The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-02-19

is and smites just hard enough to
break il. He sees how our eyes
have Teen blinded and He cuts only
Just enough to remove the scales from
our spiritual vision. As soon as Abra-
hams faith is sufficiently tried the
lamb is provided. AS soon as Pharoh
consents to let the children of Israel
depart the plaques pause. As soon as
the Israelites have been sufficiently dis
ciplined by their wanderings, they find
their way into Canaan. But to some
the limit is not set up in this life.
Their whole pilgrimage is through the
wilderness and the world is to them a
valley of tears. But, perhaps, GGi mas
a special throne in Heaven that no or
dinary saint can occupy, and by extra
ordinary trials he has prepared that
Christian soul for extraordinary glory.
! God will not keep you in the furnace
! one minute too long.
The defeats and sorrows of life have
sometimes been the greatest advan-
tage. 1t was because Dante failed as
statesman that he gave up politics, aud
wrote his immortal Divina Commedia
1t was violent thunder storm that first
and the thunder of this worlds dis
aster has started many reformation
Again, learn from my subject that
connected with the most distressing
| judgments of God there are displays of
divine mercy. God might justly have
left Nebuchadnezzar in the field, but
infinite compassion brought him back
to the palace. No sooner was Eden
blasted than a blessing followed on the
heels of the curse promising the COM
ing of One who would DESTROY sin and
make the whole world pardise. The
deluge descends, but not until Noah
had invited the people into the ark.
The destroying angel comes upon
Egypt for the shifting of the first boru,
but left unmolested every house whose
door was sprinl1led with the blood Of
sacrifice. Fiery tempests bear down
upon Sodom, but until two angels
have warned Lot and his family to fee
from the destruction. Jerusalem was
utterly destroyed, but not until
Jeremiah had sounded the alarm, bid
ding them turn from their abomina-
tionS.
On the darkest cloud of wrath there
is a rainbow of mercy. Zechariah in
his prophetic vision beheld four char
lots, symbolical of Gods 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 famine and pestilence.
The third 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 desolating Judgments
of God Sinai cannot thunder
so loud as to drown the invita-
tions of calvary. The Lord utters the
DEATH" but exhaustless mercy re-
spends: "Deliver him from going down
to the pit for / have found ransom"
Hide thee quick in the rock. Christ
Jesus Let not this insignificant ''now"
absorb thee more than the great here
after. The path leading to this side Of
the grave is only a few furlongs, but
the path which commences at the other
side of it is without end. The powers
of darkness gather about your soul and
the temptations of an evil heart, and
the allurements of the world know
are trying to drown the voice of the
preacher, but, taking hold of the silver
trumpet of the gospel which made Felix
8. 200 souls ont OF their sepulcher,
would blow one long loud blast, cry
ing: "Whosoever will, let him come"
Three young men in factory came
out on the Lords side, but two of them
overcome by the jeers of their COM
rades went back and joined the scof-
fers The one held on to his Christi
hope. and one day when thev pressed
him hard, and were telling him how
much infidelity had done for the world,
and that Christianity had done nothing,
the prosecuted Christian turned upon
them, and turned to Henry and George,
who had for little while followed
Christ, and then turned back, he said:
''You have tried your principles on
them, and know Ehat they have done
for them. WheE ,fey tried to serve
Christ, they were eivn, good tempered,
kind husbands and fathers They
were cheerful. industrious and
ready to oblige. What have
you made them? Look and see They
are cast down and cross; their mouths
are full of cursing and filthiness; they
are drunk every week; their children
half clothed, their wives broken heart
ed, their homes wrecked That il
what your principles have done. Now
have tried Christ and his religion.
and what has it done for me? You
know well what used to be. There
was none of you that could drink so
much, swear so desperately and fight
so mastery. had no money and no
body would trust me. Ny wife was i'll
used. was i'll humored, hateful and
hating. What has religion done
for me? Thank God, l am not
afraid to put it to you. Am 1 not
happier man than l was? Am / not
better workman and kinder COM
panion? Would 1 once have put up
with what 1 now bear from you?
could beat any of you as easily now as
ever. Why don't I? Do you ever hear
a foul word from my mouth? Do you
eaten me at public house? Has any
BODY score against me? Go and ask
my neighbors if l am not altered for
the better. Go and ask my wife. Let
my house bear witness Gcd be
praised, here is what Christianity has
done for me; there is what infidelity
has done for Henry and George"
Out of this audience I could gather
!, 900 men and women who could tell
you as thrilling story as that as to-