Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-12-07


morning you were making a calcula
ton. You got on the track of some
financial or social game. With your
pen or pencil you were pursuing 1t.
That very morning YOU were devour-
ing the prey: but that very night You
were in Il different mood. You found
that Heaven was offered YOU. You
wondered how You could get it your
self and Your family. You wondered
what resources it would give yor, NOW
and hereafter. You are dividing peace.
and comfort. and satisfaction. and
Christian reward in your soul. You
are.dividing the spoil.
One Sabbath night at the close of
the service | said to some persons:
When did you first become serious
about your soul?'' And they told me:
"TO-night." And | said to others:
'When did you give your heart to
God?' And they said: TO night "
And I said to others: ''When did You
of your life?" And they said: To
night" And l saw by the gayety OF
their apparel that when the grace
of God struck them they were
devOuring the prey: but saw
also. in the food of joyful
tears and in the 1indling raptures on
their brow and in their exhilarant and
transporting utterances, that they
We're deviding the spoil. If you have
been in this building when the lights
iste struck at night you know tina t
of oil ;ai
all blaZed. Oh. [ would to God that
the darkness of your souls might be
broken up, and that by one quick over
whelming. instantaneous flash of H.
Illumination you might be brought in
to the light and the liberty of the sons
of God.
You see that religion is a different
thing from what some of you people
supposed. fou thought it was deca-
dence; you thought religion was mae
Grafton; you thought it was highway
robbery: that it struck one down and
left him half dead; that it pIucSet
ont the eyes; that it pluclled out the
plumes of the soul: that it broke the
wing and crushed the beal1 as it came
ciawing with its black talons through
the air. No, that is not religion.
What is religion? 1t is divid-
ing the spoils. 1t is taking a defense
less soul and panoplying it for eternal
conquest. 1t is the distribution of
prizes by the Kings hand, every medal
stamped with a coronation. 1t is an
eXhilaration, an expansion. It is inn
paradisation. 1t is enthronement. Re-
Egion makes a man master of earth,
Of death. and hell. 1t goes forth to
gather the medals of victory won by
Prince Emanuel. and the diademS of
Heaven, and the glOries of realms
terrestrial, and celestial, AMI the n,
after ranging all worlds for every
thing that is resplendent, it divides
the spoils. What was it that James
Turner, the famous English evangelist.
was doing when in his dying moments
he said Christ is ALL" Why. he was
entering into light: he was rounding
the Cape Of Good Hope; he was divid-
ing the spoil. What was the aged
Christian Qua1eress doing, when at
eighty years of age, she arose in the
meeting and said: ''rhe time of nv
departure is come. My grave clothes
are falling Off She was dividing the
spoil.
She longed with WINS to fly away.
And mix with that eternal day
What is Daniel now doing. the lion
tanner? and Elijah who was drawn
by the flaming coursers? and Panl?
the rafting of whose chains made
kings quake? and all the other victims
of flood, and fire. and wreck. and gull
1otine-where are they? Dividing the
spoil.
Oh, what a grand thing it is to be a
Christian! We begin now to divide the
spoil but the distribution will not be
completed to all eternity. There is a
poverty struck soul, there is a bust
ness-despoiled soul, there is sim
struck soul, there is bereaved
soul-why do you not come
and get the spoils of Christian
character, the comfort, the joy.
the peace, the salvation that am sent
to offer you in my Masters nameo
Though your knees knock together in
weakness, though your eyes rain tears
of uncontrollab weeping and
get the spoils. Rest for all the weary.
Pardon for all the guilty. Labor for all
the bestormed. Life for all the dead.
l verify believe that there are some
who have come in here. downcast be-
cause the world is against them and
because they feel God is against them,
who will go away saying:
l came to Jesus as I was
Weary and worn and sad:
found in Him d resting place,
And He has made me glad.
Though you came in children of the
world, you may go away heirs of
Heaven. Though this very autumnal
morning you were devouring YOUR
prey, now all worlds witnessing, You
NOV Jo +l,o -,o;1