News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-03-03

Iappeal to those in this house who
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-
ton of what was to come. You are
ready today to answer, and if l gave
you an opportunity i'll 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, 1.-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 name patted
by the hand of a 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 nostrils, be-
cause they were afraid of the simeon
deserts blooming into carnation
roses and silver tipped lilies.
1t is the old story. Everybody tells
it. Isaiah told it, John told it, Paul
told it, Ezekiel told it, Luther told
it, Calvin told it, John Milton told it
everybody tells it; and yet-and
yet when the midnight shall fly the
hills, and Christ shall marshal his
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 hear
the voice of God and wheel into
line; and vine covered Italy and all
the nations of the earth shall hear
the voice of God and fall into line;
then the church which has been toll
ing and struggling through the cen
tu1ies, 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, 1.-THE half-the half was not
told mer'
Well, there is coming a greater
surprise to every Christian greater
than anything l 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 a
harbor from the storm. We call it
our home. We say it is the house of
many mansions. We weave together
Ill sweet, beautiful, delicate, exhila-
rant words; we weave them into let
5ers, and then we spell it out in rose
md lily and amaranth And yet
hat place is going to be a surprise to
5he 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
ID. 1t is a desert march, but we
lrge on the camels. What though |
,ur feet be blistered with the way2 |
We are fastening to the palace We
AXE all our loves and hopes and
christian ambitions as frankincense
md myrrh and cassia to the great |
King. We must not rest We must |
lot halt. The night is coming on,
md it is not safe out here in the des-
TT Urge on the camels. l see the
lomes against the sky, and the houses
IT Lebanon, and the temples, and the
gardens. See the fountains dance in |
5he sun, and the gates flash as they |
open to let in the poor pilgrims.
Send the word up to the palace |
hat we are coming. and that we are
weary of the march of the desert. |
The King will come out and say:
Welcome to the palace; battle in
hese waters, recline on these banks.
lake this cinnamon and frankincense
nd myrrh and put it upon a censor
nd swing it before the altar" And
ret, my friends, when heaven bursts
lpon us it will be a greater surprise
han that-Jesus on the throne, and
We made like himl All our Christian
riends surrounding us in glory All
ur sorrows and tears and sins gone
y forever! The thousands of thou
ands, the one hundred and forty
nd four thousand, the great multi
udes that no man can number, will
ry, world without end, 1.-THE half
the half was not told us!"