Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-09-25

sphere 10 oeslSnaVe tho OutnpltCo al
astronomy felt the thrill. If there be
anything true about our religion, IL is
that other worlds are sympathetic with
this world aud in communication with
It. The glorified of heaven would join
in such celebration. The generations
that toiled to have the world for Christ
would take part in such jubilation and
prolonged assemblage.
The upper galleries Of Gods universe
would applaud the scene, whether we
heard the clap Of their wings and the
tlout Of their voices or lid not hear
them. Prophets who predicted the Mes
tiah, and apostles who talked with him,
and martyrs who died for him would
take part in the scene, though TO our
poor eyesight they might DO invisible.
The old missionaries who died in the
malarial swan, of Africa, or were
struck down b. Egyptian typhus, or
were butchered at Lucknow, or were
slain by Bornesian cannibals would come
down from their thrones to rejoice that
at last Christ had been heard of, and so
speedily in all nations. At the first roll
of the first overture of the first day Of
that meeting ell heaven would cry;
Heart Hearr'
Ayel Ayei / think myself such vast
procedure as that might hasten our
Lords coming, and that the expectation
of many millions of Christians who be-
lieve in the second advent might be
realized then at that conjunction of the
nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
do not say it would be, yet who knows
but that our blessed and adored Master,
pleased with such plan Of worldwide
observance, might say concerning this
wandering and rebellious planet, "That
world at last shows disposition to ap-
preciate what have done for it, and
with one wave of my SCARED hand will
bless and reclaim and save it,"
That such celebration of our Lords
birth, kept up for days and months,
would please all the good Of earth and
nightly speed on the gospel chariot
and please all the heavens, sanity,
cherubic, seraphic, archangelic and d.
vine, is beyond question. Oh, get ready
for the worlds greatest festivity. Tune
your voices for the worlds greatest an
them. Lift the arches for the worlds
mightiest procession. Let the advancing
standard of the army of years, which
has inscribed on one side of it 1900"
and on the other side nl901," have also
inscribed on it the most charming name
of all the universe-the name of Jesus.
Whether this suggestion of worlds
celebration of the nativity be taken or
not. 1t has allowed me an opportunity in
somewhat unusual way of expressing
my love for the great central character
of all time and all eternity. He is the
infinite nonesuch. The armies of heaven
drop on their knees before him. After
Bourdaloue, before overwhelmed au-
diences, has preached him, and Milton
in immortal blank verse has sung him,
and Michael Angelo has glorified the cell
ing of the Vatican with his second COM
ing, and martyrs while girdled and
canopied with the flames Of the stake
have with burning lips kissed his mem
ory, and in the hundred and forty and
four thousand" of heaven with feet on
seas of glass intershot with sunrise, have
with uplifted and downswung baton.
and sounding cornets, and waving ban
ners, and heaven capturing doxologies
celebrated him, the story of his lowell
ness, and his might, and his beauty, and
his grandeur, and his grace, and his in
tercession, and his sacrifice, and of his
birth, and his death will remain untold.
Be his name on our lips while we live,
and when we die after we have spoken
farewell 10 father and mother and wifo,
and child let us speak that name which
is the lullaby of earth and the transport
] of heaven.
| Before the crossing Of time on the
midnight between Dec. 81, 1000, and the
1st OF January, 1901, many Of us will be
gone. Some of you will hear the clock
strike 10 OF one century and an hour
after it hear it strike / of another CEN
tury, but many of you will not that
midnight hear either the stroke Of the
old city clock or Of the old timepiece IN
the hallway Of the homestead. Seven
years cut wide swath through the
churches and communities and nations.
/ But those who cross from world to
world before Old Time in this world
crosses that midnight from century to
century will talk among the thrones Of
the coming earthly jubilee, and on the
river bank and in the house Of many
mansions, until all heaven will know OF
the coming Of that celebration, that will
fill the earthly nations with Joy and
help augment the nations Of heaven.
But whether here or there we will take
part In the music and the banqueting IL
we have made the Lord our portion.
Oh, how would like 70 stand at my
front door some morning or noon OF
night and see the sky part and the blessed
Lord descend in person, not as be will
come in the last judgment, with fire and
hail and earthquake, but In sweet ten
derness 10 pardon all sin. and heal all
wounds, and wipe away all tears, and
feed all hunger, and right all wrongs
and illumine all darkness, and break all
bondage, and harmonize all discords.
Some think he will thus come, but about
that coming | make no prophecy, for
am not enough learned IN the Scriptures
as some OF my friends are. 10 announct
a very positive opinion.
But this do know, that II would b
well for as 10 have an international and