Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1892-02-19
v. h. BISHOP, Island Pond, VI

l'ague pauses. As soon as the Israelites havt
been sufficiently disciplined by their wander
| lngs they find their way into Canaan. Blu.
to some the limit is not sat in this life Their
whole pilgrimage is through the wilderness
ana the world Is to them valley OF tears
But perhaps God has a special throne it
| heaven that no ordinary saint can occupy.
and by extraordinary trials He has prepared
| that Christian soul for extraordinary glory
God will not keep YOU in the furnace on,
moment too long Just as soon as Paul had
| met with enough Imprisonment and scourg.
ings he reached up and plucked his eternal
| crown. God will keep US no longer under
the hammer and on the stocks than is neceS-
sary to fit us for entrance into the haven OF
eternal rest. Glory be 10 the divine grace
that as soon as our Affections have accom-
plished their mission, they are arrested
The defeats and sorrows of life have some
times been the greatest advantage. 1t was
because Dante failed as a statesman that he
gave up politics and wrote his immortal
"Divinla Commedia." 1t was a violent
thunderstorm that first set Martin Luther
seriously thinking, and the thunder Of this
worlds disaster has started a reformation.
James Y. Simpson went from surgeons
operating table TO experiment and see If he
could not find something that would alleviate
human pain and he kept on until he had dis
covered chloroform as an an9sthetic, 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
1860 there was only one edition OF his works,
and that of only three hundred copies in
existence and that edition was nearly all
burned i'll 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 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 NebuchadneZzar
in the field, but infinite compassion brought
him hack to the palace. No sooner was Eden
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. 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 born, but
left uumolesteI every house whose door was
sprinkled with the blood OF sacrifice.
Fiery tempests bear down upon Sodom,
hut not until two angels have warned Lot
and his family to fee 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 Coils 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 third chariot
was drawn by white horses They indicated
81, - lie 20 Rttt
mar, 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 to drown the invitations OF
Calvary. The Lord utters the admonition.
''The wages OF sin is death" but exhaustless
mercy responds, "Dever him from going
down to the pit, for have found a ransom"
Hide Thee quick in the rock, Christ Jesus.
Let not this insignificant Now" absorb
Thee more than the great hereafter. The
path leading to this side OF the grave is only
few furlongs but the path which com
mences at the other side CT 1t 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
irving to drown the voice OF the preacher,
but taking hold OF the silver trumpet of the
GOSPEL which made Felix trembe, and at
the Pentecost brought three thousand souls
out of their sepucher | would blow one
long, loud blast, crying, "Whosoever viii,
let him come"
Take this goo lily religion which has done
so much for me that | can commend 1T to oil.
Without it | should have gone the whole
downward career, Stolid and phlegmanc
natures going astray do not go 50 far, but
natures like mine, sanguine, intense, emo
tional optimistic, social to the last degree
and echony TO all the heights and depths or
mirth, if they get off the track they go with
one wild leap to hell. AS TO the restraining
power of this religion upon mercurial tenn
parament testify This is not abstraction
or something gotten from books. lspeak OF
what know. Go out and ask all who have
tried this religion and ask them how it
works.
Three Young men in u factory came out
on the Lords side, but two Of them, over
come by the jeers Of their comrades, went
back and joined the scoffers. The one held
on to his Christian hope, and one day when
they pressed him hard and were telling how
much inidelity had done for the world, and
that Christianity had done nothing, the per-
| secuted Christian turned upon them, and
| pointing to Henry and George, who had for
| a little while followed Christ and then turned
bacS. 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
and ready to oblige. What have you made
themY 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 hearted their homes wretched. That
is what your principles have done. Now l
have tried Christ and His religion and what
| /. 4 fn, Vn, Gpntu vvall 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 nobody would trust me.
NV wife was ill used, | was i'll humored,
hateful and hating. What has religion done
for me? Thank God, | am not afraid to put
it to YOU Am | not happier man than
was2 Am l not a better workman and a
kinder compauioni Would once have put
up with what / now bear from your
could beat any Of you as easily now as ever
Why don't |? Do you ever hear foul word
from nv MOUTH Do you catch me at q
public house? Has anybody o score against
mey Go and ask my neighbors II am not
alt. red for the better. Go AMI ask my wife
Let my house bear witness. God be
praise1 here is what Christianity has don't
Tor me; there is what inadelity has done fol
Henry and George"
Out of this audience could gather a thou
sand men and women who could tell you a.
thrilling a story as that as to what religion
has done for them. Yea, il times of perse
cution should come as of old, AMI they mal
come, they are thousand here who woult
for Cbrist's sake as cheerfully walk into tn
furnace of fire as though il were an aroo
OF thyme and honeysucIle, and face tn
: lions as though they were lambs OF trisSin
u of the hillside AMI wade down into the dee
!; water which are to submerge them as hal
Il PLY as ever at Narragansett beach they too
U the surf at a summer bathing.
Come up and join those on tho way 70
9 palace. What an absurd thing for kin
5 TO be eating grass Instead of living on tn
a poor fodder that the world affords come an
y sit among the princes Of God at the royt
a blnquet and hear the bands play; EAT
Q Friendsl Drink, o Belovedp Here is
IS crown wear it. Here Is scepter, sway 1
Ne - .' .L--.--- .......-4 [. lhic 10 unur hon