundreds of thousands of miles before you
get TO the second star, and then it is mill
lions of miles before you reach heaven.
They say heaven is the center of the uni
verse and we are on the rim of the universe.
That is not the idea of my text. think
the heart of heaven beats very close to our
world. We measure distances by the time
taken to traverse those distances.
1t used to be long distance to San Fran
cisco. Many weeks and months were
passed before you could reach that city.
Now it is six or seven days. 1t used to be
six weeks before you could voyage from
here to Liverpool. Now you can go that
distance in six or seven days. And so
measure the distance between earth aud
heaven, and find it IS only fash. 1t
is one instant here and another instant
there 1t is very near today. Do you not
feel the breath of heaven on your face?
Christ says in one place it is not twenty
four hours distance, when he says to the
penitent thief, This day, this day, shalt
thou be with me in paradise" 1t is not a
day, it is not an hour, it is not a minute, it
is not a second.
Oh, how near heaven is to earth. BY
oceanic cable you send message As tits
expensive to send a message, you compress
great deal of meaning in a few words.
Sometimes in two words you can put vast
meaning And it seems to me that the
Angels OF OOQ VINO news lEOul 6stTJL
to heaven need to take up this hour in re-
gard to your SOUL only two words in order
TO kindle with gladness all the redeemed
before the throne, only two words, Father
saved" mother saved" ''son saved"
daughter saved" And ''there is joy N
heaven among the angels of God over one
sinner that repenteth."
SALVATION or THE SOUL
My subject also impresses me with the
fact that the salvation of the soul is of
vast Importance. If you should make
100000 this year, do you suppose that news
would be carried TO heayeny 1t would not
be of enough Importance or significance to
be carried heavenward. If at the next
uuadrennial election you are made presi-
dent of the United States, do you suppose
that news would be carried to heaven!
Do you suppose that the news Of reyolu-
tion in France or Spain would be carried to
heaven? These things are not of enough
Importance, hut there is one item that is
sPre to be carried. 1t is the salvation of
your soul 1t is your repentance before
God
The flying hoofs Of Gods couriers clash
through the gates and the news goes from
gate to mansion, and from mansion TO tenn
pie, AID srorl temple to throne, and there
is jog in heaven" among the angels OF God
over one sinner forgiven. 1t must be of
EAST importance to be of any moment in
heaven, your salvation. in that land where
gladnesses are the everyday occurrence, in