Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-03-04
But there are a great many of you, my


all want to get the truth, but you want the
truth to come to you; you do not want to go
to It. There are people who fold their arms
and say IL am ready to become Christian
at any time. II | am to be saved ! sdall be
saved. and il am to be lost | shall be lost"
Alb Jerusalem will never come to you; you
must go to Jerusalem. The religion OF the
Lord Jesus Christ will not come to you; you
must go and get religion. Bring out the
ce-lels. Put OH all the sweet spices, all the
treasures OF the hearts affection. Start for
the throne. Go in and hear the waters of
salvation dashing in fountains all around
about the throne. Sit down at the banquet
the wine pressed from the grapes of the
heavenly Eschol, the angels Of God the cup
bearers.
Goad on the cames; Jerusalem will never
come to you; you must go to Jerusalem.
The Bible declares it "The queen OF the
south"-that is, this very woman am speak
ing of-"the queen OF the south shall rise up
in Judgment against this generation and
condemn it: for she came from tho uttsrmost
parts of the earth to hear the wisdom OF
Solomon: and, behold greater than Solo
mon is here" God help me 10 break up the
infatuation of those people who are sitting
down In idleness expecting to DO saved.
'Striye TO enter in at the straight gate.
Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye
shall fni; knock, and it shall be opened to
YOU Take the kingdom OF heaven by vio-
ience Urge on the camelsl
Again, my subject impresses me with tae
fact that religion is surprise to any one
that gets it. This story of the new religion
in Jerusalem, aud Of the glory OF King Solo
mon, who was a type OF Christ-that story
rolls on and on AMI is told by even traveller
coming back from Jerusalem. The news
goes on the wing OF every ship and with
every caravan, AMI you know a story en-.
larges as it is retod and By the time that
story gets down into tue southern part of
Arabia Felix aud the Queen OF Shebl hears
1t, it must be tremendous story. And yet
this queen declares iu regard to it, although
she had heard so much and had her antici-
pations raised so high, the half-the half was
not told her.
So religion is always a surprise to any one
that gets it. The story Of grace-In old
story. Apostles preached it with rattle OF
chain; martyrs declare 1t with arm Of fire;
deathbeds have affirmed it with visions OF
glory and ministers of religion have sounded
it through the lanes and the highways and
the chapels and the cataedrals lt has besn
cut into stone with chisel and spread on the
canvas with pencil, and it has been recited
In the doxology OF great congregations.
And yet when a man first comes TO look on
the palace Of Gods mercy and to see the
royalty Of Christ aud the wealth of this
banquet, ami the luxuriaucs of His attend
ants, and the loyliuess Of His face, and the
JOY of His service he excllims with prayers,
with tears. with signs with triumphs THE
half-the half was not told me"
| appeal 10 those in this house who are
Christians. Compare the idea YOU had OF
the joy of the Christian life before you be-
clmea Christian with the appreciation OF
that joy you have now since you have be-
come Christian, and you are willing TO at
test before angels and men that you never in
the days of your spiritual bondage had any
appreciation of what was to come. You are
ready to-day to ans yer, aud if ! gave you
an opportunity in the midst of this assem-
blage you would speak out and say in re-
gard to the discoveries you have made of the
mercy and the grace and the goodness OF
God, The half-the half was no; told me~
Well. we hear great deal about the good
time that is coming to this world, when ii is
to be girdei with salvation. Holiness on the
bells OF the horses The lions name patted
by the hand OF a babe. Ships Of Tarshish
bringing cargoes for Jesus. and the hard,
dry, barren, winter bleached, storm Scared
thunder split rock breaking into foods Of
bright water. Deserts into which drome-
diaries thrust their nostrls, because they
were afraid of the simoom-deSerts bloom
ing into carnation roses and silver tipped
lilies
1t is the old story. Every body tells it.
Isaiah told it. John told it, Paul told it, Eza-
kial told it. Luther told it, Calvin told it.
john Milton told it-everybo1y tells it, and
yet--and yet when the midnight snail fly the
hills, and Christ shall marshal His great
army, aud China, dashing ner idols into the
Dust, shall hear the voics of God and wheel
ii a hat.
naut and snatcting up her little children
from the GaugeS, shall hear the voice OF
God aud wheel into line. and vine covered
Italy, and all the nations Of the earth shall
hear the voice OF Go1 and fall into line; then
the church which has been toiliug and struS-
Cling through ths centuries, robed and gar
lai. led like bride adorned for her husband,
shall put aside her vail and look uo into the
face of her Lord aud King, AMI say, The
half-the half was not told me-
Well there is coming greater surprise to
every Christian greater surprise than
anything have depicted. Heaven is an
old story. Everybody talks ab out it. There
is hardly a hymn in the hymn book that
does not refer to it, Children read about it
in their Sabb ath school book Aged men
put on their spectacles to study it. We say
It is a harbor from the storm We call
it our homes We say it is the house Of
many mansions We weave together all
sweet. beautiful, delicate. exhilarant words;
we weave them into letters, AMI then We
spell It out in rose and lily and anarauth.
And yet that place is going TO b. a surprise
to the most intelligent Christian.
Like the Queen of Sheba. the report has
come TO Us from the far country. aud many
Of us have startei II is desert march, but
we urge on the camsis What though our
feet be blstered with tue way, We are
fastening TO the palace. We take all our
loves and hopes and Christian ambitions, "a
fraukncenss aud myrrh and cassa to the
great King We must not rest We must
not halt. The night is coming on. and 1t Is
not safe out here in the desert Urge on the
camels. see the domes against the SKY,
and the houses OF Lebanon, aud the tenn
pies and the gardens. See the fountains
dance in the sun, aud the gates flash as they
open to let in the poor pilgrims
Send the word up TO the palace that we
are coming, and that we are weary OF the
march OF the desert. Ths King will come
out aud say; Welcome to the palace;
baths in these waters, reclins on these
banks. Take this cinnamon au1 frannn-
cense aud myrrE and put it upon censer
and swing It before the altar" And yet, my
friends, when heaven bursts upon us 1t Will
be greater surprise than that-Jesus on the
throne. aud We made like Him All our
Christian friends SURROUNDING US in glory
All our sorrows and tears and sins gone by
forever The thousands OF thousands, the
one hundred and forty and four thousand
the great multitu les that no man eau mum.
bar will cry world without end, THE hall