The Penn's Grove record., 1892-02-12

thunderstorm that INST set martin Luther
seriously thinking, n the thunder Of this
worlds disaster has started reformation.
James Y Simpson went from a surgeons
operating table 10 experiment and see IL he
could not find something that would alleviate
human pain, and he kept on until he had dis
covered chloroform as an anosthetic, and
the story of distress has almost always been
followed by the story of rescue.
For many years after Shakespeare's death
his work was so little appreciated that IN
1855 there was only one edition of his works,
and that Of only three hundred copies, in
existence, and that edition was nearly all
burned in the great London fire. But forty
eight copies had been sold out of the city,
and those forty-eight copies saved Shakes
peare for all nations and all time. Your
suppression on q smaller scale may last a
good while, but for all you are worth you
will yet shine out on earth or in heaven.
Again, learn from my subject that con
nected with the most distressing judgments
Of God there are displays Of divine mercy.
God might justly have left Nebuchadnezzir
In the field, but infinite compassion brought
him lack to the pslace. No sooner was Elem
blasted than a blessing followed on the heels
of the curse promising the coming OF One
who would destroy sin and make the whole
world a paradise. This deluge descends, but
not until Noah had invitel the people into
the ark. The destroying angel comes upon
Egypt for the shifting Of the first born, but
left uumolested every house whose door was
sprinkled with the blood OF sacrifice.
Fiery tempests bear dow upon Sodom,
but not until two angels have warned Lot
and his family to flee from the destruction.
Jerusalem was utterly destroyed, but not
Until Jeremiah had sounded an alarm,
bidding them turn from their denominations
On the darkest cloud of wrath their is a
rainbow of mercy. Zechariah in his pro-
phetic vision beheld -four chariots, SYMBOL
ical Of Cots government.
The first chariot was drawn by red horses.
They indicated the wars that were coming.
The second chariot was drawn by black
horses. They indicated the coming of a
famine and pestilence. The THRU chariot
was drawn by white horses. They indicated
the ~spotless purity Of His conquests. But,
mark well that the fourth chariot was
drawn by horses ''grisled and bay" denoting
that mercy was mixed with all the desc
lating judgments OF God. Sinai cannot
thunder so ,oud as todrown the invitations OF
Calvary. The Lord utters the admonition,
..The wages OF sin is DEATH" bat exhaustless
mercy responds, 'Deliver him from going
down to the pit, for I L have found a ransom"
Hide Thee quick in the rock, Christ Jesus.
Let not this Insignificant snow" absorb
Thee more than the great hereafter. The
path leading to this side OF the grave is only
a few furlongs, but the path which com
mences at the other side Of it is without end.
The powers Of darkness gather about your
SOUL, and the temptations OF an evil hear
and the allurements of the world l know are
trying to drown the voice OF the preacher,
but taking hold of the silver trumpet OF the
GOSPEL which made Felix tremble, and at
the Pentecost brought three thousand souls
out of their sepulcher, l would blow q
long, loud blast, crying. Whosoever Will,
Take this goodly religion which has done
70 much for me that l can commend it to all.
IA t-..lI haua rnnn fha Uhnla
downward career. Stolid n phlegmatic
natures going astray do not go so far, but
natures like mine, ~sanguine, intense, emo
tional. optimistic, social to the last degree
and echoing to all the heights and depths Of
mirth, il they get of the track ahey go with
one wild leap to hell. As to the restraining
power of this religion upon . msrcurial tenn
permanent, I testify. This Is not abstraction
or something gotten from books. lspeak OF
what I know. Go out and ask all who have
tried this religion and ask them how It
works. -.
Three young men in . factory came out
on the Lords side, but two Of them, over
come by the jeers Of their comrades went
back and Joined the scoffera. The one held
on to his Christian hope. and one day when
they pressed him hard and were telling how
much infidelity had done for the world, aud
that Christianity had done nothing, the per,
secuted Christian turned upon them,
pointing to Henry and George. who had Tor
q little while followed Christ and then turned
back, he said:
you have tried your principles on them
and know what they have done for them.
When they tried to serve Christ they were
civil, good tempered, kind husbands and
fathers. They were cheerful. industrious mss
themf Look and see. They are cast down
and cross: their mouths are full Of cursing
and flthiness; they are drunk every week;
their children half clothed, their wives
broken hearted. their homes wretched: That
Is what your principles have done. Now
have tried Christ and His religion and what
used to be. There was none of you
that could drink so much, swear SO
desperately end fight 30 mastery. 1
had no money and nobody would trust me.
NV wife was i'll used. 1 was ill humored,
hateful and hating, What has religion done
it to you. Am 1 not a happier man than l
vast Am l not a better workman and a
kinder companion. Would / once have put
no with what l now bear from yous l
could beat any of you as easily now as ever:
Why don't II Do you ever hear q foul word
public housef Has anybody . score against
mes Go and ask my ~neighbors II l am not
altered for the better. Go and ask my wife.
Let my house bear witness. God be
praise1, here is what Christianity has done
for me, there is what infdshty has lone for
Henry and George"
Out Of this audience I could gather a thou
sand men and women who could tell you as
thrilling a story as that as to what religion
has dons for them. Yea, IL times of perse-
cution should come as of old. and they may
come, they are a thousand here who would
for Christ's sake as cheerfully walk into the
furnace of fire as though il were an arbor
Of thyme and honeysuckla and face the
ions as though they were lambs Of frisking
of the hillside. nj wade dow into the deep
waters which are to submerge them as hap
pily as ever at Narragansett beach they took
the surf at a summer bathing.
Come up and join those on the way to a
palace. What an absurd thing for a king
to be eating grass. Instead OF living on the
poor fodder that the world affords come and
SIT among the princes of God at the royal
banquet and hear the bands play: Eat. .
Friendsi Drink, o Balovedr Here is a
crown, wear it. Here isl scepter, sway it.
Here is a throne, mountit Thisis your hour,