Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1892-03-04
v. h. BISHOP, Island Pond, "

this house today who could go out with .
torch and dndle a new bodfire OF victory
on the hills OF heaven. IL you would this
day repent and come TO God, the news OF
your salvation would reach heaven and
then, bark 70 the shout OF the ransomed.
Your little child went away from you into
the good land. While she was here you
brought her all kinds of beautiful presents.
Sometimes you came home at nightfali
with your pockets full Of gifts for her, and
no sooner did you put your night key into
The latch than she began at vou- saving.
RATHER. what nave you Drought msp sns
Is now before the throne OF God. Can you
bring her gift today You may. Coming
TO Christ and rSpenting Of sin, the tidings
will go up TO ths throne OF God and your
child will hear Of II. Ol, what gift for her
soul to-layl Shs will sSio with new glad
ness on the everlasting hills when she hears
Of it.
My subject also impresses me with the
idea that heaven ami earth are in close SYM
pathy. People talk of heaven as though 1t
werea great way Off. They say 1t Is hum
reach the first star, and then you go hum
dreds Of thousands Of miles before you get
to the second star, and then it Is millions Of
miles before you reach heaven. They say
heaven is the center Of the universe and we
are on the rim OF the universe. That Is not
the idea OF my text | think the heart OF
heaven beats very close to our world. We
measure distances by the time taken to
traverse those distances.
1t used TO be long distance to San Fran
cisco. Many weeks and months we're passed
before you could reach that city. Now 1t is
six or seven days 1t uaAd to be six weeks
before you could voy age rom hero 70 iaver-
pool Now you can go that distance Is six
or seven days. Aud so l measure the dis
1. -. L Al
it is only fash. 1t is ono instant here and
another instant there. 1t Is very near to-
day. Do you not feel the breath OF heaven
on your facep Christ says in one place 1t is
not twenty-four hours distance when He
says to the penitent thief, This day, this
day, shalt thou be with Me in paradise" 1t
is not day, 1t is not an hour, 1t Is not .
minute, 1t Is not a second
Oh, how near heaven Is to earth. By
oceanic cables you send a message. As 1t Is
expensive to send a message, you compress
a great deal OF meaning in few words.
Sometimes in two words you can put vast
meaning. And 1t seems to me tnat ths
angels Of God who carry news from earth
to heaven need to take up this hour in re-
garI to your soul, only two words In order
70 kin1le with gladness all the redeemed
before tae throne, only two words, "Fathsr
saved" 'mother saved" 'son saved,H
daughter saved" And "there Is joy In
heaven among the angels OF God over ons
sinner that repsnteth."
My subject also impresses me with the
fact that the salvation of the soul Is OF vast
importance. IL you should make $500 600
this year, do you suppose that news would
be carried to heaven? 1t would not be OF
enough Importance or significance to be car
ried heay1nward. IL at the next quadren.
nial election you are made President of the
I nlteI States do you suppose that news
would bs carried to heavent Do you sup
pose that the news OF revolution in France
or Spain would be carried to heaveni These
things are not of enough Importance but
there Is one itsm that is sure to be carried
1t Is the salvation of your soul. 1t il your
repentance before God
The flying hoots Of COTS curriers' clash
through the gates an the news goes from
gate to mansion, and from mansion to tenn.
pie, and from temple to throne and "thers
is JOY in heaven" among ths angels Of God
over one sinner forgiven. 1t must be OF vast
Importance to be OF any moment in heaven,
your salvation in that land where glainesses
are the every day occurrence, in that land
where the common stones OF the field are
jasper and emerald and chrysoprasus and
carbuuce aud sarGonyx. And yet the news
Of your salvation makes joy before the
throne OF God.
Having found In my own experience that
this religion is a comfort and Joy, l stand
here to CO nmend it to you. In the days of
nv infancy l was carried by Christian pa
rents to the house of God, and consecrated In
baptism to the Father, and the Son, and the
Holy Ghost; but that did not save me- In
after time / was taught to kneel at tbs
Christian family altar with father and
mother and brothers and sisters, the most of
them now in glory, but that dill not save
NE.
In after time read Doidridgs's "Riss
and Progress" and Baxters "Call to the
Unconverted," and all the religious books
around my fathers household, but that did
not save me. But one day the voice of
Christ came into my heart saying, Repent,
repent believe, believe" and accepted the
offer of mercy, and though no doubt there
was Joy in heaven over the conversion OF
other souls because of their far reaching in
auence, l verify believe when I gave my
heart to God there were some spirits In
heaven the giadder for the deed. There Is
10y in heaven among the angels OF God over
one sinner that repenteth Turn this day to
the Lord who bought you. Let this whole
audience surrender themselves to Jesus
Christ. If for ten, twenty, fifty years you
have not prayed. begin now to pray.
"oh," you say, II can't pray" Can you
not say, "God be merciful to me, a sinnerP
"No," you say II can't say tnat." Then
can you not look to the throne OF mercys
"No,h you say, II can't look up Can you
not give some signal like that which was
given by the lad in tho hospital! He was
sick and suffering and dying, and wanted
speedily to go away from all suffering and
pain, and he said to his comrades in the hos.
pitai, at is strange to me that Jesus doesn't
see me when He goes through here nights
and takes others to Himself. He goes
through here and He doesn't see me. l must
be asleep and He doesn't know want to 60.
Now, l tell you how I'll arrange 1t. I'll
20 to sleep with my hands up. and then
when Jesus comes through the hospital BY
night He will see my hand lifted, and He
will know that want to go with Him" So
1t was done. For that night Jesus went
through the hospital and took the suffering
lad, and the next morning the nurse passing
through the wards Of the hospital saw dead
hand lifted braced on one side against tho
pillow, and the left hand holding the elbow
OF the right arm. Jesus had seen the signal
and answered it. Oh, sick soul, wounded
soul, dying soul, canst thou not give some
signalf Wilt thou not lift one hand or ons
prayer God grant that this day there may
be Joy in heaven among the angels OF God
over your soul forgivenl